Actor. Born Ernest Frederic Morrison Jr., a Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame member and believed to be the first black actor to sign a long-term film contract, he made his film debut while still an infant in 1917. Two years later, comedy producer Hal Roach cast Morrison to play various "Buttinsky" roles in the films of Harold Lloyd and Snub Pollard. The oldest member of the original comedy gang and often credited by his established soubriquet of "Sunshine Sammy," Morrison appeared in 28 of the "Our Gang" slap-stick comedy short films from 1922 to 1924 before accepting an offer to perform full time in New York vaudeville shows. After living and performing for 16 years in New York, Morrison returned to Los Angeles where he was a regular in the "Dead End Kids" and "East Side Kids." During World War Il, he appeared as a singer-dancer-comedian for troops stationed in the South Pacific. For several years after the war, Morrison turned down a series of offers to return to show business, saying that he had fond memories of the movies but no desire to be part of them again. Instead, he accepted a job as a quality control inspector for an aerospace company in Compton, California, where he worked for 17 years. After his retirement, Morrison was rediscovered by film buffs who had learned of him after the revival of the Little Rascals in the 1970s. He accepted a few choice guest appearance roles in TV situation comedy series including "Good Times" and "The Jeffersons." Morrison, who appeared in 145 motion pictures, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in Oakland, California, in 1987 along with Sammy Davis, Jr., Scatman Crothers and Jeni Le Gon.
Actor. Born Ernest Frederic Morrison Jr., a Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame member and believed to be the first black actor to sign a long-term film contract, he made his film debut while still an infant in 1917. Two years later, comedy producer Hal Roach cast Morrison to play various "Buttinsky" roles in the films of Harold Lloyd and Snub Pollard. The oldest member of the original comedy gang and often credited by his established soubriquet of "Sunshine Sammy," Morrison appeared in 28 of the "Our Gang" slap-stick comedy short films from 1922 to 1924 before accepting an offer to perform full time in New York vaudeville shows. After living and performing for 16 years in New York, Morrison returned to Los Angeles where he was a regular in the "Dead End Kids" and "East Side Kids." During World War Il, he appeared as a singer-dancer-comedian for troops stationed in the South Pacific. For several years after the war, Morrison turned down a series of offers to return to show business, saying that he had fond memories of the movies but no desire to be part of them again. Instead, he accepted a job as a quality control inspector for an aerospace company in Compton, California, where he worked for 17 years. After his retirement, Morrison was rediscovered by film buffs who had learned of him after the revival of the Little Rascals in the 1970s. He accepted a few choice guest appearance roles in TV situation comedy series including "Good Times" and "The Jeffersons." Morrison, who appeared in 145 motion pictures, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in Oakland, California, in 1987 along with Sammy Davis, Jr., Scatman Crothers and Jeni Le Gon.
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