List of entertainers who performed in blackface
From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
This is a list of entertainers known to have performed in blackface.
Bert Williams, shown here in blackface, was the highest-paid African-American entertainer of his day.
A–C
- Roy Acuff [1]
- Eddie Albert in On Your Toes (1939)
- Fred Allen, in vaudeville[citation needed]
- Peter Allen, impersonating Al Jolson during his 1981-82 engagement at Radio City Music Hall
- Ant & Dec, as Bernice & Patti[2]
- Fatty Arbuckle
- Harold Arlen in vaudeville and in the play Great Day (1929)
- Arletty in Pearls of the Crown (1937)
- Fred Armisen, impersonating U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday Night Live in 2008 and 2009[3]
- Louis Armstrong, as Zulu King during 1949's New Orleans Mardi Gras[4]
- Desi Arnaz, in the I Love Lucy episode "Lucy Goes to the Hospital"
- Clarence Ashley[5]
- Fred Astaire in Swing Time (1936)[6]
- Roscoe Ates
- Gene Autry[5]
- Dan Aykroyd in Trading Places (1983)[7]
- Marcus "Buff" Bagwell while performing for World Championship Wrestling[8]
- Bananarama in I Want You Back video[citation needed]
- Milt G. Barlow 19th-century American minstrel[9]
- Ethel Barrymore in the play Scarlet Sister Mary [10]
- Billy Barty in Roman Scandals (1933)[11] and Rabbit Test (1978)
- Noah Beery in Golden Dawn (1930)
- Ed Begley, in vaudeville[citation needed]
- David Belasco, in an 1873 production of Uncle Tom's Cabin in San Francisco
- Jean-Paul Belmondo in Itinéraire d'un enfant gate (1988)
- Jack Benny, in vaudeville and in The Meanest Man in the World (1943)[citation needed]
- Milton Berle, in vaudeville, New Faces of 1937 (1937) and Always Leave Them Laughing (1949)
- Al Bernard
- Michael Ian Black in an episode of Stella
- Jack Black in Be Kind Rewind (2008)
- Robert Blake in Mokey (1942)
- Ben Blue in vaudeville and in My Wild Irish Rose (1947)
- Ray Bolger in vaudeville and in the Christmas episode of Where's Raymond?
- Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band
- Edwin Booth
- Keefe Brasselle in The Eddie Cantor Story (1953)
- Pierre Brasseur in Les enfants du paradis (1945)
- Eddie Bravo, as his "Quatoof" character
- Rory Bremner, impersonating Sir Trevor McDonald
- El Brendel
- Fanny Brice
- Norman Brooks
- Frank Brower[12]
- Joe E. Brown in vaudeville and in Daring Young Man (1942)
- Tod Browning, in vaudeville
- John Bunny, in vaudeville
- Andrés Bustamante - During World Cup 2010 adds for Telmex.
- Bob Burns
- George Burns[5]
- Butterbeans and Susie[13]
- James Cagney in Here Comes the Navy (1934)
- Cantinflas
- Eddie Cantor [12]
- Jack Carson in The Time, the Place and the Girl (1946)
- Johnny Carson, in a 1976 The Tonight Show sketch
- Walter Catlett
- Candis Cayne, as Cleopatra Jones in photo shoot
- Dave Chappelle in the second lost episode of Chappelle's Show
- Charley Chase
- Robert Clary, on a 1952 episode of The Colgate Comedy Hour"
- John Cleese briefly in the Monty Python's Flying Circus episode "Archaeology Today" and as one of The Three Wise Men in Monty Python's Life of Brian.
- Jack Cole
- William Collier Sr.
- William Collier Jr., in vaudeville
- George M. Cohan[citation needed]
- Chester Conklin[citation needed]
- Brian Conley in the play Jolson (1995)
- Charles Correll[13]
- Joan Crawford in Torch Song (1953)
- Bing Crosby,[14] in Dream House (1932), Mississippi (1935), Road to Singapore (1940), Holiday Inn (1942), Dixie (1943), and Here Come the Waves (1944)
- Billy Crystal, whenever impersonating Sammy Davis, Jr. and in the "Negro Leagues" sketch on SNL
- Anthony Cumia, impersonating OJ Simpson in his former band Rotgut's music video "Gonna Electric Shock OJ"
D–G
- D-Generation X members Triple H, Road Dogg Jesse James, Bad Ass Billy Gunn, and X-Pac during their parody of the rival WWF stable Nation of Domination on the July 6, 1998 episode of Raw
- Rosemary DeCamp, in Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
- Robert De Niro in Hi, Mom! (1970)
- Willem Dafoe in the play "Route 1 & 9 (The Last Act)"
- Dan Dailey in You're My Everything (1949)
- Ted Danson, at a 1993 Friars Club roast of his then-girlfriend Whoopi Goldberg[15]
- Frankie Darro in Up in the Air (1940)
- Doris Day in I'll See You in My Dreams (1951)
- Marion Davies in Going Hollywood (1933) and Operator 13 (1934)
- Philip Davies in The Black and White Minstrel Show and Newsnight
- Tommy Davidson in Bamboozled (2000)
- Joan Davis in Show Business (1944) and If You Knew Susie (1948)
- Sammy Davis, Jr.[14]
- Thomas Dilward [12]
- Neil Diamond in The Jazz Singer (1980)
- Die Antwoord
- George Washington Dixon [12]
- Lew Dockstader[12]
- Morton Downey[citation needed]
- Roma Downey, in the Touched by an Angel episode "Black Like Monica"
- Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder (2008)
- Johnny Downs in vaudeville and College Holiday (1936)
- Alfred Drake in the musical Kean
- Irene Dunne in Show Boat (1936)
- Jimmy Durante [14]
- Cliff Edwards[citation needed]
- Julian Eltinge[citation needed]
- George "Honey Boy" Evans
- Kenny Everett
- Barney Fagan
- Douglas Fairbanks in Martyrs of the Alamo (1915)
- Jimmy Fallon, impersonating Chris Rock on SNL in 2000
- Frank Fay
- Jaime Fernández in Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1954)
- Fernandel in Monsieur Hector (1940)
- Stepin Fetchit
- Dusty Fletcher[citation needed], in vaudeville
- George Formby
- Edwin Forrest[16]
- Dai Francis (singer)[citation needed]
- Harry 'Singin' Sam' Frankel
- William Frawley, in vaudeville and in Harmony Lane (1935)
- Joe Frisco
- Dwight Frye in The Circus Queen Murder (1933)
- Judy Garland in Everybody Sing (1938), Babes in Arms (1939) and Babes on Broadway (1941)
- Greg Giraldo on an episode of Stand-Up Nation
- George Givot in the play The Constant Sinner (1931)[17]
- Savion Glover in Bamboozled (2000)
- Whoopi Goldberg, impersonating Bert Williams in the special Night of 100 Stars II (1985)
- Freeman Gosden[13]
- The Goodies[citation needed]
- Billy Gould (comedian) (1869-1950) [18]
- Betty Grable, in Happy Days (1929), Coney Island (1943), and The Dolly Sisters (1945)
- Stewart Granger in The Man in Grey (1943)
- Raymond Griffith, in vaudeville and in Blue Bloods But Black Skin (1916)
- Christopher Guest in the "Negro Leagues" sketch on SNL
- Alec Guinness in The Comedians (1967)
H–L
- Bill Hader impersonating Al Pacino playing Dr. Conrad Murray on Saturday Night Live[19]
- Sam Hague[12]
- Huntz Hall in Crazy Over Horses (1951)
- Darrell Hammond, impersonating Jesse Jackson on Saturday Night Live in 2006
- Oliver Hardy in vaudeville, The Hobo (1917), The Honorable Mr. Buggs (1927), Galloping Ghosts (1928), and Pardon Us (1931)
- Otis Harlan in The Dixie Handicap (1924)
- Edward Harrigan and Tony Hart
- Ed Harris in Masked & Anonymous (2003)
- Rex Harrison in the 1926 London production of Eugene O'Neill's Gold
- June Haver in Irish Eyes Are Smiling (1944), 'The Dolly Sisters (1945) and I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now (1947)
- Will Hay
- Peter Lind Hayes
- Ted Healy, in vaudeville
- Bob Height [12]
- Hugh Herbert in Hollywood Hotel (1937)
- Charles Hicks [12]
- Benny Hill, impersonating Idi Amin, Mr. T and in a 1981 sketch spoofing Roots
- Paris Hilton in an episode of The Simple Life
- Ernest Hogan[13]
- William Holden in Father Is a Bachelor (1950)
- Billie Holiday [14]
- Libby Holman in The Little Show
- Bob Hope, in vaudeville and in Road to Singapore (1940)
- C. Thomas Howell in Soul Man (1986)
- Walter Huston in Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
- Betty Hutton in Somebody Loves Me (1952)
- Iamamiwhoami
- Eric Idle in one episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus
- Kip James, professional wrestler, in a promo cut on Team 3D during a TNA iMPACT! episode that aired May 25, 2006
- Herb Jeffries
- Ken Jeong, in the Community episode "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons"
- George Jessel[5]
- Angelina Jolie in "A Mighty Heart"
- Al Jolson [14]
- Terry Jones in some episodes of Monty Python's Flying Circus
- Louis Jordan [14]
- Raul Julia in the Shakespeare in the Park productions of Othello in 1979 and 1991
- Buster Keaton, in vaudeville[13] in the short film Neighbors (1920), possibly with satiric intent: he alternates in and out of blackface, receiving a very different reaction from a policeman.[20] Also in The Playhouse (1921) and College (1927)
- Gene Kelly, in vaudeville
- Edgar Kennedy
- Jamie Kennedy in an episode of Blowin' Up and in various skits of The Jamie Kennedy Experiment
- Billy Kersands[12]
- Larry Kert in the play Jolson Tonight (1979-80)
- Jimmy Kimmel, as Karl Malone and Oprah Winfrey on The Man Show
- Felix Knight in Down to Their Last Yacht (1934)
- Harmony Korine, appeared in blackface and danced in minstrel style in a short film made with Jefferson Hack.
- Robert Klein, in The Landlord (1970)
- Chuck Knipp, who uses blackface and drag when portraying his character Shirley Q. Liquor
- Jane Krakowski, in two episodes of 30 Rock
- Wallace King[12]
- Lady Bunny
- Hedy Lamarr in White Cargo (1942)
- Harry Langdon
- Murray Langston in Night Patrol (1984)
- Mario Lanza in Serenade (1956)
- Laura La Plante in Thanks for the Buggy Ride (1928)
- Joey Lawrence in an episode of Gimme a Break!
- Hugh Laurie in an episode of Jeeves and Wooster
- Stan Laurel in Pardon Us (1931)
- Pinky Lee
- Janet Leigh in Walking My Baby Back Home (1953)
- Valérie Lemercier in Agathe Cléry (2008)
- Francis Leon[12]
- Eddie Leonard[13]
- Jerry Lewis
- Chris Lilley in Summer Heights High and Angry Boys
- Max Linder in Be My Wife (1921)
- Harold Lloyd in The Patchwork Girl of Oz (1914) and Now or Never (1921)
- Walter Long in The Birth of a Nation (1915)
- Peter Lorre in the play Weisse Fracht[21]
- Bessie Love in The Girl in the Show (1929)
- Arthur Lowe in O Lucky Man! (1973)
- Edmund Lowe in Happy Days (1929)
- Myrna Loy in Ham and Eggs at the Front (1927) and The Heart of Maryland (1927)
- Ernst Lubitsch, in Black Moritz (1916)
- Matt Lucas in Come Fly with Me (2010)
- Nick Lucas
- Sam Lucas[12]
M–R
- Marilyn Manson, during the Grotesk Burlesk Tour
- Pigmeat Markham [12]
- Everett Marshall in the 1931 edition of George White's Scandals
- Dean Martin, in Ocean's Eleven (1960)
- Marcello Mastroianni in Miss Arizona (1987)
- The Marx Brothers, in vaudeville and in A Day at the Races (1937)
- Rob McElhenney in the It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia episode "Dee Reynolds: Shaping America's Youth"
- Carlos Mencia in various skits on Mind of Mencia
- Ray Middleton in I Dream of Jeanie (1952)
- Sarah Miles in Lady Caroline Lamb (1972)
- Emmett Miller,[12] an important influence on early country stars like Jimmie Rodgers, Bob Wills
- Flournoy E. Miller[13]
- Irvin C. Miller[13]
- Sidney Miller in Babes in Arms (1939) and There Goes Kelly (1945)
- Spike Milligan
- Joni Mitchell
- Mark McKinney as recurring character Mississippi Gary on The Kids in the Hall.
- Victor McLaglen in Happy Days (1929)
- Clayton McMichen [1]
- Bill Monroe [1]
- Colleen Moore in Synthetic Sin (1929)
- Constance Moore in Show Business (1944)
- Tim Moore, in vaudeville, burlesque and on Broadway
- Jackie Moran in There Goes Kelly (1945)
- Polly Moran
- Chester Morris in Pursuit (1935), After Midnight with Boston Blackie (1943), Boston Blackie Booked on Suspicion (1945) and Boston Blackie's Rendezvous (1945)
- Chris Morris in Episode 2 "The Big Report" of British satire programme The Day Today
- Dennis Morgan in Kisses for Breakfast (1941) and My Wild Irish Rose (1947)
- Frank Morgan in vaudeville, Dimples (1936) and The Wild Man of Borneo (1941)
- Moran and Mack[13]
- Dermot Mulroney in Kansas City (1996)
- Paul Muni in Seven Faces (1929)
- George Murphy in vaudeville and in Show Business (1944)
- Billy Murray, early 1900s recording star, with Al G. Field Minstrels before recording career began
- Herbert Wassell Nadal (1873-1957)[22]
- David Niven in Old Dracula (1974)
- Cornelius J. O'Brien (1869-1954).[23]
- George O'Brien in My Wild Irish Rose (1947)
- Carroll O'Connor in a 1975 episode of All in the Family
- Donald O'Connor in The Merry Monahans (1944), Mister Big (1943), Walking My Baby Back Home (1953)
- Laurence Olivier in Othello (1965)
- Janis Paige in The Time, the Place and the Girl (1946)
- Michael Palin in A Fish Called Wanda (1988) and the Monty Python's Flying Circus episode "The Money Programme".
- Adam Parfrey in What Is It? (2005)
- Harry Parke in vaudeville and in New Faces of 1937 (1937)
- Larry Parks in The Jolson Story (1946) and Jolson Sings Again (1949)
- Mandy Patinkin in The Wild Party (2000)
- Pat Paulsen in a 1974 guest spot on The Merv Griffin Show and Night Patrol (1984)
- Richard Pelham [12]
- Joe Penner in vaudeville and in New Faces of 1937 (1937)
- "Rowdy" Roddy Piper while wrestling for the World Wrestling Federation
- Joe Piscopo, impersonating Jesse Jackson on Saturday Night Live in 1983
- Dana Plato in an episode of Diff'rent Strokes
- Dick Powell in Hard to Get (1938)
- Eleanor Powell in Honolulu (1939)
- Georgie Price
- Ma Rainey, in vaudeville
- John Raitt, in vaudeville and in Minstrel Man (1944)
- Michael Rapaport in Bamboozled (2000)
- Martha Raye in College Holiday (1936) and Artists and Models (1937)
- Thomas D. Rice [12]
- Ralph Richardson in The Volunteer (1943)
- Harry Richman
- Marjorie Reynolds in Holiday Inn (1942)
- Cliff Richard in Summer Holiday (1963) and Wonderful Life (1964)
- Michael Richards in Whoops Apocalypse (1986) and in the Seinfeld episode "The Wife (Seinfeld)"
- Bill Robinson, in vaudeville
- Jimmie Rodgers [1]
- Will Rogers, in vaudeville and in In Old Kentucky (1935)
- Mickey Rooney in Boys Town (1938), Babes in Arms (1939), and Babes on Broadway (1941)
- Shirley Ross in Manhattan Melodrama (1934) and Kisses for Breakfast (1941)
- Benny Rubin[12]
- Dustin Runnels, as "Goldust", while working for the World Wrestling Federation
- Andy Russell in Primavera el el corozon (1956)
- Gary Russell in The Famous Five (1970s TV series) and Zagreus (audio drama)
- Peggy Ryan in Mister Big (1943) and There's a Girl in My Heart (1949)
S–Z
- Horatio Sanz, impersonating Aaron Neville on Saturday Night Live in 2007.
- Ramblin' Tommy Scott[24]
- Chloë Sevigny in Manderlay (2005)
- Reece Shearsmith in The League of Gentlemen
- Michael Showalter in an episode of Stella
- Frank Sinatra, in the Major Bowes short The Big Minstrel (1935) and Ocean's Eleven (1960)
- Sarah Silverman in an episode of The Sarah Silverman Program
- Red Skelton, in vaudeville
- John Slattery, in the Mad Men episode "My Old Kentucky Home"
- Grace Slick while performing with Jefferson Airplane on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
- Bessie Smith[14]
- Hobart Smith[5]
- Kate Smith in the play Hit the Deck (1928)
- David Spade in a skit on The Showbiz Show with David Spade
- Sam Sparro, in his music video for "Pink Cloud"
- Jeffree Star
- Ford Sterling
- Howard Stern, impersonating Clarence Thomas and Ted Danson
- The Three Stooges in Uncivil War Birds (1946)
- James Stewart, in It's a Wonderful World (1939)
- Ben Stiller in Zoolander (2001)
- Fred Stone
- George E. Stone
- Stu Stone in an episode of Blowin' Up
- Bert Swor (1878-1943) [25]
- Eva Tanguay
- Elizabeth Taylor in Young Toscanini (1988)
- Shirley Temple in The Littlest Rebel (1935)
- Danny Thomas
- Denman Thompson
- Scott Thompson in an episode of The Kids in the Hall
- Frank Tinney in vaudeville and Broadway musical comedies[26]
- Arthur Tracy, in vaudeville
- Spencer Tracy in Dante's Inferno (1935)
- Fred Travalena, impersonating Eddie Murphy on Live with Regis and Kathie Lee and Michael Jackson at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards
- Sophie Tucker[27]
- Sonny Tufts in Here Come the Waves (1944)
- Ben Turpin
- Tracey Ullman as Shaneesha Turner on Tracey Takes On...
- The Vagabonds in vaudeville and in People Are Talking (1946)
- Van & Schenck
- Jim Varney in Ernest Goes to Africa (1997)
- Lupe Vélez in Redhead from Manhattan (1943)
- Ben Vereen has performed tributes to Bert Williams, by donning blackface and singing and dancing in Williams' style
- Bobby Vernon
- Monica Vitti in L'eclisse (1962)
- Erich von Stroheim in Thunder Over Paris (1940)
- David Wain in an episode of Stella
- George Walker[13]
- David Walliams in Little Britain
- Sean Waltman, aka X-Pac, while impersonating Mark Henry during a D-Generation X parody of the Nation of Domination on the July 6, 1998 edition of WWE Raw
- Tony Ward
- Ethel Waters, in vaudeville
- H. Vernon Watson (performing under the sobriquet Nosmo King)
- John Wayne in The Spoilers (1942)
- Clifton Webb in vaudeville, The Little Show (1929), and Flying Colors (1932)
- Weber & Fields
- Virginia Weidler in Babes on Broadway (1941) and Born to Sing (1942)
- Mae West, in vaudeville
- Wheeler & Woolsey in Diplomaniacs (1933) and in vaudeville
- Leo White, in vaudeville and in The Hobo (1917)
- Billy Whitlock [12]
- Marjorie White in New Movietone Follies of 1930 (1930)
- James Whitmore in Black Like Me (1964)
- Gene Wilder in Silver Streak (1976)
- Barney Williams[28]
- Bert Williams [12]
- Hank Williams [14]
- Bob Wills [1]
- Flip Wilson in the 1980 TV special Uptown: A Tribute to the Apollo Theater
- Tom Wilson[12]
- Jane Withers in Can This Be Dixie? (1936)
- Jane Wyatt in Kisses for Breakfast (1941)
- Keenan Wynn in Finian's Rainbow (1968)
- The Yacht Club Boys
External links
- Kake Walk at UVM digital collection, Center for Digital Initiatives, University of Vermont Libraries
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Is Blackface Ever OK? - Newsweek
- ↑ New Orleans History~~Lake Pontchartrain
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Sweet, Frank W. A History of the Minstrel Show, p25.
- ↑ Behind the Camera (4/30)
- ↑ Evans’ Release – Ethan Skolnick's Season Ticket – Sun-Sentinel
- ↑ http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/2006/articles/1142225472.php Archived March 27, 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Rice, Edward Le Roy - Monarchs of Minstrelsy from ‘Daddy Rice’ to Date (1911)
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Billy Barty - Overview - MSN Movies
- ↑ 12.00 12.01 12.02 12.03 12.04 12.05 12.06 12.07 12.08 12.09 12.10 12.11 12.12 12.13 12.14 12.15 12.16 12.17 12.18 12.19 Primarily a blackface performer.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 13.7 13.8 13.9 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 14.6 14.7 Smith, Rj, "Pardon the Expression" (book review), Los Angeles Magazine, August 2001
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Watkins p. 83
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Callahan, Dan, "Buster Keaton", on Senses of Cinema. Retrieved July 11, 2005.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Hillbilly-Music.com
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Frank Tinney. The New York Times, November 29, 1940, p.26
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Derby, George, White, James Terry - The National Cyclopedia of American Biography, Vol. 5, 1897, p. 440
