Lincoln (Stepin Fetchit) Perry
Comic Actor, Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry, AKA Stepin Fetchit, Died On November 19 1985 From Pneumonia. He Was 83 Years Old. Considered The "Father Of Black Film, Stars," And The First Black Entertainer To Become A Millionaire, Perry Began His Career Working With Partner, Ed Lee, As The Vaudeville Team, Step 'N Fetchit: Two Dancing Fools From Dixie.
The Two Took Their Name From A Horse Perry Had Won A Bet On In Oklahoma, In The 1920's. Perry Kept The Name When He Went Solo. In 1929 Perry Played "Gummy" In The Hollywood Film, Hearts In Dixie. He Was The First Black Actor To Get Feature Billing In A Hollywood Movie. He Went On To Appear In Some 50 Films.
Stepin Fethchit's Stereotypical Characters -- Often Lazy, Dumb, Klutzy, Stammering, No-Good And Shuffling, Won Him Stardom., But Generated Criticism, Too. And While The Roles He Played Were Less Than Flattering, Perry Has To Be Considered A Film Pioneer.
In 1976, The Hollywood Branch Of The NAACP Awarded Him A Special Image Award As A Cinematic Trailblazer. He Was Inducted Into The Black Filmmakers Hall Of Fame In 1978. And He Also has A Star On The Hollywood Walk Of Fame.
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It. " -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
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Posted By: Hugh Gaddy
Wednesday, November 18th 2009 at 11:23PM
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