Sidney Easton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sidney Easton
|
|
|---|---|
| Born | October 2, 1885 Savannah, Georgia, U.S.
|
| Died | December 24, 1971 (aged 86) |
| Occupation | actor, stage performer, playwright, composer, vocalist, pianist |
Sidney Easton (October 2, 1885 – December 24, 1971) was an African-American artist. He was an actor, stage performer, writer, and musician. He wrote plays and music, and he sang and played the piano.
Sidney Easton performed in many different types of shows. These included traveling shows like minstrel shows, carnivals, and burlesque. He also performed in vaudeville, which was a popular type of variety show. Later, in the 1930s, he started acting in movies.
Sidney Easton's Life Story
Sidney Easton was born in Savannah, Georgia, on October 2, 1885. Some records show his birth year as 1886 or 1891. He was the oldest of six children. His parents were Eva and King Easton.
When he was a child, Sidney started working with the John Robinson Circus. Later, he joined the A.G. Allan Minstrel Show. From 1913 to 1920, he was married to another performer named Sarah Dooley. She passed away in 1920.
Sidney Easton was part of a group called the Easton Trio. Many musicians recorded his songs in the 1920s. Some of these artists included Margaret Johnson, Martha Copeland, Fats Waller, Ethel Waters, and Eva Taylor.
He worked with the singer Ethel Waters on several successful projects. He wrote the lyrics and music for her song Go Back to Where You Stayed Last Night. Sidney Easton also wrote the words and music for a traveling show called Sons of Rest in 1920. He helped produce the show with Joe Simms.
In the 1940s, Sidney Easton sued the movie company 20th Century Fox. He claimed they used his play Lifeboat 13 to create their film Lifeboat (1944). The case was settled out of court four years later.
Today, the New York Public Library's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture keeps a collection of his writings and papers.
Sidney Easton on Stage
Sidney Easton performed in many theater shows. He was often a performer, but he also wrote music and lyrics for some productions.
| Name | Dates | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| How've You Been? | 1925 | Performer, "the happy bootblack" | A traveling musical show by Pollock Productions. Donald Heywood wrote the music. |
| Darktown Scandals | 1927 | Performer | A traveling musical show by Eddie Hunter. |
| Kilpatrick's (Old Time Minstrels) | April 19, 1930 – April 26, 1930 | Performer | This show had 9 performances at the Royale Theatre. It was created by Henry Myers and featured an African American cast. |
| The Pursuit of Happiness | 1933 – 1934 | Performer, Mose | A musical show at the Sam S. Shubert Theatre in Kansas City. It was written by Alan Child and Isabelle Louden. |
| The Case of Philip Lawrence | June 7, 1937 – July 31, 1937 | Performer, first bodyguard | |
| At Home With Ethel Waters | September 22, 1953 – October 10, 1953 | Composer | He wrote music and lyrics for the song "Go Back Where You Stayed Last Night." |
| After Midnight | November 2013 – June 2014 | Composer | He wrote music and lyrics for this show. |
Sidney Easton in Movies
Sidney Easton also acted in several films. Here are some of his movie roles:
| Year | Name | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1931 | His Woman | Mark | This film was based on a book called The Sentimentalists by Dale Collins. |
| 1932 | Wayward | George | This film was based on a book called Wild Beauty by Mateel Howe Farnham. |
| 1939 | Paradise in Harlem | Sneeze Ancrum | Sidney Easton performed with Babe Matthews in this movie. |
| 1941 | Murder on Lenox Avenue | Speed Simmons | |
| 1940 | Sunday Sinners | Bootsie | |
| 1946 | Fight That Ghost | Spooky Lighting | |
| 1947 | The Story of Mr. Hobbs | Ben (butler) | |
| 1948 | Killer Diller | Policeman | |
| 1948 | Boarding House Blues | Boo Boo |
