Alvin Childress facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alvin Childress
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Alvin Childress as Amos, 1951
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| Born |
Emory Alvin Childress
September 15, 1907 Meridian, Mississippi, U.S.
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| Died | April 19, 1986 (aged 78) Inglewood, California, U.S.
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| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1931–1982 |
| Spouse(s) |
Sophie Child (m. 19??; his death 1986) |
Alvin Childress (born September 15, 1907 – died April 19, 1986) was an American actor. He is best known for playing the cab driver Amos Jones. This was in the 1950s TV comedy show Amos 'n' Andy.
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About Alvin Childress
Alvin Childress was born in Meridian, Mississippi. He went to Rust College and studied Sociology. At first, he wanted to be a doctor. But he found a love for acting while in college.
Childress moved to New York City and became an actor. He joined the Lafayette Players in Harlem. This was a group of actors linked to the Lafayette Theatre. He also worked with the Federal Theatre Project. This was a government program that supported artists during the Great Depression. He also acted in "race films," which were movies made for Black audiences. One of these was Keep Punching (1939).
His biggest success on stage was playing Noah in Anna Lucasta. This play was very popular and ran for 957 shows. Childress also ran his own radio and record store in New York City.
Becoming Amos Jones
In 1951, Alvin Childress got a big role. He was cast as Amos Jones in The Amos 'n' Andy Show. This popular TV series ran for two years on CBS. Amos was a smart, hard-working, and honest cab driver.
Childress first tried out for the role of "The Kingfish." But the show's creators, Charles Correll and Freeman Gosden, thought he was perfect for Amos. Since he was hired a year before the show started, Childress helped find the actor for The Kingfish. Many famous people wanted the role. In the end, Tim Moore was chosen to play The Kingfish.
Life After Amos 'n' Andy
After the TV show ended, Childress and other cast members tried to tour. They wanted to perform as "The TV Stars of Amos 'n' Andy." But CBS stopped them. The network said it owned the rights to the show and its characters.
Because of his famous role, Childress found it hard to get other acting jobs. People mostly saw him as Amos Jones. For a short time, he even parked cars at a fancy restaurant in Beverly Hills.
But Childress did appear in other TV shows. These included Perry Mason, Sanford and Son, Good Times, and The Jeffersons. He also acted in movies like Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974). In a 1972 episode of Sanford and Son, he worked again with Lillian Randolph. She played Aunt Hazel, and was also in Amos 'n' Andy.
Alvin Childress was married to Alice Herndon. She became a successful writer and actress known as Alice Childress. They were married from 1934 to 1957 and had a daughter named Jean Rosa. From 1961 to 1973, Childress worked for Los Angeles County. He was an interviewer for the unemployment office.
His Final Years
Alvin Childress had diabetes and other health problems. He passed away on April 19, 1986, at age 78. He died in Inglewood, California. He was buried in Landover, Maryland.
His Work
Stage Plays
- Savage Rhythm (1931)
- Brown Sugar (1934)
- Sweet Land (1936)
- Haiti (1938)
- Anna Lucasta (1944–46)
- The Amen Corner (1968)
Movies and TV Shows
- Keep Punching (1939)
- Anna Lucasta (1958) – as Noah
- Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) – as Janitor
- The Day of the Locust (1975) – as Butler
- The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings (1976) – as Horace Quigley
- Cheech and Chong's Next Movie (1980) – as Pinochle Player
Images for kids
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Alvin Childress as Jacques in Haiti (1938)
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Childress and Rex Ingram in Haiti (1938)
See also
In Spanish: Alvin Childress para niños
