Tales of Brer Rabbit : Walt Disney's first live actor, James Baskett! (478 hits)
February 16 James Baskett *On this date we point out the birth of James Baskett in 1904. He was an African-American actor.
From Indianapolis, IN., originally a passionate studier of pharmacology, James Baskett had to abandon it due to lack of money. It was then that he perused his untrained dramatic talent.
While visiting Chicago, he was lured to the stage and performed under the Salem Whitney and Homer Tutt Troupes before moving to New York to join Bill "Bojangles" Robinson's company.
In 1945, Baskett answered an ad to provide the voice of a talking butterfly in Walt Disney's Song of the South. Upon review of his voice, Walt Disney wanted to meet James personally.
Not only did he get the part of the butterfly's voice, but also the voice of Brer Fox and as actor the part of Uncle Remus, becoming the first live actor to be hired by Walt Disney.
Baskett’s vocal talent was so extensive he even filled in for Johnny Lee, the voice of Brer Rabbit, in the Laughing Place sequence, when he was called away on a USO tour.
James Baskett died: July 9, 1948 in Los Angeles, CA., that same year an honorary Academy Award for his role as Uncle Remus was given to him
Reference: The Encyclopedia Britannica, Fifteenth Edition. Copyright 1996 Encyclopedia Britannica Inc. ISBN 0-85229-633-0
