Jack Carter (actor) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jack Carter
Jack Carter in April 1936, photographed by Carl Van Vechten
Born	circa 1902
Died	November 9, 1967
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1920s-1940s

Jack Carter (born around 1902 – died November 9, 1967) was an American actor. He was famous for playing the character Crown in the first Broadway show of Porgy in 1927. He also starred in plays directed by Orson Welles, like Macbeth (1936) and Doctor Faustus (1937). Jack Carter also appeared in a few movies in the 1930s and 1940s.

Jack Carter's Acting Career

Jack Carter started his acting journey by playing the role of Crown in the first stage version of Porgy. This play was very popular! From 1928 to 1929, Jack traveled with the Porgy show across the United States and even to London. He performed in many big cities like Chicago, Boston, and San Francisco.

In 1931, Carter played Dave Crocker in a play called Singin' the Blues. This show was at the Liberty Theatre in New York. Later, in 1934, he performed in another New York play called Stevedore. In this play, he took on the role of Lonnie Thompson.

Starring in Voodoo Macbeth

Jack Carter is perhaps best known for his role in the 1936 New York play Voodoo Macbeth. This was a special production of William Shakespeare's Macbeth. The famous director Orson Welles changed the play's setting from Scotland to a make-believe Caribbean island. He also chose an all-African American cast for the show.

The play got its nickname, Voodoo Macbeth, because it used Haitian vodou (a religion) instead of the Scottish witchcraft found in the original story. In 1936, a free preview of the show in Harlem, New York, attracted 3,000 more people than the theater could hold. The play was completely sold out for all ten weeks it ran!

During its time on Broadway, Jack Carter only finished the first act of one performance on July 15. Another actor, Thomas Anderson, finished the show for him. Starting the next day, Maurice Ellis took over the role of Macbeth for the rest of the play's run and its tour across the country.

Working with Orson Welles Again

After Voodoo Macbeth, Orson Welles chose Jack Carter for another play. In 1937, Carter played Mephistopheles in Doctor Faustus. In this play, Orson Welles himself played the main character, Faust.

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  Jack Carter as Crown in Porgy (1927–30)

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  Jack Carter in Voodoo Macbeth (1936)

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  Jack Carter and Edna Thomas in Voodoo Macbeth

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  Jack Carter in Voodoo Macbeth (1936)

Jack Carter's Performances

Theatre Performances

Filmography (Movies)