Full Name James Earl Wall Role Stage management Name James Wall | Years active 1968–1979 Occupation Actor
stage manager TV shows Captain Kangaroo | |
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Born December 12, 1917 ( 1917-12-12 ) Wilmington, North Carolina, USA Died October 27, 2010, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States Awards DGA Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award | ||
Stage manager james wall on being the first black stage manager
James Earl "Jimmy" Wall (December 12, 1917 – October 27, 2010) was an American stage manager and actor.
Contents
- Stage manager james wall on being the first black stage manager
- Stage manager james wall on the duties of a stage manager on television
- References
Having performed on radio, theater, and in the Army during World War II, Wall worked as a stage manager on Broadway before being hired as the stage manager for the children's television series Captain Kangaroo by CBS in 1962. In an interview clip that aired on the October 28, 2010, CBS Evening News, Wall recalled how he made the case to Kangaroo's producers for an African-American character. However, he still had to audition for the role which became Mr. Baxter, a teacher and Captain Kangaroo's neighbor. Wall joined the cast in 1968, remaining with the show until 1979; he made a guest appearance in 1981. He was also the stage manager for 41 consecutive years on the US Open Tennis Championships telecasts.
Wall was presented with the Directors Guild of America's Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award in 1994. He continued to work for CBS in semi-retirement until 2009.