Ernie Morrison
Encyclopedia
Ernest Fredric "Ernie" Morrison (December 20, 1912 – July 24, 1989) was an American
child actor
who performed under the stage name "Sunshine Sammy". Morrison was the only black
member of the East Side Kids
, and was also an original Our Gang
kid, a sidekick
to Harold Lloyd
and Snub Pollard
, a silent
screen comedian
, a vaudevillian
, a dance
r, and band leader.
Morrison ultimately appeared in two-reel silent comedies opposite both Harold Lloyd and Snub Pollard
, two of the era's biggest comedians. He was the first African American
actor to be signed to a long-term contract, signing with comedy
producer
Hal Roach
in 1919. When Roach conceived his Our Gang
series, featuring child actors in a natural juvenile setting, in 1921, Sammy was the first child recruited. Morrison left the series in 1924 to work in vaudeville, where his talents were featured on the same bills with such up and coming acts as Abbott and Costello
and Jack Benny
.
After doing some touring in Australia
with partner Sleepy Williams, Morrison returned to the United States
, and was chosen by Sam Katzman
to be one of the East Side Kids. From the beginning, Morrison tapped into his experiences growing up on the East Side of New York
to shape the character of "Scruno". He spent three years with the gang before leaving to pursue other opportunities, often doing promotional stints with Huntz Hall
and Bobby Jordan
. Morrison left the Kids when he was offered an opportunity to work with the Step Brothers
act, a prominent black stage and film dance act. He was drafted into the army
during World War II
. After being discharged, he was offered a part in The Bowery Boys
series that was just being launched, but he declined the offer. Morrison later commented this in interviews, saying that he "didn't like the setup".
and ended up working for an aircraft-plant making parts for aircraft (or perhaps "missile work"), apparently doing very well financially. In later years, Morrison appeared in a guest spot Good Times
.
Morrison died of cancer
in Lynwood
on July 24, 1989. He is interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood California.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
child actor
Child actor
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting in motion pictures or television, but also to an adult who began his or her acting career as a child; to avoid confusion, the latter is also called a former child actor...
who performed under the stage name "Sunshine Sammy". Morrison was the only black
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
member of the East Side Kids
East Side Kids
The East Side Kids were characters in a series of films released by Monogram Pictures from 1940 through 1945. Many of them were originally part of The Dead End Kids and The Little Tough Guys, and several of them later became members of The Bowery Boys....
, and was also an original Our Gang
Our Gang
Our Gang, also known as The Little Rascals or Hal Roach's Rascals, was a series of American comedy short films about a group of poor neighborhood children and the adventures they had together. Created by comedy producer Hal Roach, the series is noted for showing children behaving in a relatively...
kid, a sidekick
Sidekick
A sidekick is a close companion who is generally regarded as subordinate to the one he accompanies. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, Sherlock Holmes' Doctor Watson, The Lone Ranger's Tonto, The Green Hornet's Kato and Batman's Robin.-Origins:The origin of the...
to Harold Lloyd
Harold Lloyd
Harold Clayton Lloyd, Sr. was an American film actor and producer, most famous for his silent comedies....
and Snub Pollard
Snub Pollard
Harry "Snub" Pollard was a silent film comedian, popular in the 1920s.-Career:Often mistaken as the brother of Australian actress Daphne Pollard, in fact the two were not related despite their shared surname. Harry Pollard was born as Harold Fraser and took the name Pollard as his stage name...
, a silent
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
screen comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
, a vaudevillian
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
, a dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
r, and band leader.
Early life and career
Born in 1912 in New Orleans, Morrison fell into show business because a child actor being used for a film could not be persuaded to do anything but howl. One of the crew members asked Morrison's father to bring in his newborn son, and since the newest member of the Morrison clan gave the film crew what they needed, they decided to christen him "Sunshine", since he did not cry. Morrison's father added "Sammy" to his son's moniker.Morrison ultimately appeared in two-reel silent comedies opposite both Harold Lloyd and Snub Pollard
Snub Pollard
Harry "Snub" Pollard was a silent film comedian, popular in the 1920s.-Career:Often mistaken as the brother of Australian actress Daphne Pollard, in fact the two were not related despite their shared surname. Harry Pollard was born as Harold Fraser and took the name Pollard as his stage name...
, two of the era's biggest comedians. He was the first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
actor to be signed to a long-term contract, signing with comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
Hal Roach
Hal Roach
Harold Eugene "Hal" Roach, Sr. was an American film and television producer and director, and from the 1910s to the 1990s.- Early life and career :Hal Roach was born in Elmira, New York...
in 1919. When Roach conceived his Our Gang
Our Gang
Our Gang, also known as The Little Rascals or Hal Roach's Rascals, was a series of American comedy short films about a group of poor neighborhood children and the adventures they had together. Created by comedy producer Hal Roach, the series is noted for showing children behaving in a relatively...
series, featuring child actors in a natural juvenile setting, in 1921, Sammy was the first child recruited. Morrison left the series in 1924 to work in vaudeville, where his talents were featured on the same bills with such up and coming acts as Abbott and Costello
Abbott and Costello
William "Bud" Abbott and Lou Costello performed together as Abbott and Costello, an American comedy duo whose work on stage, radio, film and television made them the most popular comedy team during the 1940s and 1950s...
and Jack Benny
Jack Benny
Jack Benny was an American comedian, vaudevillian, and actor for radio, television, and film...
.
After doing some touring in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
with partner Sleepy Williams, Morrison returned to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and was chosen by Sam Katzman
Sam Katzman
Sam Katzman was an American film producer and director. Born into a poor Jewish family, Katzman went to work as a stage laborer at the age of 13 in the fledgling East Coast film industry...
to be one of the East Side Kids. From the beginning, Morrison tapped into his experiences growing up on the East Side of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to shape the character of "Scruno". He spent three years with the gang before leaving to pursue other opportunities, often doing promotional stints with Huntz Hall
Huntz Hall
Henry Richard "Huntz" Hall was an American radio, theatrical, and motion picture performer noted primarily for his roles in the "Dead End Kids" movies, such as Angels with Dirty Faces , which gave way to the "The Bowery Boys" movie franchise, a prolific and highly successful series of comedies in...
and Bobby Jordan
Bobby Jordan
Robert "Bobby" Jordan was an American actor, born in Harrison, New York, most notable for being a member of the Dead End Kids, the East Side Kids and the Bowery Boys.-Early life and career:...
. Morrison left the Kids when he was offered an opportunity to work with the Step Brothers
The Four Step Brothers
The Four Step Brothers were an African-American dance group. The group started out as a trio in 1925, with the original members, Maceo Anderson, Al Williams and Red Walker...
act, a prominent black stage and film dance act. He was drafted into the army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After being discharged, he was offered a part in The Bowery Boys
The Bowery Boys
The Bowery Boys were fictional New York City characters who were the subject of feature films released by Monogram Pictures from 1946 through 1958....
series that was just being launched, but he declined the offer. Morrison later commented this in interviews, saying that he "didn't like the setup".
Later years and death
Morrison eventually left show businessShow business
Show business, sometimes shortened to show biz, is a vernacular term for all aspects of entertainment. The word applies to all aspects of the entertainment industry from the business side to the creative element ....
and ended up working for an aircraft-plant making parts for aircraft (or perhaps "missile work"), apparently doing very well financially. In later years, Morrison appeared in a guest spot Good Times
Good Times
Good Times is an American sitcom that originally aired from February 8, 1974, until August 1, 1979, on the CBS television network. It was created by Eric Monte and Michael Evans, and developed by Norman Lear, the series' primary executive producer...
.
Morrison died of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in Lynwood
Lynwood, California
Lynwood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States of America. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 69,772, down from 69,845 at the 2000 census. Lynwood is located near South Gate and Compton in the southern portion of the Los Angeles Basin. Incorporated in...
on July 24, 1989. He is interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood California.
Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1916 | The Soul of a Child | Uncredited | |
| 1918 | Dolly's Vacation | Ebenezer Eczema Abraham White | Credited as Sambo |
| 1919 | The Little Diplomat | George Washington Jones, Jr. | Credited as Little Sambo |
| 1920 | Waltz Me Around | Credited as Sunshine Sammy Morrison | |
| 1921 | Rush Orders | Narcissus | Credited as Sunshine Sammy Morrison |
| 1922 | One Terrible Day One Terrible Day One Terrible Day is a 1922 American silent short film, the first entry in Hal Roach's Our Gang series to be released. Directed by Robert F. McGowan and Tom McNamara, the two-reel short was released to theaters in September 1922 by Pathé... |
Booker T. | |
| 1923 | No Noise No Noise No Noise is the 17th Our Gang short subject comedy released. The Our Gang series was created by Hal Roach in 1922, and continued production until 1944.-Plot:... |
Sunshine Sammy | |
| 1924 | Fast Company Fast Company (1924 film) Fast Company is a 1924 short silent comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 32nd Our Gang short subject released.-Plot:Mickey trades places with a little rich boy, who is staying at a ritzy hotel... |
Sunshine Sammy | |
| 1926 | Between Meals | In Need | Credited as Sunshine Sammy Morrison |
| 1940 | I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby I Can't Give You Anything but Love, Baby (film) I Can't Give You Anything but Love, Baby is a 1940 comedy film starring Broderick Crawford and Jessie Ralph.... |
Joe | Credited as Sammy Morrison |
| 1941 | Spooks Run Wild Spooks Run Wild Spooks Run Wild is a 1941 film and the seventh film in the East Side Kids series, starring Bela Lugosi, Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, and Bobby Jordan. Released in 1941, it was directed by Phil Rosen, in his first and only outing in the series, and produced by Sam Katzman . It is based on an original... |
Scruno | Credited as Sunshine Sammy Morrison |
| 1942 | Let's Get Tough! Let's Get Tough! Let's Get Tough! is a 1942 film and the ninth film in the East Side Kids series, starring Leo Gorcey , Huntz Hall , Bobby Jordan , and Robert Armstrong... |
Scruno | Credited as Sunshine Sammy Morrison |
| 1943 | Clancy Street Boys Clancy Street Boys Clancy Street Boys is a 1943 film directed by William Beaudine and starring the East Side Kids. It is Beaudine's first film with the team; he would direct several more in the series and many in the Bowery Boys canon... |
Scruno | Credited as Sammy Morrison |
| 1944 | Greenwich Village | One of the Four Step Brothers | Uncredited |
| 1974 | Good Times Good Times Good Times is an American sitcom that originally aired from February 8, 1974, until August 1, 1979, on the CBS television network. It was created by Eric Monte and Michael Evans, and developed by Norman Lear, the series' primary executive producer... |
Messenger | Episode: "The TV Commercial" |