Spencer Williams

Spencer Williams

Deceased · Born: Jul 14, 1893 · Died: Dec 13, 1969

Personal Details

BornJul 14, 1893 Vidalia, Louisiana, USA

Biography

Native of Vidalia, Louisiana, Spencer Williams Jr. broke into the theatre as a call boy for theatrical producer Oscar Hammerstein I, and learned comedy at the feet of Bert Williams, the great black vaudevillian. He moved to California following service in World War I and began to land bit parts in films, particularly in so-called "race films," which were designed solely for black audiences.

He wrote gags and later scripts for some of these films, and in 1940 was offered the opportunity to write and direct a film, The Blood of Jesus (1941),a religious drama which proved an enormous success in its limited arena. After more than a half dozen further films, Williams left the industry and co-founded the American Business and Industrial College in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Three years later, in 1950, a local radio station convinced Williams to audition for the television version of the hit radio show "Amos 'n Andy." Williams landed the role of Andy Brown, one of the leads, and the show proved enormously popular in original broadcast and in reruns. However, despite the near-unanimous sense that the comedy was superbly done, numerous racially-sensitive groups petitioned for its removal from the airways due to its presumed stereotypical depiction of black characters.

Although the debate continues to this day, with positions pro and con taken on both sides of the color line, the show was removed from the air and despite its initial success and sterling comedy reputation, it has not been broadcast since in any regular form. Not until 2005 were home video presentations of the show publicly available.

Williams managed only a few minor film and TV appearances following the cancellation of the show. He died of kidney failure at a Veterans Administration hospital in Los Angeles, on December 13, 1969, survived by his wife Eula. In 1983, fourteen years after his death, a number of his race films were discovered in a warehouse, and a reevaluation of the films and his work as writer and director was undertaken.

A number of prominent critics and film scholars have praised Williams's work as primitive but pioneering and innovative examples of the filmmaking available to blacks in the mid-twentieth century.

Career

{"id":103834769,"title":"The Amos 'n Andy Show","year":1952,"character":"Andrew H. \"Andy\" Brown","permalink":"https:\/\/streambutter.com\/us\/show\/the-amos-n-andy-show","type":"show","srcset":{"1x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/90x135\/thumbs\/show_103834769.jpg","2x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/180x270\/thumbs\/show_103834769.jpg"},"released":1}
1952
The Amos 'n Andy Show
The Amos 'n Andy Show as Andrew H. "Andy" Brown
{"id":69637,"title":"Juke Joint","year":"1947","character":"Bad News Johnson \/ Vanderbilt Whitney","permalink":"https:\/\/streambutter.com\/us\/movie\/juke-joint","type":"movie","srcset":{"1x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/90x135\/thumbs\/movie_69637.jpg","2x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/180x270\/thumbs\/movie_69637.jpg"},"released":1}
1947
Juke Joint
Juke Joint as Bad News Johnson / Vanderbilt Whitney
{"id":70134,"title":"The Girl in Room 20","year":"1946","character":"Joe Phillips","permalink":"https:\/\/streambutter.com\/us\/movie\/the-girl-in-room-20","type":"movie","srcset":{"1x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/90x135\/thumbs\/movie_70134.jpg","2x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/180x270\/thumbs\/movie_70134.jpg"},"released":1}
1946
The Girl in Room 20
The Girl in Room 20 as Joe Phillips
{"id":175042,"title":"Beale Street Mama","year":"1946","character":"Bad News Johnson","permalink":"https:\/\/streambutter.com\/us\/movie\/beale-street-mama","type":"movie","srcset":{"1x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/90x135\/thumbs\/movie_175042.jpg","2x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/180x270\/thumbs\/movie_175042.jpg"},"released":1}
Beale Street Mama
Beale Street Mama as Bad News Johnson
{"id":69942,"title":"Dirty Gertie from Harlem U.S.A.","year":"1946","character":"Old Hager","permalink":"https:\/\/streambutter.com\/us\/movie\/dirty-gertie-from-harlem-usa","type":"movie","srcset":{"1x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/90x135\/thumbs\/movie_69942.jpg","2x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/180x270\/thumbs\/movie_69942.jpg"},"released":1}
{"id":70639,"title":"Go Down, Death!","year":"1944","character":"Big Jim Bottoms","permalink":"https:\/\/streambutter.com\/us\/movie\/go-down-death-1945","type":"movie","srcset":{"1x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/90x135\/thumbs\/movie_70639.jpg","2x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/180x270\/thumbs\/movie_70639.jpg"},"released":1}
1944
Go Down, Death!
Go Down, Death! as Big Jim Bottoms
{"id":175282,"title":"Of One Blood","year":"1944","character":"Wesley Hill","permalink":"https:\/\/streambutter.com\/us\/movie\/of-one-blood","type":"movie","srcset":{"1x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/90x135\/thumbs\/movie_175282.jpg","2x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/180x270\/thumbs\/movie_175282.jpg"},"released":1}
Of One Blood
Of One Blood as Wesley Hill
{"id":196450,"title":"Brother Martin","year":"1942","character":"","permalink":"https:\/\/streambutter.com\/us\/movie\/brother-martin","type":"movie","srcset":{"1x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/90x135\/thumbs\/movie_196450.jpg","2x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/180x270\/thumbs\/movie_196450.jpg"},"released":1}
1942
{"id":71708,"title":"The Blood of Jesus","year":"1941","character":"Razz Jackson","permalink":"https:\/\/streambutter.com\/us\/movie\/the-blood-of-jesus","type":"movie","srcset":{"1x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/90x135\/thumbs\/movie_71708.jpg","2x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/180x270\/thumbs\/movie_71708.jpg"},"released":1}
1941
The Blood of Jesus
The Blood of Jesus as Razz Jackson
{"id":71932,"title":"Son of Ingagi","year":"1940","character":"Detective Nelson","permalink":"https:\/\/streambutter.com\/us\/movie\/son-of-ingagi","type":"movie","srcset":{"1x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/90x135\/thumbs\/movie_71932.jpg","2x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/180x270\/thumbs\/movie_71932.jpg"},"released":1}
1940
Son of Ingagi
Son of Ingagi as Detective Nelson
{"id":72267,"title":"The Bronze Buckaroo","year":"1939","character":"Pete","permalink":"https:\/\/streambutter.com\/us\/movie\/the-bronze-buckaroo","type":"movie","srcset":{"1x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/90x135\/thumbs\/movie_72267.jpg","2x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/180x270\/thumbs\/movie_72267.jpg"},"released":1}
1939
{"id":72406,"title":"Bad Boy","year":"1939","character":"Terry","permalink":"https:\/\/streambutter.com\/us\/movie\/bad-boy-1939","type":"movie","srcset":{"1x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/90x135\/thumbs\/movie_72406.jpg","2x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/180x270\/thumbs\/movie_72406.jpg"},"released":1}
Bad Boy
Bad Boy as Terry
{"id":72699,"title":"Two-Gun Man from Harlem","year":"1938","character":"Butch Carter","permalink":"https:\/\/streambutter.com\/us\/movie\/two-gun-man-from-harlem","type":"movie","srcset":{"1x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/90x135\/thumbs\/movie_72699.jpg","2x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/180x270\/thumbs\/movie_72699.jpg"},"released":1}
1938
{"id":73102,"title":"Harlem on the Prairie","year":"1937","character":"Doc Clayburn","permalink":"https:\/\/streambutter.com\/us\/movie\/harlem-on-the-prairie","type":"movie","srcset":{"1x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/90x135\/thumbs\/movie_73102.jpg","2x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/180x270\/thumbs\/movie_73102.jpg"},"released":1}
1937
{"id":164553,"title":"Black Shadows on the Silver Screen","year":"1975","character":null,"permalink":"https:\/\/streambutter.com\/us\/movie\/black-shadows-on-the-silver-screen","type":"movie","srcset":{"1x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/90x135\/thumbs\/movie_164553.jpg","2x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/180x270\/thumbs\/movie_164553.jpg"},"released":1}
1975
{"id":71932,"title":"Son of Ingagi","year":"1940","job":"Story","permalink":"https:\/\/streambutter.com\/us\/movie\/son-of-ingagi","type":"movie","srcset":{"1x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/90x135\/thumbs\/movie_71932.jpg","2x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/180x270\/thumbs\/movie_71932.jpg"},"released":1}
1940
{"id":69637,"title":"Juke Joint","year":"1947","job":"Director","permalink":"https:\/\/streambutter.com\/us\/movie\/juke-joint","type":"movie","srcset":{"1x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/90x135\/thumbs\/movie_69637.jpg","2x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/180x270\/thumbs\/movie_69637.jpg"},"released":1}
1947
Juke Joint
Juke Joint as Director
{"id":130239,"title":"Jivin' in Be-Bop","year":"1946","job":"Director","permalink":"https:\/\/streambutter.com\/us\/movie\/jivin-in-be-bop-1946","type":"movie","srcset":{"1x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/90x135\/thumbs\/movie_130239.jpg","2x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/180x270\/thumbs\/movie_130239.jpg"},"released":1}
1946
{"id":70134,"title":"The Girl in Room 20","year":"1946","job":"Director","permalink":"https:\/\/streambutter.com\/us\/movie\/the-girl-in-room-20","type":"movie","srcset":{"1x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/90x135\/thumbs\/movie_70134.jpg","2x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/180x270\/thumbs\/movie_70134.jpg"},"released":1}
{"id":175042,"title":"Beale Street Mama","year":"1946","job":"Director","permalink":"https:\/\/streambutter.com\/us\/movie\/beale-street-mama","type":"movie","srcset":{"1x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/90x135\/thumbs\/movie_175042.jpg","2x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/180x270\/thumbs\/movie_175042.jpg"},"released":1}
{"id":69942,"title":"Dirty Gertie from Harlem U.S.A.","year":"1946","job":"Director","permalink":"https:\/\/streambutter.com\/us\/movie\/dirty-gertie-from-harlem-usa","type":"movie","srcset":{"1x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/90x135\/thumbs\/movie_69942.jpg","2x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/180x270\/thumbs\/movie_69942.jpg"},"released":1}
{"id":70639,"title":"Go Down, Death!","year":"1944","job":"Director","permalink":"https:\/\/streambutter.com\/us\/movie\/go-down-death-1945","type":"movie","srcset":{"1x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/90x135\/thumbs\/movie_70639.jpg","2x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/180x270\/thumbs\/movie_70639.jpg"},"released":1}
1944
{"id":175282,"title":"Of One Blood","year":"1944","job":"Director, Writer","permalink":"https:\/\/streambutter.com\/us\/movie\/of-one-blood","type":"movie","srcset":{"1x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/90x135\/thumbs\/movie_175282.jpg","2x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/180x270\/thumbs\/movie_175282.jpg"},"released":1}
Of One Blood
Of One Blood as Director, Writer
{"id":196450,"title":"Brother Martin","year":"1942","job":"Director, Writer","permalink":"https:\/\/streambutter.com\/us\/movie\/brother-martin","type":"movie","srcset":{"1x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/90x135\/thumbs\/movie_196450.jpg","2x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/180x270\/thumbs\/movie_196450.jpg"},"released":1}
1942
Brother Martin
Brother Martin as Director, Writer
{"id":71708,"title":"The Blood of Jesus","year":"1941","job":"Director, Writer","permalink":"https:\/\/streambutter.com\/us\/movie\/the-blood-of-jesus","type":"movie","srcset":{"1x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/90x135\/thumbs\/movie_71708.jpg","2x":"https:\/\/img.streambutter.com\/img\/180x270\/thumbs\/movie_71708.jpg"},"released":1}
1941
The Blood of Jesus
The Blood of Jesus as Director, Writer