Samuel Rufus McDaniel (January 28, 1886September 24, 1962)Tanner, Beccy (November 7, 1991)
"McDaniel Opened Doors; 'Gone With the Wind' Was Actress' Most Famous Film"
''The Wichita Eagle''. Retrieved January 3, 2021. was an American

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

who appeared in over 210 television shows and films between 1929 and 1950. He was the older brother of actresses

Etta McDaniel Etta McDaniel (December 1, 1890January 13, 1946) was an American actress who appeared in over 60 films between 1933 and 1946. She was the sister of actor Sam McDaniel and actress and Academy Award winner Hattie McDaniel. Early life McDaniel ...

and

Hattie McDaniel Hattie McDaniel (June 10, 1893October 26, 1952) was an American actress, singer-songwriter, and comedian. For her role as Mammy in ''Gone with the Wind (film), Gone with the Wind'' (1939), she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, ...

Early life

Born in Wichita,

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...

, to former slaves, McDaniel was one of 13 children.Bogle, Donald (2019)
''Hollywood Black: The Stars, the Films, the Filmmakers''
New York: Perseus Books. p. 199. . His father Henry McDaniel fought in the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

with the 122nd USCT and his mother, Susan Holbert, was a singer of gospel music. In 1900, the family moved to

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

, living first in

Fort Collins A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

and then in

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

where he grew up and graduated from

Denver East High School East High School is a historical public high school located in the City Park neighborhood on the east side of Denver, Colorado, United States. It is part of the Denver Public Schools system, and is one of four original high schools in Denver. Th ...

. The children of the McDaniel family had a traveling

minstrel A minstrel was an entertainer, initially in medieval Europe. It originally described any type of entertainer such as a musician, juggler, acrobat, singer or fool; later, from the sixteenth century, it came to mean a specialist entertainer ...

show. After the death of brother Otis in 1916, the

troupe Troupe may refer to: General * Comedy troupe, a group of comedians *Dance troupe, a group of dancers ** Fire troupe, a group of fire dancers * Troupe system, a method of playing role-playing games * Theatrical troupe, a group of theatrical perform ...

began to lose money. In 1931, McDaniel found work in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

with sisters Hattie, Etta and Orlena. Sam was working on KNX radio program called ''The Optimistic Doughnut Hour'', and he was able to get his sister a spot.

Career

McDaniel almost exclusively played butler, doormen,

valet A valet or varlet is a male servant who serves as personal attendant to his employer. In the Middle Ages and Ancien Régime, valet de chambre was a role for junior courtiers and specialists such as artists in a royal court, but the term "valet ...

porter Porter may refer to: Companies * Porter Airlines, Canadian regional airline based in Toronto * Porter Chemical Company, a defunct U.S. toy manufacturer of chemistry sets * Porter Motor Company, defunct U.S. car manufacturer * H.K. Porter, Inc., ...

and servant roles in films. He played Doc, the competent ship's cook, in the Oscar-winning 1937 film ''

Captains Courageous ''Captains Courageous: A Story of the Grand Banks'' is an 1897 novel by Rudyard Kipling that follows the adventures of fifteen-year-old Harvey Cheyne Jr., the spoiled son of a railroad tycoon, after he is saved from drowning by a Portuguese f ...

''. He also played Spiffingham the Butler in ''

the Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical farce and slapstick. Six Stooges appeared ...

'' film '' Heavenly Daze'' (1948). He is the only African-American to ever appear on ''

I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning six seasons. The show starred Lucille Ball, her husband, Desi Arnaz, along wit ...

'', playing "Sam the Porter" in the 1955 episode " The Great Train Robbery". He appeared uncredited as a waiter on a train in both the 1947 film '' The Egg and I'' (with Fred MacMurray and

Claudette Colbert Claudette Colbert ( ; born Émilie Claudette Chauchoin; September 13, 1903July 30, 1996) was an American actress. Colbert began her career in Broadway productions during the late 1920s and progressed to films with the advent of talking pictures ...

) and its first followup ''

Ma and Pa Kettle Ma and Pa Kettle are comic film characters of the successful film series of the same name, produced by Universal Studios, in the late 1940s and 1950s. The hillbilly duo had their hands full with a ramshackle farm and a brood of rambunctious child ...

'' (1949). He also played various supporting roles on TV's '' The Amos 'n' Andy Show'' (1951–53).

Death

McDaniel died of

throat cancer Head and neck cancer develops from tissues in the lip and oral cavity (mouth), larynx (throat), salivary glands, nose, sinuses or the skin of the face. The most common types of head and neck cancers occur in the lip, mouth, and larynx. Symptoms ...

on September 24, 1962 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California.

Filmography

* ''

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 Adam (film debut) *'' Brown Gravy'' (1929) * ''

Dance, Fools, Dance ''Dance, Fools, Dance'' is a 1931 pre-Code Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer drama film starring Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, and Lester Vail in a story about a reporter investigating the murder of a colleague. Story and dialogue were created by Aurania Rouve ...

'' (1931) as Luva's butler (uncredited) * ''

The Public Enemy ''The Public Enemy'' (''Enemies of the Public'' in the UK) is a 1931 American all-talking pre-Code gangster film produced and distributed by Warner Bros. The film was directed by William A. Wellman and stars James Cagney, Jean Harlow, Edwar ...

'' (1931) as Head waiter * '' A Free Soul'' (1931) as Casino valet (uncredited) * '' Guilty Hands'' (1931) as Jimmy (uncredited) * '' Are You Listening?'' (1932) * '' Grand Hotel'' (1932) * '' The Rich Are Always with Us'' (1932) as Max, Julian's butler * ''

Movie Crazy ''Movie Crazy'' is a 1932 American Pre-Code comedy film starring Harold Lloyd in his third sound feature. The film's copyright was renewed in 1959. Plot Harold Hall, a young man with little or no acting ability, desperately wants to be in the ...

'' (1932) as Men's room attendant (uncredited) * '' Once in a Lifetime'' (1932) * ''

Whistling in the Dark Whistling without the use of an artificial whistle is achieved by creating a small opening with one's lips, usually after applying moisture (licking one's lips or placing water upon them) and then blowing or sucking air through the space. The a ...

'' (1933) * ''

Employees' Entrance ''Employees' Entrance'' is a 1933 pre-Code film about the devious manager of a New York department store (Warren William) and his romantic involvement with a reluctant new employee (Loretta Young). It was directed by Roy Del Ruth. In 2019, the f ...

'' (1933) as Building janitor (uncredited) * ''

Blondie Johnson ''Blondie Johnson'' is a 1933 American pre-Code gangster film directed by Ray Enright and starring Joan Blondell and Chester Morris. It was produced by Warner Bros. Plot Set during the Great Depression, Blondie Johnson (Joan Blondell) quits he ...

'' (1933) * ''

Footlight Parade ''Footlight Parade'' is a 1933 American pre-Code musical film starring James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler and Dick Powell and featuring Frank McHugh, Guy Kibbee, Hugh Herbert and Ruth Donnelly. The film was written by Manuel Seff and Ja ...

'' (1933) * '' The Late Christopher Bean'' (1933) * '' Lady Killer'' (1933) * '' Going Hollywood'' (1933) as Rasputin, the train Porter * ''

Broadway Thru a Keyhole ''Broadway Through a Keyhole'', also billed as ''Broadway Thru a Keyhole'', is a 1933 American pre-Code musical film produced by Twentieth Century Pictures and released by United Artists. New York City speakeasy proprietress Texas Guinan appear ...

'' (1933) * '' Fugitive Lovers'' (1934) as Janitor (uncredited) * ''

Manhattan Melodrama ''Manhattan Melodrama'' is a 1934 American pre-Code crime film, produced by MGM, directed by W. S. Van Dyke, and starring Clark Gable, William Powell, and Myrna Loy. The movie also provided one of Mickey Rooney's earliest film roles. (Rooney ...

'' (1934) as Black Boy (uncredited) * ''

Operator 13 ''Operator 13'' is a 1934 American pre-Code romance film directed by Richard Boleslawski and starring Marion Davies, Gary Cooper, and Jean Parker. Based on stories written by Robert W. Chambers, the film is about a Union spy who impersonates a ...

'' (1934) * '' The Old Fashioned Way'' (1934) as Train porter * '' The Dragon Murder Case'' (1934) * ''

Belle of the Nineties ''Belle of the Nineties'' is a 1934 American Western film directed by Leo McCarey and released by Paramount Pictures. Mae West's fourth motion picture, it was based on her original story ''It Ain't No Sin'', which was also to be the film's t ...

'' (1934) as Jasmine's admirer (uncredited) * '' Evelyn Prentice'' (1934) * ''

Kid Millions ''Kid Millions'' (1934) is an American musical film directed by Roy Del Ruth, produced by Samuel Goldwyn Productions, and starring Eddie Cantor. Its elaborate "Ice Cream Fantasy Finale" production number was filmed in three-strip Technicolor, one ...

'' (1934) as Ship's steward (uncredited) * '' One Hour Late'' (1934) as Waiter * ''

Gold Diggers of 1935 ''Gold Diggers of 1935'' is an American musical film directed and choreographed by Busby Berkeley, and starring Dick Powell, Adolphe Menjou, Gloria Stuart and Alice Brady. Winifred Shaw, Hugh Herbert and Glenda Farrell are also featured. The son ...

'' (1935) * '' Rendezvous'' (1935) * '' Hearts Divided'' (1936) * '' Poor Little Rich Girl'' (1936) * '' The Gorgeous Hussy'' (1936) * ''

Polo Joe ''Polo Joe'' is a 1936 American comedy film directed by William C. McGann and starring Joe E. Brown, Carol Hughes and Richard 'Skeets' Gallagher.Gehring p.125 The screenplay concerns a man who, despite his fear of horses, takes up polo to impr ...

'' (1936) as Harvey (uncredited) * '' A Family Affair'' (1937) *'' Dark Manhattan'' (1937) as Jack Johnson * ''

'' (1937) as Doc * ''

It Happened in Hollywood ''It Happened in Hollywood'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Harry Lachman and starring Richard Dix, Fay Wray and Victor Kilian. The arrival of sound wrecks the career of a leading western actor while his leading lady rises to new hei ...

'' (1937) * ''

Jezebel Jezebel (;"Jezebel"
(US) and ) was the daughte ...

'' (1938) * '' Four's a Crowd'' (1938) * ''

They Made Me a Criminal ''They Made Me a Criminal'' is a 1939 American crime drama film directed by Busby Berkeley and starring John Garfield, Claude Rains, and The Dead End Kids. It is a remake of the film '' The Life of Jimmy Dolan'' (1933). The film was later featu ...

'' (1939) * ''

Union Pacific The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pac ...

'' (1939) * ''

Days of Jesse James ''Days of Jesse James'' is a 1939 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Roy Rogers. Cast *Roy Rogers as Roy Rogers * George 'Gabby' Hayes as Gabby Whittaker * Don 'Red' Barry as Jesse James *Pauline Moore as Mary Whittaker ...

'' (1939) * ''

Virginia City Virginia City is a census-designated place (CDP) that is the county seat of Storey County, Nevada, and the largest community in the county. The city is a part of the Reno– Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area. Virginia City developed as a boom ...

'' (1940) * '' Brother Orchid'' (1940) * '' Too Many Husbands'' (1940) as Porter * ''

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

'' (1941) * ''

The Great Lie ''The Great Lie'' is a 1941 American drama film directed by Edmund Goulding, and starring Bette Davis, George Brent and Mary Astor. The screenplay by Lenore J. Coffee is based on the novel ''January Heights'' by Polan Banks. Plot When concert ...

'' (1941) * '' Bad Men of Missouri'' (1941) * '' You Belong to Me'' (1941) * '' All Through the Night'' (1942) * '' In This Our Life'' (1942) * '' Silver Queen'' (1942) * ''

I Was Framed ''I Was Framed'' is a 1942 American crime film directed by D. Ross Lederman. According to Warner Bros records the film earned $159,000 domestically and $90,000 foreign. Plot summary Cast * Tod Andrews as Ken Marshall (Scott) (as Michael Ames) ...

'' (1942) as Kit Carson, cook and servant * '' After Midnight with Boston Blackie'' as Train porter (uncredited) * '' Son of Dracula'' (1943) as Andy (uncredited) * '' The Iron Major'' (1943) * '' The Adventures of Mark Twain'' (1944) * '' Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble'' (1944) * ''

3 Men in White ''Three Men in White'' is a 1944 American comedy-drama film in the Dr Kildare series directed by Willis Goldbeck. It stars Lionel Barrymore, Van Johnson, and Marilyn Maxwell. Ava Gardner has a supporting role. The plot threads include the compe ...

'' (1944) * '' Double Indemnity'' (1944) as Charlie, garage attendant * '' Three Little Sisters'' (1944) as Benjy * '' Home in Indiana'' (1944) * '' Tall in the Saddle'' (1944) * '' Music for Millions'' (1944) * '' Experiment Perilous'' (1944) as Train porter (uncredited) * ''

Dillinger John Herbert Dillinger (June 22, 1903 – July 22, 1934) was an American gangster during the Great Depression in the United States, Great Depression. He led the Dillinger Gang, which was accused of robbing 24 banks and four police stations. Dill ...

'' (1945) * '' The Naughty Nineties'' (1945) * '' Lady on a Train'' (1945) * ''

My Reputation ''My Reputation'' is a 1946 American romantic drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt. Barbara Stanwyck portrays an upper-class widow whose romance with an army officer causes trouble for her gossiping friends, domineering mother and young sons. ...

'' (1946) * ''

Without Reservations ''Without Reservations'' is a 1946 RKO Radio Pictures American comedy film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Claudette Colbert, John Wayne and Don DeFore. The film was adapted by Andrew Solt from the novel ''Thanks, God! I'll Take It From H ...

'' (1946) as Freddy * ''

Centennial Summer ''Centennial Summer'' is a 1946 musical film directed by Otto Preminger. Starring Jeanne Crain and Cornel Wilde, the film is based on a novel by Albert E. Idell. It was produced in response to the hugely successful 1944 MGM musical film ''Meet ...

'' (1946) * '' Never Say Goodbye'' (1946) * '' The Egg and I'' (1947) * ''

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" (1939) is a short story by James Thurber. The most famous of Thurber's stories, it first appeared in ''The New Yorker'' on March 18, 1939, and was first collected in his book '' My World and Welcome to It'' ( Ha ...

'' (1947) * '' The Foxes of Harrow'' (1947) * ''

Race Street ''Race Street'' is a 1948 American crime film noir directed by Edwin L. Marin. The drama features George Raft, William Bendix and Marilyn Maxwell. It was one of several collaborations between Raft and Marin. Plot When his bookie pal Hal is k ...

'' (1948) * '' The Babe Ruth Story'' (1948) * '' Heavenly Daze'' (1948, Short) * ''

'' (1949) * '' Flamingo Road'' (1949) * '' The File on Thelma Jordon'' (1950) * ''

The President's Lady ''The President's Lady'' is a 1951 novel of the life of American president Andrew Jackson and his marriage to Rachel Donelson Robards, written by Irving Stone. A biographical film was made in 1953 by 20th Century Fox, directed by Henry Levin and ...

'' (1953) * '' Sangaree'' (1953) * '' A Lion Is in the Streets'' (1953) * '' Affair with a Stranger'' (1953) * ''

Carmen Jones ''Carmen Jones'' is a 1943 Broadway musical with music by Georges Bizet (orchestrated for Broadway by Robert Russell Bennett) and lyrics and book by Oscar Hammerstein II which was performed at The Broadway Theatre. Conceptually, it is Bizet's o ...

'' (1954) * ''

A Man Called Peter ''A Man Called Peter'' is a 1955 American drama film directed by Henry Koster, and starring Richard Todd. The film is based on the life of preacher Peter Marshall, who served as Chaplain of the United States Senate and pastor of the New York Avenu ...

'' (1955) * ''

Good Morning, Miss Dove ''Good Morning, Miss Dove'' is a 1955 DeLuxe Color and CinemaScope film that tells the sentimental story of a beloved schoolteacher who reflects back on her life and former students when she is hospitalized. It stars Jennifer Jones, Robert Stack ...

'' (1956) * ''

Johnny Trouble ''Johnny Trouble'' is a 1957 American drama film directed by John H. Auer and written by Charles O'Neil and David Lord. The film stars Ethel Barrymore in her final film, Cecil Kellaway, Stuart Whitman, Carolyn Jones, Jesse White and Rand Harp ...

'' (1957) * '' A Hole in the Head'' (1959) * ''

Ice Palace An ice palace or ice castle is a castle-like structure made of blocks of ice. These blocks are usually harvested from nearby rivers or lakes when they become frozen in winter. The first known ice palace (or, rather, '' ice house'', ледяной ...

'' (1960) * ''

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn ''Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' or as it is known in more recent editions, ''The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'', is a novel by American author Mark Twain, which was first published in the United Kingdom in December 1884 and in the United St ...

'' (1960) (final film)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:McDaniel, Sam 1886 births 1962 deaths American male film actors American male television actors African-American male actors Deaths from cancer in California Burials at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery Male actors from Kansas Actors from Wichita, Kansas 20th-century American male actors 20th-century African-American people