DeForest Covan (September 9, 1917 - September 8, 2007) was an American actor, dancer, and former black vaudeville performer. Starting with his first film appearance in ''

The Singing Kid ''The Singing Kid'' is a 1936 American musical romance film directed by William Keighley and written by Warren Duff and Pat C. Flick. Starring Al Jolson, Sybil Jason, Beverly Roberts, Edward Everett Horton, Lyle Talbot and Allen Jenkins, it ...

'' (1936), his acting career continued into the 1990s. In 1972, he appeared in an episode of ''Sanford and Son'' as Woodrow Anderson, in that character's first appearance in the series (this was Covan's only appearance in the series, as he was replaced by Raymond Allen for all subsequent Woodrow appearances). From 1974 to 1975, he held a recurring role on the first season of ''

That's My Mama ''That's My Mama'' is an American television sitcom that was the first series to be produced by Columbia Pictures Television and originally broadcast for 39 episodes on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from September 4, 1974, to December 24, ...

'' as a barbershop patron. In 1978, he appeared in two episodes of the television sitcom ''

Good Times ''Good Times'' is an American television sitcom that aired for six seasons on CBS, from February 8, 1974, to August 1, 1979. Created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans (actor), Mike Evans and developed by executive producer Norman Lear, it was televis ...

'', as Reverend Beasley in the episode "Something Old, Something New", and as Shorty in the episode "Write On, Thelma". His other television appearances included ''

Martin Martin may refer to: Places Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Europe * Martin, Croatia, a village * Martin, Slovakia, a city * Martín del Río, Aragón, Spain * M ...

'' (1993) and ''

NYPD Blue ''NYPD Blue'' is an American police procedural television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwines several plots involving an ensemble ca ...

'' (1993).

Partial filmography

*''

'' (1936) - Dancer (uncredited) *''

Nancy Steele Is Missing! ''Nancy Steele Is Missing!'' is a 1937 American drama film directed by George Marshall and Otto Preminger and starring Victor McLaglen, Walter Connolly and Peter Lorre. It was produced and distributed by Twentieth Century Fox. The film's sets ...

'' (1937) - Little Bill (uncredited) *'' A Day at the Races'' (1937) - Black Singer (uncredited) *'' Every Day's a Holiday'' (1937) - Dancer (uncredited) *'' Too Hot to Handle'' (1938) - South American Fire Dancer (uncredited) *'' Going Places'' (1938) - Shoe-Shine (uncredited) *'' Boy Slaves'' (1939) - Pinkie (uncredited) *''

St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...

'' (1939) - Dancer (uncredited) *'' Pride of the Blue Grass'' (1939) - Blackie (uncredited) *'' Chasing Trouble'' (1940) - Jackson (uncredited) *''

New Moon In astronomy, the new moon is the first lunar phase, when the Moon and Sun have the same ecliptic longitude. At this phase, the lunar disk is not visible to the naked eye, except when it is silhouetted against the Sun during a solar eclipse. ...

'' (1940) - Dancer (uncredited) *'' South of Suez'' (1940) - Bita (uncredited) *''

Mr. Washington Goes to Town ''Mr. Washington Goes to Town'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by William Beaudine and Jed Buell, and starring F. E. Miller, Mantan Moreland and Maceo Bruce Sheffield. The film was marketed primarily to black audiences and written and fil ...

'' (1941) - Short Man *''

Jungle Drums of Africa ''Jungle Drums of Africa'' is a 1953 12-episode American Movie serial, serial film shot in black-and-white. It was an original commissioned screenplay by Ronald Davidson produced by Franklin Adreon and directed by Fred C. Brannon for Republic P ...

'' (1953) - Native Tribesman (uncredited) *''

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 ...

'' (1954) - Trainer (uncredited) *''

Panther Girl of the Kongo ''Panther Girl of the Kongo'' is a 1955 Republic movie serial that contains a great deal of stock footage from the 1941 Republic serial ''Jungle Girl''. This was the penultimate of Republic's 66 serial films. Plot Mad scientist Dr. Morgan want ...

'' (1955) - Koango (uncredited) *'' Pork Chop Hill'' (1959) - U.S. Soldier (uncredited) *'' Black Samson'' (1974) - Samson's Street People *'' The Day of the Locust'' (1975) - Shoe Shine Boy *''

Rocky ''Rocky'' is a 1976 American independent film, independent sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the Rocky (film series), ''Rocky'' franchise and also star ...

'' (1976) - Apollo's Corner #1 *''

New York, New York New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harb ...

'' (1977) - Porter *'' The Incredible Melting Man'' (1977) - Janitor *''

Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens ''Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens'' is a 1979 satirical sexploitation film directed by American film-maker Russ Meyer and written by Roger Ebert and Meyer. It stars Kitten Natividad and Ann Marie with a cameo by Uschi Digard. Plot Am ...

'' (1979) - Zebulon *'' When a Stranger Calls'' (1979) - Officer #1 *''

Cheech and Chong's Next Movie ''Cheech and Chong's Next Movie'' is a 1980 American comedy film directed by Tommy Chong and the second feature-length project by Cheech & Chong, following '' Up in Smoke'', released by Universal Pictures. Plot Cheech & Chong are on a missio ...

'' (1980) - Pinochle Player *'' Evilspeak'' (1981) - Janitor *'' Body and Soul'' (1981) - Cut Man *''

Honkytonk Man ''Honkytonk Man'' is a 1982 American musical western comedy-drama film set in the Great Depression. Clint Eastwood, who produced and directed, stars with his son, Kyle Eastwood. Clancy Carlile's screenplay is based on his 1980 novel of the sa ...

'' (1982) - Gravedigger *'' The Night Before'' (1988) - Concierge *''

To Sleep with Anger ''To Sleep with Anger'' is a 1990 American black comedy film written and directed by Charles Burnett, and starring Danny Glover. In 2017, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Con ...

'' (1990) - Fred Jenkins *'' One Good Cop'' (1991) - Older Man

References

External links

* 1917 births 2007 deaths Male actors from Chicago American male film actors American male television actors 20th-century American male actors 20th-century African-American male actors 21st-century African-American male actors 21st-century American male actors {{US-screen-actor-1910s-stub