Sam McDaniel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sam McDaniel
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McDaniel in Broadway Limited (1941)
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Samuel Rufus McDaniel
January 28, 1886 Wichita, Kansas, U.S.
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| Died | September 24, 1962 (aged 76) |
| Other names | Sam Deacon McDaniel Deacon McDaniels Sam McDaniels |
| Years active | 1929–1960 |
| Relatives | Hattie McDaniel (sister) Etta McDaniel (sister) |
Samuel Rufus McDaniel (born January 28, 1886 – died September 24, 1962) was an American actor. He appeared in more than 210 TV shows and movies. His acting career lasted from 1929 to 1950. Sam was the older brother of two other famous actresses, Etta McDaniel and Hattie McDaniel.
Early Life and Family
Sam McDaniel was born in Wichita, Kansas. His parents were formerly enslaved people. He was one of 13 children in his family. His father, Henry McDaniel, fought in the American Civil War. His mother, Susan Holbert, was a gospel singer.
In 1900, Sam's family moved to Colorado. They lived in Fort Collins and then in Denver. Sam grew up in Denver and finished high school there. Many of the McDaniel children were part of a traveling minstrel show. This was a popular form of entertainment at the time.
After his brother Otis passed away in 1916, the show started to lose money. In 1931, Sam moved to Los Angeles to find work. His sisters Hattie, Etta, and Orlena also moved there. Sam worked on a radio show called The Optimistic Doughnut Hour. He helped his sister Hattie get a spot on the show too.
Acting Career
Sam McDaniel often played specific types of characters in his movies. He was usually cast as butlers, doormen, valets, or porters. These were common roles for African-American actors during that time.
He played Doc, a skilled ship's cook, in the 1937 movie Captains Courageous. This film won an Oscar. Sam also appeared in a the Three Stooges film called Heavenly Daze (1948). He played Spiffingham the Butler in that movie.
Sam McDaniel was the only African-American actor to appear on the famous TV show I Love Lucy. He played "Sam the Porter" in the 1955 episode "The Great Train Robbery". He also had uncredited roles as a waiter in movies like The Egg and I (1947) and Ma and Pa Kettle (1949). From 1951 to 1953, he played different supporting roles on The Amos 'n' Andy Show.
Later Life and Passing
Sam McDaniel passed away on September 24, 1962. He was in Woodland Hills, California.
Filmography
Sam McDaniel appeared in many films throughout his career. Here are some of them:
- Hallelujah (1929) as Adam (film debut)
- Brown Gravy (1929)
- Dance, Fools, Dance (1931) as Luva's butler (uncredited)
- The Public Enemy (1931) as Head waiter
- A Free Soul (1931) as Casino valet (uncredited)
- Guilty Hands (1931) as Jimmy (uncredited)
- [[Are You Listening? .....
- Polo Joe (1936) as Harvey (uncredited)
- A Family Affair (1937)
- Dark Manhattan (1937) as Jack Johnson
- Captains Courageous (1937) as Doc
- It Happened in Hollywood (1937)
- Jezebel (1938)
- Four's a Crowd (1938)
- They Made Me a Criminal (1939)
- Union Pacific (1939)
- Days of Jesse James (1939)
- Virginia City (1940)
- Brother Orchid (1940)
- Too Many Husbands (1940) as Porter
- Virginia (1941)
- The Great Lie (1941)
- Bad Men of Missouri (1941)
- You Belong to Me (1941)
- All Through the Night (1942)
- In This Our Life (1942)
- Silver Queen (1942)
- I Was Framed (1942) as Kit Carson, cook and servant
- After Midnight with Boston Blackie as Train porter (uncredited)
- Son of Dracula (1943) as Andy (uncredited)
- The Iron Major (1943)
- The Adventures of Mark Twain (1944)
- Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble (1944)
- 3 Men in White (1944)
- Double Indemnity (1944) as Charlie, garage attendant
- Three Little Sisters (1944) as Benjy
- Home in Indiana (1944)
- Tall in the Saddle (1944)
- Music for Millions (1944)
- Experiment Perilous (1944) as Train porter (uncredited)
- Dillinger (1945)
- The Naughty Nineties (1945)
- Lady on a Train (1945)
- My Reputation (1946)
- Without Reservations (1946) as Freddy
- Centennial Summer (1946)
- Never Say Goodbye (1946)
- The Egg and I (1947)
- The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947)
- The Foxes of Harrow (1947)
- Race Street (1948)
- The Babe Ruth Story (1948)
- Heavenly Daze (1948, Short)
- Ma and Pa Kettle (1949)
- Flamingo Road (1949)
- The File on Thelma Jordon (1950)
- The President's Lady (1953)
- Sangaree (1953)
- A Lion Is in the Streets (1953)
- Affair with a Stranger (1953)
- Carmen Jones (1954)
- A Man Called Peter (1955)
- Good Morning, Miss Dove (1956)
- Johnny Trouble (1957)
- A Hole in the Head (1959)
- Ice Palace (1960)
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1960) (final film)
See also
In Spanish: Sam McDaniel para niños
