- Born
- Died
- Birth nameJames Franklin Baskett
- James Baskett was born on February 16, 1904 in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA as James Franklin Baskett. He was an actor, known for Song of the South (1946), Revenge of the Zombies (1943) and Policy Man (1938). He was married to Margaret. He died on July 9, 1948 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Euan Banner
- SpouseMargaret(? - July 9, 1948) (his death)
- RelativesBill Cobbs(Cousin)
- He did not attend the premiere of "Song of the South" in Atlanta because as an African American he would not have been allowed to participate in any of the festivities in that racially segregated city.
- The first actor to win an Academy Award (although an honorary one) for his performance in a Walt Disney film.
- Well-known old-time radio performer, especially for the role of "Gabby Gibson" on the Amos 'n' Andy Show.
- His portrayal of Uncle Remus in "Song of the South" was the crowning achievement of his career, for which he won an honorary Academy Award at the annual Oscars Ceremony in March 1948, four months before his death. Ironically, his performance cannot be seen in its entirety in the United States, as the Walt Disney Co. will not release the film on the home video market because of its controversial nature, which was denounced as racist by the NAACP when it was premiered in 1946. A further irony is that the NAACP now has no public stance on the film.
- His father John Baskett owned a barber shop in Indianapolis.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content