Ernie Morrison

Ernie Morrison in the 1923 Our Gang episode "Dogs of War"

Fredric Ernest "Ernie" Morrison (born December 20, 1912 in New Orleans , Louisiana , USA as Fredric Ernest Morrison , † July 2, 1989 in Lynwood , California ) was an American child actor , actor, vaudeville actor, dancer and bandmaster . Morrison was best known as one of the first actors in the silent film period of " Our Gang " (" The Little Rascals ") between 1922 and 1924 and as the only black member of the East Side Kids . Ernie Morrison's stage name was Sunshine Sammy . He was the first African American actor in Hollywood history to get a long-term contract, making him the first ever black star in Hollywood.

biography

Ernie Morrison was born in New Orleans , Louisiana in 1912 to Ernie Morrison Sr. , who also appeared in several films between 1918 and 1926. His film career began as a baby. His father was working at the time for a wealthy family in Beverly Hills , Los Angeles , who had connections with the local film industry. A film producer who was an acquaintance of the father asked Morrison Sr. to be allowed to film his son for their productions because the intended baby did not do what was asked of him. Since child actors at this age had nothing else to do but cry, the father agreed. But when he didn't want to cry, the team named him Sunshine. The father added the nickname Sammy. The name can only be seen in credits from 1919, for the first time in the film "Call for Mr. Caveman". Ernie Morrison received his first documented film role at the age of four in the 1916 silent film "The Soul of a Child". After two more roles with Harold Lloyd and Snub Pollard , two of the greatest comedians of the silent film era, Morrison signed in 1919 became the first African American to sign a long-term Hollywood contract with the film producer Hal Roach . Ernie Morrison was the first child who was cast for the series "Die kleine Trolche" (Originally: Our Gang).

In 1924, Ernie Morrison left the film business for the next 16 years. During this time he worked successfully as a performer and dancer in various vaudevilles . His appearances consisted of shows in the style that were becoming increasingly popular at this time, as they later performed by comedians such as Jack Benny or Abbott and Costello . After several tours in Australia with Sleepy Williams , his partner at the time, Ernie Morrison returned to the United States.

There he was selected by producer Sam Katzman as part of the East Side Kids . He was the only African American in the cast and played the role of "Scruno" . He was able to empathize with the role right from the start, as he grew up on the Lower East Side in New York himself . During this time he was mainly seen in short commercials with Huntz Hall and Bobby Jordan . Whenever the opportunity arose, he worked with the act The Four Step Brothers , a very popular African-American stage and film dance group at the time. After he was drafted into the army in 1944 and transferred to Europe, he ended his work as a film actor for the time being. After the Second World War, he was offered several roles, which he declined. Among the roles offered was an offer to be part of the "Bowery Boys" , which was just starting to shoot. However, he also declined the offer. In a later interview, Morrison said he didn't like the setup. His last major film role was in Greenwich Village , which appeared in 1944 .

After leaving the film business behind, Ernie Morrison worked for the next 30 years in an aircraft assembly plant, for which he was paid well by the standards of the day. In 1974, 30 years after his last film appearance, he had another guest appearance on the US sitcom Good Times .

Ernest Fredric “Ernie” Morrison died of cancer on July 24, 1989 in Lynwood , California at the age of 76. He was buried in Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood , California.

useful information

• Ernie Morrison was the first US millionaire of African descent.
• He was the first black film actor to get a long-term contract in the film industry.
• In 1984, Morrison led the standing ovation for his friend and former boss Hal Roach , who received an Oscar for his life's work.
• Ernie Morrison was the first black man to be featured in fan magazines.
• In 1987, Ernie Morrison was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame .

Filmography

Initial release	Original title	German title (cinema, TV, Super 8, DVD)	Remarks
October 1916	The Soul of a Child		Not in the credits
August 5, 1917	Captain Kiddo
1918	Milady o 'the Beanstalk		As a sambo
May 22, 1918	Dolly Does Her Bit		As a sambo
August 18, 1918	Winning grandma		As a sambo
December 29, 1918	Dolly's Vacation		As a sambo
February 24, 1919	Peggy Does Her Darndest
June 15, 1919	The Little Diplomat		As Little Sambo
September 7, 1919	Baby Marie's round-up		As Little Sambo
October 1919	Start something		First film appearance under the name Sunshine Sammy Morrison
November 9, 1919	Call for Mr. Caveman		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
November 16, 1919	Giving the bride away		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
December 21, 1919	Tough luck		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
December 28, 1919	The Floor Below		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
4th January 1920	Red Hot Hottentotts		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
January 11, 1920	Why Go Home?		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
January 25, 1920	The Dippy Dentist		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
February 1, 1920	All lit up		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
February 8, 1920	Getting His Goat		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
February 21, 1920	Waltz Me Around		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
February 22, 1920	Raise the rent		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
March 14, 1920	Haunted Spooks	Astounded ghosts	Not in the credits
March 21, 1920	Cut the cards		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
March 28, 1920	The dinner hour		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
April 3, 1920	Find the girl		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
April 4, 1920	Cracked Wedding Bells		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
May 9, 1920	Trotting Through Turkey
May 15, 1920	Drink Hearty		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
May 16, 1920	Nearly a maid		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
May 23, 1920	All dressed up		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
June 27, 1920	Any old port		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
4th July 1920	Don't rock the boat		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
July 10, 1920	You're pinched		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
July 18, 1920	The Home Stretch		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
July 25, 1920	Call a taxi		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
August 1, 1920	Run 'Em Ragged		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
August 29, 1920	Money to Burn		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
September 12, 1920	Go As You Please		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
September 19, 1920	Rock-a-bye baby		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
September 26, 1920	Doing time		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
September 26, 1920	Get out and get under		Not in the credits
October 9, 1920	Fellow Citizens		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
October 24, 1920	When the Wind Blows		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
November 7, 1920	Insulting the Sultan		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
December 6, 1920	Cash Customers		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
December 19, 1920	Park your car		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
December 26, 1920	Number, Please?	The number, please?	Not in the credits
January 9, 1921	The Morning After		As Sunshine Sambo
January 23, 1921	Whirl o 'the West		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
January 30, 1921	Pinning It On		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
February 13, 1921	Open another bottle		As Sunshine Sammy
March 13, 1921	Make It Snappy		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
March 27, 1921	Fellow Romans		As Sunshine Sambo
April 10, 1921	Rush orders		As Sunshine Sambo
April 24, 1921	Bubbling over		As Sunshine Sambo
May 8, 1921	No children		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
May 22, 1921	Big game		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
June 26, 1921	High rollers		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
July 17, 1921	At the ringside		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
September 25, 1921	The Chink		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
October 9, 1921	Sweet By and By		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
4th December 1921	The Pickaninny		As Sunshine Sammy
January 1, 1922	Try, try again		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
January 15, 1922	Loose change		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
February 19, 1922	Rich Man, Poor Man		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
March 1922	Penrod	The Underground Club
March 19, 1922	High tide		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
April 16, 1922	Stand Pat		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
April 23, 1922	Full o 'pep		As Sunshine Sammy
June 11, 1922	The Non-Skid Kid		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
June 25, 1922	Many happy returns		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
July 16, 1922	The Sleuth		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
September 10, 1922	One Terrible Day
October 8, 1922	Fire fighters
November 1, 1922	Ginger Face		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
1922-1924	Our gang	The little rascals	As Sunshine Sammy
January 21, 1923	Chrismas		As a smiling sambo
March 30, 1924	The Fraidy Cat		Not in the credits
June 8, 1924	Rupert of Hee Haw		Not in the credits
October 6, 1924	Battling Orioles		Not in the credits
January 3, 1926	Between meals		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
January 17, 1926	Don't Butt In		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
January 31, 1926	Soft pedal		As Sunshine Sammy Morrison
May 29, 1940	Gang War		Not in the credits
May 1940	I can't give you anything but love, baby		As Sunshine Sammy
October 5, 1940	Fugitive from a prison camp
1940-1944	East Side Kids		TV series, role of the character Scuno
May 16, 1942	In This Our Life		Not in the credits
March 5, 1943	The Ape Man		Not in the credits
March 26, 1943	Hit Parade of 1943		Not in the credits
February 7, 1944	Greenwich Village		Not in the credits
April 26, 1974	Good Times		TV series, cameo in the episode "The TV Commercial"

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h} Biography in the English version of the Internet Movie Database
2. ^ Ernest Morrison Sr. in the English version of the Internet Movie Database
3. ↑ ^{a b c d e f} Biography and interesting facts about Sunshine Sammy Morrison ( Memento of the original from July 18, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 

Web links

Commons : Ernie Morrison  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Ernie Morrison in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Honor page for Sunshine Sammy Morrison (English)
• Portraits of the little thugs