Vivienne Baber facts for kids

Vivienne Baber (born in 1911) was an American actress. She was also known as Vivian or Vivianne. She played a main role in the 1932 movie The Black King.

Early Life and Beginnings

Vivienne Baber's family in the 1925 New York census.

Vivian Baber listed in the 1930 U.S. census.

Vivienne Baber was born in 1911 in Brooklyn, New York. Her parents were Henry and Ethel. In the 1925 New York state census, her family was listed as Creole. Her father worked as a bank clerk. She also had a younger sister named Muriel.

By 1930, she had changed the spelling of her name to "Vivian." She started acting on stage in 1929 when she was 18. Her first role was the main character in a play called Harlem. Before acting, she sang in a cabaret chorus. In 1932, Vivienne said she had "Indian and English blood." She also mentioned dancing at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. She continued to live in Brooklyn.

Acting Career Highlights

Vivienne Baber played a main role in the 1929 play Make Me Know It. This play was shown at Wallack's Theatre in New York City. She also acted in You Know Me at the same theater that year.

In 1930, a reviewer praised her acting in Sweet Chariot. Another person said her performance was good and the play was fun. Later that year, she was a supporting actress in Confidence. From 1932 to 1933, Baber was a main actress in the musical comedy Shuffle Along. This was a new version of the famous play Shuffle Along.

Vivienne stopped acting for seven years because she did not like the roles she was often given. During this time, she worked for the Afro-American Newspapers. She also started a children's theater group in Washington, D.C.. Around 1946, she returned to acting. She played the character Wini Bennett in the play On Whitman Avenue in New York City. She was the only woman cast in one of her shows.

Theater Performances

• Harlem (1929) as Cordelia Williams
• Make Me Know It (1929) as Mona Bannon
• Ginger Snaps (1929)
• Sweet Chariot (1930) as Delia
• Confidence (1930)
• Savage Rhythm (1932) as Star
• Shuffle Along of 1933 as Alice Walker; a revival of Shuffle Along
• On Whitman Avenue (1946) as Wini Bennett

Film Roles

• They Know Their Groceries (1929) Vitaphone short film
• The Black King (1932) as Mary Lou Lawton

Personal Life

Vivienne Baber married Peter Douglas Johnson (1906–1958) in Brooklyn. Their wedding was on February 28, 1937. They later divorced before May 1946.