Stepin Fetchit

"Lincoln Perry" redirects here. For the artist, see Lincoln Perry (artist).

Stepin Fetchit
Fetchit in 1959
Born
Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry

(1902-05-30)May 30, 1902
Key West, Florida, US
DiedNovember 19, 1985(1985-11-19) (aged 83)
Woodland Hills, California, US
Resting placeCalvary Cemetery, Los Angeles
OccupationActor
Years active1925–1976
Spouse(s)Dorothy Stevenson (1929–1931)[1]
Bernice Sims (1951–1984)[2] (her death)
Children2

Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry (May 30, 1902 – November 19, 1985), better known by the stage name Stepin Fetchit, was an American vaudevillian, comedian, and film actor of Jamaican and Bahamian descent, considered to be the first black actor to have a successful film career.[3] His highest profile was during the 1930s in films and on stage, when his persona of Stepin Fetchit was billed as the "Laziest Man in the World".

Perry parlayed the Fetchit persona into a successful film career, becoming the first black actor to earn $1 million. He was also the first black actor to receive featured screen credit in a film.[4][5]

Perry's film career slowed after 1939 and nearly stopped altogether after 1953. Around that time, Black Americans began to see his Stepin Fetchit persona as an embarrassing and harmful anachronism, echoing negative stereotypes. However, the Stepin Fetchit character has undergone a re-evaluation by some scholars in recent times, who view him as an embodiment of the trickster archetype.[6]

  1. ^ Clark, Champ (2005). Shuffling to Ignominy: The Tragedy of Stepin Fetchit. iUniverse. p. 41. ISBN 0-595-37125-6.
  2. ^ Clark, Champ (2005). Shuffling to Ignominy: The Tragedy of Stepin Fetchit. iUniverse. p. 87. ISBN 0-595-37125-6.
  3. ^ "Stepin Fetchit". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. January 18, 2007. Archived from the original on September 13, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2011.
  4. ^ Lamparski, Richard (1982). Whatever Became Of ...? Eighth Series. New York: Crown Publishers. pp. 106–7. ISBN 0-517-54855-0.
  5. ^ Clark, Champ (2005). Shuffling to Ignominy: The Tragedy of Stepin Fetchit. iUniverse. p. 2. ISBN 0-595-37125-6.
  6. ^ Roy Hurst (March 6, 2006). "Stepin Fetchit, Hollywood's First Black Film Star". National Public Radio. Retrieved July 30, 2007.