Edgar Hughes "Blue" Washington (12 February 1898 – 15 September 1970) was an American actor and

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

player who played in the

Negro leagues The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans and, to a lesser extent, Latin Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be ...

from 1915 to 1920 as a pitcher and first baseman.

Baseball career

Washington started his baseball career as a pitcher with the

Chicago American Giants The Chicago American Giants were a Chicago-based Negro league baseball team. From 1910 until the mid-1930s, the American Giants were the most dominant team in black baseball. Owned and managed from 1911 to 1926 by player-manager Andrew "Rube" ...

in 1915. He remained with Chicago in 1916. He later played with the

Kansas City Monarchs The Kansas City Monarchs were the longest-running franchise in the history of baseball's Negro leagues. Operating in Kansas City, Missouri, and owned by J. L. Wilkinson, they were charter members of the Negro National League from 1920 to 1930 ...

in 1920, appearing in 24 documented major league games.

Acting career

He appeared in 74 films between

1919 Events January * January 1 ** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Pressburg (now Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia. ** HMY ''Iolaire'' sinks off the ...

and

1957 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1957th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 957th year of the 2nd millennium, the 57th year of the 20th century, and the 8th year ...

, mostly playing small, uncredited roles as a porter, a bartender, an African native (as in ''

King Kong King Kong is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. He has been dubbed The Eighth Wonder of the World, a phrase commonly used within the franchise. His first appearance was in the novelizat ...

'' (1933) and '' Tarzan's Magic Fountain'' (1949), a cook, a chauffeur, a ship's crew member, a

Nubian Nubian may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Nubia, a region along the Nile river in Southern Egypt and northern Sudan. *Nubian people *Nubian languages *Anglo-Nubian goat, a breed of goat * Nubian ibex * , several ships of the Britis ...

slave, and a doorman. Some of his characters had names such as "Ulambo", "Sambo" (

sambo , aka = Sombo (in English-speaking countries) , focus = Hybrid , country = Soviet Union , pioneers = Viktor Spiridonov, Vasili Oshchepkov, Anatoly Kharlampiev , famous_pract = List of Practitioners , olymp ...

) and "Hambone". In the 1933 film ''

Haunted Gold ''Haunted Gold'' is a 1932 Pre-Production Code, American Western film directed by Mack V. Wright and starring John Wayne. It is a remake of the 1928 film ''The Phantom City'', starring Ken Maynard and his horse Tarzan. Filmed in 1932, two year ...

'', he portrayed Clarence,

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Go ...

's comic sidekick. He had uncredited appearances in ''

Birth of a Nation ''The Birth of a Nation'', originally called ''The Clansman'', is a 1915 American silent epic drama film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Lillian Gish. The screenplay is adapted from Thomas Dixon Jr.'s 1905 novel and play ''The Clans ...

'' (1915) and '' Gone with the Wind'' (1939).

Personal

Washington was the son of Susie Washington and had three siblings. He became a boxer at age 14 with the

stage name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...

of "Kid Blue." His separated from his partner Marian Lenàn when their son Kenny was two years old. He was given the nickname "Blue" by film director

Frank Capra Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-born American film director, producer and writer who became the creative force behind some of the major award-winning films of the 1930s ...

when both were kids. Washington's son, Kenny Washington, a standout athlete at

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...

where he was a teammate of

Jackie Robinson Jack Roosevelt Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was an American professional baseball player who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line ...

, broke the

color barrier Racial segregation is the systematic separation of people into racial or other ethnic groups in daily life. Racial segregation can amount to the international crime of apartheid and a crime against humanity under the Statute of the Internati ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...

in 1946.

Filmography

* ''

Haunted Spooks ''Haunted Spooks'' is a 1920 American silent Southern Gothic comedy film produced and co-directed by Hal Roach, starring Harold Lloyd and Mildred Davis. Plot The action in ''Haunted Spooks'' centres around Harold's romantic problems. It is s ...

'' (1920, Short) as Butler (film debut) (uncredited) * ''

A Virginia Courtship ''A Virginia Courtship'' is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by Frank O'Connor and written by Edfrid A. Bingham based upon the play of the same name by Eugene Wiley Presbrey. The film stars May McAvoy, Alec B. Francis, Jane Keckley, ...

'' (1921) * '' The Blood Ship'' (1927) as Minor Role * '' By Whose Hand?'' (1927) as Eli * ''

The Haunted Ship ''The Haunted Ship'' is a 1927 American silent drama film directed by Forrest Sheldon and starring Dorothy Sebastian, Montagu Love and Tom Santschi.Munden p.327 It is based on a story ''White and Yellow'' by Jack London. Cast * Dorothy Sebasti ...

'' (1927) as Mose * ''

The Smart Set ''The Smart Set'' was an American literary magazine, founded by Colonel William d'Alton Mann and published from March 1900 to June 1930. Its headquarters was in New York City. During its Jazz Age heyday under the editorship of H. L. Mencken and ...

'' (1928) as Polo Fan (uncredited) * ''

Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to t ...

'' (1928) as Mose * ''

Ransom Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or the sum of money involved in such a practice. When ransom means "payment", the word comes via Old French ''rançon'' from Latin ''re ...

'' (1928) as Oliver * '' Beggars of Life'' (1928) as Black Mose * ''

Do Your Duty ''Do Your Duty'' is a 1928 American silent comedy film directed by William Beaudine. This is lost film.The Passion Song'' (1928) as Ulambo * '' The Phantom City'' (1928) as 'Blue' * '' Weary River'' (1929) as Prisoner in Bathtub (uncredited) * ''

Black Magic Black magic, also known as dark magic, has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes, specifically the seven magical arts prohibited by canon law, as expounded by Johannes Hartlieb in 14 ...

'' (1929) as Unit * ''

Hallelujah ''Hallelujah'' ( ; he, ''haləlū-Yāh'', meaning "praise Yah") is an interjection used as an expression of gratitude to God. The term is used 24 times in the Hebrew Bible (in the book of Psalms), twice in deuterocanonical books, and four tim ...

'' (1929) as Church Member (uncredited) * '' Rio Rita'' (1929) as Fremont Bank Robber (uncredited) * '' Welcome Danger'' (1929) as Thorne's Black Henchman (uncredited) * ''

Parade of the West ''Parade of the West'' is a 1930 American pre-Code Western film directed by Harry Joe Brown and written by Bennett Cohen and Leslie Mason. The film stars Ken Maynard, Gladys McConnell, Otis Harlan, Jack Hanlon, Frank Rice and Fred Burns. T ...

'' (1930) as Sambo * '' Lucky Larkin'' (1930) as Hambone * '' Mountain Justice'' (1930) as Mose (uncredited) * ''

The Cohens and the Kellys in Africa ''The Cohens and the Kellys in Africa'' is an American pre-Code comedy film.Desert Vengeance'' (1931) as Train Porter (uncredited) * '' Kiki'' (1931) (uncredited) * '' Guilty Hands'' (1931) as Johnny (uncredited) * ''

'' (1932) as Clarence * ''

'' (1933) as Warrior (uncredited) * '' King of the Arena'' (1933) as Sambo (uncredited) * '' Her Bodyguard'' (1933) as Chauffeur (uncredited) * '' One Year Later'' (1933) as Train Porter (uncredited) * '' Goodbye Love'' (1933) as Jail Steward (uncredited) * '' Roman Scandals'' (1933) as Litter Bearer (uncredited) * '' Belle of the Nineties'' (1934) as Doorman at Sensation House (uncredited) * '' Menace'' (1934) as Kenya Manservant (uncredited) * ''

The Whole Town's Talking ''The Whole Town's Talking'' (released in the UK as ''Passport to Fame'') is a 1935 American comedy film starring Edward G. Robinson as a law-abiding man who bears a striking resemblance to a killer, with Jean Arthur as his love interest. It w ...

'' (1935) as Bank Doorman (uncredited) * ''

The Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...

'' (1935) as One of Saladin's Guards (uncredited) * '' The Virginia Judge'' (1935) as 1st Black Man (uncredited) * '' Annie Oakley'' (1935) as Cook (uncredited) * '' Escape from Devil's Island'' (1935) as Convict (uncredited) * ''

The Prisoner of Shark Island ''The Prisoner of Shark Island'' is a 1936 American drama film loosely based on the life of Maryland physician Samuel Mudd, who treated the injured presidential assassin John Wilkes Booth and later spent time in prison after his controversial co ...

'' (1936) as Black Soldier at Prison (uncredited) * '' The Plainsman'' (1936) as Black Man Dropping Box (uncredited) * '' White Hunter'' (1936) as Minor Role (uncredited) * '' Nancy Steele Is Missing!'' (1937) as Convict (uncredited) * '' Souls at Sea'' (1937) as Ship Slave (uncredited) * ''

Charlie Chan on Broadway ''Charlie Chan on Broadway'' (1937) is a Charlie Chan film. This is the 15th film starring Oland as Chan and produced by Fox. Plot While Charlie Chan and his number one son, Lee, are aboard a New York-bound transatlantic liner returning from Ger ...

'' (1937) as Doorman at Hottentot Club (uncredited) * ''

Ali Baba Goes to Town ''Ali Baba Goes to Town'' is a 1937 musical film directed by David Butler and starring Eddie Cantor, Tony Martin, and Roland Young. Cantor plays a hobo named Aloysius "Al" Babson, who walks into the camp of a movie company that is making the ...

'' (1937) as Arab (uncredited) * ''

Wells Fargo Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational financial services company with corporate headquarters in San Francisco, California; operational headquarters in Manhattan; and managerial offices throughout the United States and intern ...

'' (1937) as Sam - Coachman (uncredited) * '' Tarzan's Revenge'' (1938) as Bearer Bringing Olaf Poison Darts (uncredited) * '' Over the Wall'' (1938) as Convict Playing Guitar (uncredited) * '' Too Hot to Handle'' (1938) as Native (uncredited) * '' The Cowboy and the Lady'' (1938) as Dock Worker (uncredited) * ''

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

'' (1938) as Bill (uncredited) * '' Charlie Chan in Honolulu'' (1939) as Crewman (uncredited) * '' Twelve Crowded Hours'' (1939) as First Bartender (uncredited) * '' Rose of Washington Square'' (1939) as Prisoner (uncredited) * ''

Charlie Chan in Reno ''Charlie Chan in Reno'' is a 1939 American mystery film directed by Norman Foster, starring Sidney Toler as the fictional Chinese-American detective Charlie Chan, based on an original story "Death Makes a Decree" by Philip Wylie. Plot Mary Whit ...

'' (1939) as Man in Line-Up (uncredited) * '' Way Down South'' (1939) as Slave (uncredited) * '' Gone with the Wind'' (1939) as Renegade's Companion (uncredited) * '' The Light That Failed'' (1939) as Bit Part (uncredited) * '' The Long Voyage Home'' (1940) as Black Cook on Glencairn (uncredited) * '' A Girl, a Guy and a Gob'' (1941) as Opera House Doorman (uncredited) * '' Sundown'' (1941) as Askari Veteran (uncredited) * ''

Lady for a Night ''Lady for a Night'' is a 1942 American drama film starring Joan Blondell and John Wayne. The World War II B-17 bomber the ''Memphis Belle'' is named after a steamboat in this film. It is also known as ''The Lady from New Orleans'', ''Memphis ...

'' (1942) as Man Sitting Next to Chloe (uncredited) * '' Law of the Jungle'' (1942) as Native (uncredited) * '' Drums of the Congo'' (1942) as Native Bearer (uncredited) * '' It Happened in Flatbush'' (1942) as Courtroom Spectator (uncredited) * ''

Tales of Manhattan ''Tales of Manhattan'' is a 1942 American anthology film directed by Julien Duvivier. Thirteen writers, including Ben Hecht, Alan Campbell, Ferenc Molnár, Samuel Hoffenstein, and Donald Ogden Stewart, worked on the six stories in this film. Ba ...

'' (1942) as Shantytown Man (Robeson sequence) (uncredited) * '' Road to Morocco'' (1942) as Nubian Slave (uncredited) * ''

To the Ends of the Earth ''To the Ends of the Earth'' is the title given to a trilogy of nautical, relational novels—''Rites of Passage'' (1980), ''Close Quarters'' (1987), and ''Fire Down Below'' (1989)—by British author William Golding. Set on a former British ...

'' (1948) as Binda Sha Henchman (uncredited) * '' Tarzan's Magic Fountain'' (1949) as Native Bearer (uncredited) * ''

Africa Screams ''Africa Screams'' is a 1949 American adventure comedy film directed by Charles Barton and starring Abbott and Costello that parodies the safari genre. The title is a play on the title of the 1930 documentary ''Africa Speaks!'' The supporting ...

'' (1949) as Native (uncredited) * '' Bomba, the Jungle Boy'' (1949) as Native Bearer (uncredited) * '' Pinky'' (1949) as Minor Role (uncredited) * '' Tarzan and the Slave Girl'' (1950) as Randini Bearer Shot by Arrow (uncredited) * '' I Was a Communist for the FBI'' (1951) as Black Man at Union Meeting (uncredited) * '' Angels in the Outfield'' (1951) as Doorman (uncredited) * '' Golden Girl'' (1951) as Lola's Coachman (uncredited) * ''

Stars and Stripes Forever "The Stars and Stripes Forever" is a patriotic American march written and composed by John Philip Sousa in 1896. By a 1987 act of the U.S. Congress, it is the official National March of the United States of America. History In his 1928 autob ...

'' (1952) as Crowd Spectator (uncredited) * '' Siren of Bagdad'' (1953) as Palace Servant (uncredited) * '' The Kid from Left Field'' (1953) as Train Station Porter (uncredited) * ''

The Wings of Eagles ''The Wings of Eagles'' is a 1957 American Metrocolor film starring John Wayne, Dan Dailey and Maureen O'Hara, based on the life of Frank "Spig" Wead and the history of U.S. Naval aviation from its inception through World War II. The film is ...

'' (1957) as Bartender at Officer's Club (uncredited) * ''

The Hustler ''The Hustler'' is a 1961 American sports romantic drama film directed by Robert Rossen from Walter Tevis's 1959 novel of the same name, adapted by Rossen and Sidney Carroll. It tells the story of small-time pool hustler "Fast Eddie" Felson a ...

'' (1961) as Limping Attendant at Ames Billiards (final film) (uncredited)

References

Sources

External links

* an
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Washington, Blue 1898 births 1970 deaths American male film actors American male silent film actors 20th-century American male actors African-American male actors Chicago American Giants players Kansas City Monarchs players 20th-century African-American sportspeople