Actor Graham Brown, pictured on one of his actor composite photos from the 1960s. Born Robert Elwood Brown in Harlem on October 24, 1924, Mr. Brown was an actor whose career spanned more than five decades. A World War II veteran, he began acting in Army shows before enrolling in college at Howard University, where he was a member of the Howard University Players theater group and graduated in 1949. Over the last few months, I have had the honor of analyzing and organizing Mr. Brown’s personal collection of photographs, papers and other historically and culturally relevant ephemera, for donation to a major institution on behalf of his family. I could hardly believe my eyes at some of the things I held in my hands in the Harlem office where I spent hours examining Mr. Brown’s collection: a personal letter to Mr. Brown from Harold Jackman, a prominent Harlem Renaissance figure. Mr. Brown’s Howard Players member card, programs from their plays, and a photo of them in Norway at the home of the Norwegian ambassador, surrounding him at his piano in 1949. There are pages and pages of Mr. Brown’s writing: attempts at poems, short stories, English homework and drafts of articles he wrote for Howard’s school newspaper, “The Hilltop” and copies of the actual newspapers. There are Columbia University bursar’s receipts from 1952 (he briefly attended graduate school there) and show programs, posters, tickets, letters and photos from much of his life and career. Mr. Brown was a member of the Negro Ensemble Company, where he worked with actors such as Roxie Roker (his Howard classmate) in “The River Niger,” Laurence Fishburne and Esther Rolle. He was also in several productions of the Greenwich Mews Theater, a theater famous for it’s integrated productions in the 1950s and a member of the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. In the 1960s and 1970s, made several appearances on Broadway (Gore Vidal’s “Weekend”) and with Joseph’s Papp’s New York Shakespeare Festival, including “The Black Picture Show” in 1975. His film credits included “Malcolm X,” “Clockers,” “Sanford & Son,” and “Law & Order.” Mr. Brown died on December 13, 2011 at the age of 87.
Remember that beautiful picture of Dorothy Dandridge with her “Tamango” co-star Alex Cressan in Paris? Well, here they are again, very likely at the same party in 1957. Photo: Jean Tesseyre/Paris Match via Getty Images.
Happy 86th Birthday to absolutely magisterial Sidney Poitier! In this 1965 photo, Mr. Poitier is on the set of “The Slender Thread,” a 1966 film he did with Anne Bancroft (Sydney Pollack’s directorial debut - and Quincy Jones did the music!) Photo: Cat’s Collection/Corbis.
Flip Wilson and Gail Fisher guest starring on an episode of “Love, American Style” called “Love and the Hustler.” This show aired one month before I was born, on September 29, 1969, but I definitely remember watching “Love, American Style” in repeats. I wonder if it still holds up today? Hmmm….
I’m sure most of you know the iconic comedian Flip Wilson, but Gail Fisher was an actress best known for her Emmy-winning role as Peggy Fair, secretary to a detective, in the groundbreaking television series, “Mannix.” Photo: ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images.
Actor Robert Earl Jones photographed by Carl Van Vechten in 1938. The father of James Earl Jones, he appeared in Oscar Michaeux films, on Broadway and with Robert Redford in “The Sting”. In the 1930s, he was a boxer and the sparring partner of Joe Louis. Blacklisted in the 1950s, he appeared in an uncredited role as the club employee who offers Harry Belafonte a “piece of iron” in the 1959 film noir “Odds Against Tomorrow”. Mr. Jones died in 2006 at the age of 96.
I am a bit obsessed with this awesome picture. It’s Hilda Simms, Langston Hughes (bottom right) and actor Canada Lee (center in white shirt) at a party with other artists around 1944. I recognize the women on the left - but I am drawing a blank on their names so, if you know, please let me know in the comment section. Photo by George Karger/Pix Inc./Time Life Pictures/Getty Images.
Ossie Davis as Gabriel in “The Green Pastures,” photographed by Carl Van Vechten on April 18, 1951. Photo: Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Earle Hyman as The Prince of Morocco in “The Merchant of Venice.” The Shakespearean actor, now best known as Grandpa Huxtable on “The Cosby Show,” was photographed by Carl Van Vechten on March 10, 1953. Photo: Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Earle Hyman, the Shakespearean actor best known to most as “Grandpa Huxtable” in a 1959 Smirnoff vodka ad.
Paul Robeson discussing his role as “Othello” in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1959. Via @shadowandact
