Eugene Jackson

For the U.S. Army soldier, see Eugene E. Jackson.
Eugene Jackson
Born Eugene W. Jackson Jr., II
(1916-12-25)December 25, 1916
Buffalo, New York, U.S.
Died October 26, 2001(2001-10-26) (aged 84)
Compton, California, U.S.
Cause of death heart attack
Other names Pineapple
Occupation Child actor
actor
Years active 1918-2001
Spouse(s) Sue Jackson (1946-2001) (his death) (3 children)

Eugene W. Jackson, II (December 25, 1916 – October 26, 2001) was an American former child actor who was a regular of the Our Gang short series during the silent Pathé era.

Career

When he joined the gang, Jackson replaced the series' first black member, Ernie "Sunshine Sammy" Morrison. Jackson was nicknamed Pineapple because of his haircut's similarity to the shape of the pineapple fruit.

He played the character Humidor, in one of Mary Pickford's most successful films, Little Annie Rooney (1925). A very large (10 Sheet) 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.

He also starred in Hearts in Dixie (1929), one of the first all-talkie, 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.[1]

In television, Eugene W. Jackson II was a recurring character on Julia, the first network sitcom to have a female African-American lead, Diahann Carroll. Eugene played Julia's uncle.

Eugene W. Jackson II's last major feature film was The Addams Family (1991) with Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, and Christopher Lloyd. He played a one-armed musician.

Death

Jackson died of a heart attack in Compton, California on October 26, 2001. He was 84.

He wrote an autobiography in 1999, that contains many pictures taken during his long career in show business.[2]

Filmography

References

  1. ↑ See Jackson autobiography in Note 2 below
  2. ↑ Jackson, Eugene W. II with Gwendolyn Sides St. Julian, Eugene "Pineapple" Jackson: His Own Story. Jefferson, North Carolina, U.S.A. McFarland & Co Inc Pub. 1999, 1st Edition. 0786405333 Hard Cover. Ill.: Photo Illustrated. 6.5 x 9.5 hard cover book. White lettering on the pink spine with a black-and-white photo illustrated cover. Join Eugene Jackson as he shares his life story - a story that preserves the history of vaudeville and early Hollywood, and chronicles the African American experience in twentieth-century entertainment. 223 pages.

Bibliography

External links


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