Leigh Rollin Whipper (October 29, 1876 – July 26, 1975) was an American actor on the stage and in motion pictures. He was the first African American to join the

Actors' Equity Association The Actors' Equity Association (AEA), commonly called Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American trade union, labor union representing those who work in Theatre, live theatrical performance. Performers appearing in live stage productions w ...

, and one of the founders of the Negro Actors Guild of America. He created the role of Crooks in the original Broadway production of ''

Of Mice and Men ''Of Mice and Men'' is a 1937 novella written by American author John Steinbeck. It describes the experiences of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant worker, migrant ranch workers, as they move from place to place in California ...

'', which he reprised in the 1939 film version.

Biography

Whipper was the son of African-American educator, author and activist Frances Rollin Whipper and a nephew of abolitionist William Whipper, attorney William J. Whipper. Educated at

Howard University Howard University is a private, historically black, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and accredited by the Mid ...

Law School, he left in 1895 and never practiced as a lawyer. Without any dramatic training, Whipper made his acting debut in a Philadelphia stock theater production of ''

Uncle Tom's Cabin ''Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly'' is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in two Volume (bibliography), volumes in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans ...

'' in 1899. He made his first Broadway appearance in Georgia Minstrels. His first film role was in the 1920 silent film '' The Symbol of the Unconquered''. A portrait of Whipper entitled "Dans un Café à Paris (Leigh Whipper)" by artist Loïs Mailou Jones, oil on canvas is currently on display at the

Brooklyn Museum The Brooklyn Museum is an art museum in the New York City borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn. At , the museum is New York City's second largest and contains an art collection with around 500,000 objects. Located near the Prospect Heig ...

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Quoted from the museum webpage: "The artist’s portrayal of a pensive Whipper answered Alain Locke’s call for black artists to create ennobling representations of African Americans." During the World War II, Second World War, Whipper was a member of the steering committee of Negro Division the Hollywood Victory Committee. Leigh's daughter, Leighla Frances Whipper, was a Calypso songwriter and music publisher.

Partial filmography

* '' Within Our Gates'' (1920) * '' The Symbol of the Unconquered'' (1920) - Tugi - an Indian Fakir * ''

'' (1939) - Crooks * '' Robin Hood of the Pecos'' (1941) - Kezeye * ''

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

'' (1941) - Ezechial * ''

Road to Zanzibar ''Road to Zanzibar'' is a 1941 American musical comedy film directed by Victor Schertzinger and starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour, and marked the second of seven pictures in the popular "'' Road to ...''" series made by the trio. ...

'' (1941) - Scarface * '' King of the Zombies'' (1941) - Momba * '' Bahama Passage'' (1941) - Morales * '' Lady for a Night'' (1942) - Joe Cupid, the Charm Seller (uncredited) * '' The Vanishing Virginian'' (1942) - Uncle Josh * '' Heart of the Golden West'' (1942) - Rango * ''

White Cargo ''White Cargo'' is a 1942 American drama film starring Hedy Lamarr and Walter Pidgeon, and directed by Richard Thorpe. Released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, it is based on the 1923 London and Broadway hit play by Leon Gordon (playwright), Leon Gord ...

'' (1942) - Jim Fish * '' The Ox-Bow Incident'' (1943) - Sparks (uncredited) * ''

Mission to Moscow Mission (from Latin 'the act of sending out'), Missions or The Mission may refer to: Geography Australia *Mission River (Queensland) Canada * Mission, British Columbia, a district municipality * Mission, Calgary, Alberta, a neighbourhood * ...

'' (1943) - Haile Selassie (uncredited) * '' Happy Land'' (1943) - Old Ben (uncredited) * '' The Impostor'' (1944) - Toba * '' The Yellow Rose of Texas'' (1944) - Dock Singer (uncredited) * '' Dark Waters'' (1944) - Minor Role (uncredited) * '' Jungle Queen'' (1945, Serial) - Native (uncredited) * ''

The Hidden Eye ''The Hidden Eye'' is a 1945 American mystery film directed by Richard Whorf and written by George Harmon Coxe and Harry Ruskin. It is the sequel to the 1942 film '' Eyes in the Night''. The film stars Edward Arnold, Frances Rafferty, Ray Colli ...

'' (1945) - Alistair * '' The Negro Sailor'' (1945) * '' Young Widow'' (1946) - Nate (uncredited) * '' Undercurrent'' (1946) - George * '' Untamed Fury'' (1947) - Uncle Gabe * '' Lost Boundaries'' (1949) - Janitor * '' The Shrike'' (1955) - Carlisle * '' The Young Don't Cry'' (1957) - Doosy * ''

Peter Gunn ''Peter Gunn'' is an American detective fiction, private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens (actor), Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, lounge singer Edie Hart. The series was broadcast by NBC from Sept ...

'' season 1, episode 2: "Streetcar Jones" (1958) - Lodi

References

External links

* * 1876 births 1975 deaths American male film actors 20th-century American male actors American male stage actors American male television actors Howard University School of Law alumni 20th-century African-American male actors Male actors from Charleston, South Carolina {{US-theat-actor-1870s-stub