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Stepin Fetchit was the stage name of Lincoln Perry, an American actor of Jamaican and Bahamian descent who became the first black actor to have a successful film career. He was known for his comic-relief roles as the "Laziest Man in the World" and his friendship with Will Rogers.
Learn about the life and career of Lincoln Perry, who created the stage name Stepin Fetchit and became a popular but controversial movie star in the 1930s. Explore his role as a "coon" stereotype, his relationship with Will Rogers, and his later struggles with poverty and racism.
- January 1, 1
- Key West, Florida, USA
- January 1, 1
- Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Before Stepin Fetchit, There Was Lincoln Perry
- How Stepin Fetchit Started Out in Vaudeville
- How ‘The Laziest Man in The World’ Made Stepin Fetchit A Fortune
- A Lost Fortune
- A Harmful Stereotype Or Clever Satire?
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Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry was born in Key West, Florida, to West Indian parents of Jamaican and Bahamian descent. His father, Joseph Monroe, was a cigar maker, while his mother, Dora, was a seamstress. But that’s all that’s known for sure about Perry’s background — even his birth year has been questioned over the years. However, it is kn...
In the 1920s, vaudeville was all the rage in Hollywood. Originating in France in the late 19th century, American vaudeville featured a combination of various acts that could range from classical dancers and magicians to trained animals and minstrel shows. Minstrel shows were the darker part of American vaudeville. Originating in the 19th century, m...
In 1927, Stepin Fetchit made his debut on the big screen in the silent film In Old Kentucky. His act originally perplexed the director, who wasn’t sure what to do with him, casting Perry as the stereotypical, “lazy” Black comic relief. That decision paid off, and ultimately, Perry earned a five-year contract with the film studio. If Perry was tryin...
In 1940, Lincoln Perry nearly walked away from acting altogether when he unsuccessfully lobbied to get equal pay and billing to his white counterparts. By the time he returned to acting in 1945, he was nearly penniless, and he ultimately declared bankruptcy in 1947. Perry became a pariah by 1953, when Black Americans began viewing his depiction of ...
There are two modern schools of thought around the legacy of Stepin Fetchit. The first suggests that the character was a horrible stereotype — one that should be banished to the annals of history — and Perry’s notable intelligence and well-read demeanor makes the performance all the more galling. David Pilgrim, professor of sociology at Ferris Stat...
Learn about Lincoln Perry, the actor who created the character of Stepin Fetchit, a lazy and stereotypical Black comic relief in the 1920s and 1930s. Discover how he became rich and famous, but also faced backlash and hardship due to his role.
Mar 6, 2006 · Although he never won an Oscar, Lincoln Perry was America's first black movie star. But for that distinction, Perry paid a heavy price -- he is best known as the character of Stepin Fetchit, a...
Stepin Fetchit was billed as “the Laziest Man in the World” and his characterization as a slow-witted, lazy black man offended legions of black Americans. On one hand, Fetchit was grossly offensive at a time when black Americans were still struggling with appalling and degrading racial stereotypes.
Nov 20, 1985 · Stepin Fetchit, the black comedian who became a Hollywood star in the 1930s by playing lazy, slow-moving, easily frightened characters, died Tuesday of heart failure and pneumonia at...
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Feb 15, 2007 · Learn about the life and career of Lincoln Perry, who played the stereotypical role of Stepin Fetchit in over fifty films from 1925 to 1976. He was one of the most highly-paid black actors in Hollywood, but also faced criticism and controversy for his portrayals.
