Here is the biography of Mr. James P. Spencer:
Mr. James P. Spencer, also known as Kimo or Jimmy, was a vital contributor to the "Golden Age" of Hollywood. He was active in film production and acting at MGM and other major studios, leaving a remarkable film legacy.
Born in 1893 in Honolulu, Hawaii, Mr. Spencer was a native Hawaiian with a rich cultural heritage. His father, credited with bringing the first sewing machines to Hawaii by clipper ships, was of English and Scottish descent. Mr. Spencer grew up knowing the Hawaiian Republic and its royal family, with a happy childhood.
As a young adult, Mr. Spencer migrated to Los Angeles, where he joined the US Army to fight in World War I. He served in the field artillery of the 13th Division, later becoming the National Army's 39th Field Artillery. Mr. Spencer's army service was exemplary, and he rose to the rank of corporal, earning an honorable discharge.
After the war, Mr. Spencer became increasingly involved in the local Southern Californian Polynesian community and its cultural events. He was a native Polynesian singer, musician, and dancer, speaking Hawaiian and several other Pacific island languages. Mr. Spencer was proud of his island native culture and enthusiastically shared it with others.
In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Hollywood began producing many "South Sea Island" films, which were extremely popular with the Depression-era film-going public. Mr. Spencer became a valuable contributor, using his personal Polynesian knowledge and artistic contacts to help cast Polynesian islanders for daily "bit" parts and large amounts of background performers.
Mr. Spencer's early work was primarily for Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM),where he initially worked in casting and set direction. He later became a busy film actor, sometimes credited as Jimmy Spencer or Jim Spencer on film call sheets. Due to his exotic looks, he was often cast as a Pacific islander or other "native" role. Later, his acting roles became more recognizable, and he worked with some of Hollywood's largest film stars and classic film directors.
Mr. Spencer's many acting roles include:
* Frozen Justice ('29)
* The Sea God ('30)
* Pueblo Terror (Cosmos Pictures '31)
* The Jungle Princess (Paramount '36)
* Ebb Tide (Paramount '37)
* Hawk of the Wilderness (Republic Pictures serial '38)
* Each Dawn I Die (Warner Bros '39)
* Union Pacific (Paramount '39)
* Western Union (20th Ctry Fox '41)
* Girl, a Guy and a Gob (RKO '41)
* Blossoms in the Dust (MGM '41)
* Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (MGM '41)
* Moonlight in Hawaii (Universal '41)
* Unholy Partners (MGM '41)
* Two-Faced Women (MGM '41)
* The Bugle Sounds (MGM '41)
* The Tuttles of Tahiti (RKO '42)
* Pardon My Sarong (Universal '42)
* Two Flags West (20th Ctry Fox '50)
Tragically, Mr. Spencer's life was cut short when he accidentally died on a movie set in 1943. He was 50 years old. His funeral was held in 1943, and his family had his remains cremated. He was given a veteran's plot at the Los Angeles National Cemetery. Mr. James P. Spencer's life was filled with family, music, good friends, dance, and a major pride in his Polynesian ancestry. He enthusiastically shared his talents with others, leaving a lasting legacy in the film industry.
