Dooley Wilson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dooley Wilson
Wilson in 1945
Born	Arthur Wilson (1886-04-03)April 3, 1886 Tyler, Texas, U.S.
Died	May 30, 1953(1953-05-30) (aged 67) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery
Occupation	Actor singer musician
Years active	1893–1952
Spouse(s)	Estelle Williams (m. 19??; his death 1953)

Arthur "Dooley" Wilson (born April 3, 1886 – died May 30, 1953) was an American actor, singer, and musician. He is most famous for playing Sam in the 1942 movie Casablanca. In this romantic drama, he sings the famous song "As Time Goes By".

Wilson started as a drummer and singer. He led his own band in the 1920s, performing in clubs in London and Paris. In the 1930s, he began acting. He played supporting roles in plays on Broadway and in several movies. His role in Casablanca was his biggest success. He also appeared in films like My Favorite Blonde (1942) with Bob Hope, Stormy Weather (1943) with Lena Horne, and the Western Passage West (1951).

Early Life and Start in Show Business

Wilson starring in The Show-Off (1937)

Arthur Wilson was born in Tyler, Texas. He was the youngest of five children. When he was seven, after his father passed away, he started performing in churches to help his family. By age eight, he was earning money singing and playing in traveling tent shows.

By 1908, he was in Chicago with the Pekin Theatre company. This was the first official Black theater in the United States. Around this time, he got the nickname "Dooley." He earned it by performing a song called "Mr. Dooley" while pretending to be an Irishman.

Wilson as Fat Joe in The Long Voyage Home (1937)

Wilson was part of the growing African American theater scene. He worked with the Anita Bush company in New York City in 1914. He also joined Charles Gilpin's company at the Lafayette Theatre in Harlem in 1915. He played in James Reese Europe's band. After World War I, he toured Europe with his own band, The Red Devils, during the 1920s.

Wilson as Androcles in Androcles and the Lion (1938)

During the Great Depression, Wilson returned to the U.S. He starred in plays like Conjur' Man Dies (1936) for the Federal Theatre Project's Negro Theatre Unit. His big break came in 1940. He played Little Joe in the Broadway musical Cabin in the Sky. This role helped him get a contract with Paramount Pictures in Hollywood. However, in the movie version of Cabin in the Sky, his stage role was played by another actor, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson.

Starring in Casablanca

Wilson as Sam in Casablanca (1942)

In May 1942, Warner Bros. was looking for actors for their movie Casablanca. They borrowed Dooley Wilson from Paramount Pictures for seven weeks. He was paid $500 a week for this role. However, because of how studio contracts worked back then, Wilson received $350, and Paramount kept the rest.

Wilson played Sam, a singer and pianist who worked for nightclub owner Rick (Humphrey Bogart). Wilson performs the famous song "As Time Goes By" in the movie. This song becomes a very important part of the film's story and feelings. Critics praised Wilson for how well he performed the song.

Many people think the line "Play it again, Sam" is from the movie, but it's not. The actual line in Casablanca is "Play it, once, Sam." In the film, Wilson's character Sam also sings other songs for the cafe audience. These include "It Had To Be You" and "Shine".

Even though Sam plays the piano in the movie, Dooley Wilson was actually a singer and drummer, not a pianist. The piano music you hear in the film was played by someone else off-screen.

Later Roles and Legacy

Wilson also appeared in the movie Stormy Weather (1943). He played Gabe Tucker, the best friend of Bill Williamson (Bill "Bojangles" Robinson). This was one of the first major studio movies with an all-Black cast in the 1940s.

Margaret Douglass, Wilson, and Joan McCracken in Bloomer Girl (1944)

Back on Broadway, Wilson played Pompey in the musical Bloomer Girl (1944–1946). Pompey was an escaped slave. His performance of the song "The Eagle and Me" from this show was chosen for a special collection of American Musical Theatre recordings. Later, Wilson played Bill Jackson on the television show Beulah during its 1951–1952 season. Wilson was also on the executive board of the Negro Actors Guild of America.

Wilson passed away on May 30, 1953, at his home in Los Angeles. He had become ill two years earlier while performing in a play in New York. He is buried at the Rosedale Cemetery in Los Angeles. He was survived by his wife, Estelle.

In January 2017, Wilson's hometown of Tyler, Texas, honored him with a special memorial marker. It is placed on their "Half Mile of History."

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Dooley Wilson para niños