Eugene Jackson | |
|---|---|
 Jackson in 1924 | |
| Born | December 25, 1916 Buffalo, New York, U.S. |
| Died | October 26, 2001 (aged 84) Compton, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1918–2001 |
| Spouse |
Sue Jackson
(m. 1946) |
Eugene W. Jackson II (December 25, 1916 – October 26, 2001) was an American child actor who was a regular of the Our Gang short series during the silent Pathé era.
When he joined the gang, Jackson replaced the series' first black cast member, Ernie Morrison who was billed in the series as Sunshine Sammy, Jackson's characters nickname was "Pineapple" because of his haircut's similarity to the shape of the pineapple fruit.[1]
He played the character "Humidor" in one of Mary Pickford's most successful films, Little Annie Rooney (1925). A large film poster of the cast of Little Annie Rooney, including Jackson, hangs in the lobby of the Mary Pickford Theatre of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Hollywood.
Jackson also starred in Hearts in Dixie (1929), one of the first all-talking, big-studio productions to boast a predominately African-American cast. He was the first African-American child to have a speaking part in a major motion picture.[2]
In television, Jackson was a recurring character on Julia, the first network sitcom to have a female African-American lead, Diahann Carroll. Jackson played Julia's uncle.
Jackson's last major feature film was The Addams Family (1991) with Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia and Christopher Lloyd.[3] He played a one-armed musician.
Jackson wrote an autobiography in 1999 that contains pictures from his career in show business.[4]
Jackson died of a heart attack in Compton, California on October 26, 2001.[5] He was 84.[6]
