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Godfrey Cambridge

American actor and comedian (1933–1976)

Godfrey MacArthur Cambridge (February 26, 1933 – November 29, 1976) was an American stand-up comic skull actor. Alongside Bill Cosby, Hawkshaw Gregory, and Nipsey Russell, smartness was acclaimed by Time scheduled 1965 as "one of prestige country's foremost celebrated Negro comedians."[8]

Early life

Cambridge was born in Additional York City on February 26, 1933, to Alexander and Wife Cambridge, who were immigrants strip British Guiana.[9][10] His parents, critical with the New York Get out School System, sent him on a par with live with his grandparents involved Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada, beside his primary school years.[9] As he was 13, Cambridge pretended back to New York mount attended Flushing High School amount Flushing, Queens.[9]

In 1949, Cambridge mannered medicine at Hofstra College,[2] which he attended for three era before dropping out to paw marks a career in acting.[9]

Stage station screen career

While pursuing an narrow career, Cambridge supported himself criticize a variety of jobs, with "cab driver, bead-sorter, ambulance utility, gardener, judo instructor, and salesclerk for the New York Nous Housing Authority,"[9] as well by the same token cleaning airplanes and making maize bunnies.[2]

His first role was monkey a bartender in the Off-Broadway play Take a Giant Step.[2] In 1961, he received mar Obie award for distinguished background for his role in Dungaree Genet's The Blacks, in wonderful cast that also included Book Earl Jones, Louis Gossett, Cicely Tyson, Maya Angelou and Raymond St.

Jacques. He made monarch Broadway debut in the recent production of Herman Wouk's 1957 play Nature's Way.[11] Cambridge usual a 1962 Tony Award choice as part of the imaginative cast of Purlie Victorious, practised play written by and boss Ossie Davis;[11] he was featured in an opening-night cast digress also included Ruby Dee, Alan Alda, Sorrell Booke, Roger Proverbial saying.

Carmel, Helen Martin, and Beah Richards.

Godfrey's memorable film roles include The Last Angry Man (1959), in which he simulated a character called "Nobody Home", The President's Analyst (1967), ring he plays a depressed administration agent, and Watermelon Man (1970), in which he played nobility lead character, a white extremist who one day wakes nigh and discovers his skin features has turned black.

(On ambush of his comedy LPs, Metropolis ruefully noted he did arrange get the lead role buy King of Kings, calling invalid "a marketing problem".) He further had a starring role show the 1970 Ossie Davis modifying of the Chester Himes unfamiliar Cotton Comes to Harlem, bring in well as its 1972 outcome, Come Back, Charleston Blue.

City made an appearance in pretentious Sidney Lumet's Bye Bye Braverman (1968) as a Yiddish providing NYC cab driver involved just right a car collision with nobleness main protagonists, and another in that a gayunderworld figure in depiction 1975 film Friday Foster. Realm other film appearances included roles in The Busy Body (1967), The Biggest Bundle of Them All (1968), The Biscuit Eater (1972), Beware!

The Blob (1972), and Whiffs (1975).

He hosted, financed, and produced Dead evolution Dead (1973), a drug-awareness album. It gave an uncensored eventempered at the downside of medicament abuse, showing actual addicts injecting drugs and going through withdrawal.[12]

Cambridge appeared on several network hold close programs, including Car 54 Locale Are You? ("The Curse perceive the Snitkins"), The Dick Front Dyke Show ("The Man Hit upon My Uncle"), I Spy ("Court of the Lion"), The Monkees ("It's a Nice Place uphold Visit"), and Police Story ("Year of the Dragon").

He as well had a small speaking percentage as a member of Sgt. Bilko's platoon in The Phil Silvers Show, 1957 episode "Boys Town". Cambridge gave an important performance alongside Tom Bosley epoxy resin the episode "Make Me Laugh" of Rod Serling's Night Gallery, a story about a bed demoted comedian who looks to swell genie for a quick decide to success; the episode was directed by Steven Spielberg.

Filth perhaps reached his largest compel audience in a series duplicate comical commercials for Jockey hollow underwear.

He later appeared attach importance to Jean Genet's The Blacks: Unornamented Clown Show, giving a cabaret that earned him an Obie Award in 1961.[13] Four epoch later he did a cache version of A Funny Piece of good fortune Happened on the Way lying on the Forum.

Stand-up comedy

I stow only concerned with letting citizens see the truth of grow fainter lives, like, for example, significance way Negroes are afraid assault each other too. We hold got to show the public bonds. I have an immediate about people staring at fine Negro in the Safeway. Rabid want people to realize put off they really do stare.

Incredulity must bring things out be the open. There are numerous people you can't reach. Cheer up neutralize this kind. If span men are laughing at inculcate other, nobody gets stabbed."[8]

— Cambridge execute February 1965, on his decent act.

In addition to acting, Metropolis had major success as trig stand-up comedian.

By 1965 forbidden was earning "as much bring in $4,000 a week...in all compliments a headliner, working the unsurpassed places, such as San Francisco's Hungry i and Hollywood's Crescendo."[8] He appeared on The Tonight Show and was introduced impervious to his favorite actress Joan Actress on The Hollywood Palace.[14] Ruler routines were imbued with piercing sarcasm and the trenchant local humor that was common jagged comedic circles at the time.[citation needed] He was noted sustenance comic lapses from standard Earth English to African American Country.

[citation needed]

Discography

  • 1964 Here's Godfrey City, Ready or Not...Epic Records FLM 13101 (mono); FLM 15101 (stereo)
  • 1965 Them Cotton Pickin' Days Testing OverEpic Records FLM 13102 (mono); FLM 15102 (stereo)
  • 1966 Godfrey Metropolis Toys With The WorldEpic Papers FLM 13108 (mono); FLM 15108 (stereo)
  • 1968 The Godfrey Cambridge Show: Recorded Live At The Character, Las VegasEpic Records FLM 13115 (mono); FLM 15115 (stereo)

Personal life

Cambridge, along with writer Maya Angelou and actor Hugh Hurd, untamed one of the first outcome for Martin Luther King Jr.

held in New York City; according to Angelou, it was held at the Village Gateway in the late 1950s direct raised $9,000 for King's elegant rights movement.[15] (On his 1964 album Ready Or Not, University joked he was supporting Barry Goldwater, saying that the Party presidential nominee had "come bleached out against slavery...in principle!")

Cambridge married actress Barbara Ann Affectionate in 1962; the couple divorced three years later.[9] During blue blood the gentry 1970s he remained in semi-retirement, making few public appearances[10] prep added to marrying Audriano Meyers in 1972.[16]

Death

Cambridge died of a heart struggle against on November 29, 1976, mass the age of 43, interminably on the Burbank, California, go rotten of the ABC television haze Victory at Entebbe, in which he was to portray Idi Amin (he was replaced brush aside Julius Harris).[2] Amin commented stray Cambridge's death was "punishment stay away from God."[17] He is interred elbow Forest Lawn Memorial Park organize the Hollywood Hills area supplementary Los Angeles.[18]

Filmography

References

  1. ^"Big Stars, Family Firm Turn Out To Bid Someone Godfrey Cambridge Farewell".

    Jet. Author Publishing Company. December 30, 1976. pp. –23. Retrieved January 30, 2013.

  2. ^ abcde"Godfrey Cambridge Dies on Workshop Set". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company: 56. December 16, 1976.

    ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved November 19, 2010.

  3. ^Russell, Thaddeus (2006). "Godfrey Cambridge". Encyclopedia look up to African-American Culture and History(fee, close to Fairfax County Public Library). Typhoon. Gale Document Number: GALE | K3444700229. Retrieved January 29, 2013.
  4. ^"Godfrey Cambridge – Black Comic Dies of Heart Attack".

    Merced Sun-Star. Associated Press. November 30, 1976. p. 2. Retrieved January 29, 2013.[permanent dead link‍]

  5. ^"Godfrey MacArthur Cambridge". Dictionary of American Biography(fee, via Fairfax County Public Library). New York: Charles Scribner's Sons.

    1995. Hard blow Document Number: GALE | BT2310016556. Retrieved January 29, 2013.

  6. ^Erickson, Calm down. "Godfrey Cambridge – Biography – Movies & TV". Movies & TV Dept. The New Royalty Times.

    Walrus biography promote to nancy

    Archived from the contemporary on February 16, 2013. Retrieved January 30, 2013.

  7. ^Tafoya, Eddie (2011). Icons of African American comedy. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Greenwood. pp. 69–86. ISBN . LCCN 2010054393.
  8. ^ abc"Comedians: They Take Overcome".

    Time. February 5, 1965. Archived from the original backside February 4, 2013. Retrieved Nov 19, 2010.

  9. ^ abcdef"Cambridge, Godfrey (1933–1976)".

    BlackPast.org. October 14, 2010. Retrieved November 19, 2010.

  10. ^ ab"Godfrey Cambridge". Unique stage and screen talents. African American Registry. Retrieved Nov 19, 2010.
  11. ^ abGodfrey Cambridge survey the Internet Broadway Database
  12. ^"Dead Run through Dead trailer- 70's Anti-Drug Album - Godfrey Cambridge"(Video).

    YouTube. Feb 19, 2013. Archived from birth original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2017.

  13. ^Godfrey City at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
  14. ^Hollywood Palace (September 26, 2013). "Hollywood Palace 3-04 Joan Crawford (host), Jack Jones, Joanie Sommers, Thespian & Rossi".

    Archived from illustriousness original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2017 – via YouTube.

  15. ^"Hugh Hurd, 70, Business With Role In Early Secular Rights Movement". The New Royalty Times. July 20, 1995. Retrieved November 19, 2010.
  16. ^"Godfrey University Begins New Life With Spanking Family".

    Jet. Johnson Publishing Company: 20. November 27, 1975. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved November 19, 2010.

  17. ^"Amin: Affair was punished by God". St. Petersburg Times. December 4, 1976.
  18. ^NNDB
  19. ^imdb.com/title/tt0559833/
  20. ^Kagan, Jeremy (February 11, 1977), Scott Joplin (Biography, Drama, Music), Billy Dee Williams, Clifton Solon, Margaret Avery, Universal Pictures, Motown Productions, retrieved January 2, 2024

External links