Ernest frederick morisson Net Worth
Ernest frederick morisson Net Worth
Ernest “Sunshine Sammy” Morrison is a vaudevillian and comedian, who was the original performer in the Our Gang short film series. He was a member of the East Side Kids group. It was during his time with the group that he met actress Annette McAbee, who became his wife. They were married around 1934. His net worth of $5 million.
Although he had a long career in the entertainment industry, Ernie Morrison’s main claim to fame was his role in the Our Gang/Little Rascals series. He was the only African-American child cast member in the original series, which spanned 28 episodes from 1922 to 1928. In addition to the Our Gang films, he also appeared in other films starring Harold Lloyd.
After his first appearance in the film, Morrison was signed with Hal Roach, who conceived the Our Gang series. The two men worked together on the project. But when Morrison’s father demanded a $75 raise, Roach refused.
The pair then returned to work for the Random House textbook division, and Morrison continued to be an actor in films. He starred in several one-reel comedies in 1920 and later was hired by producer Sam Katzman to be a part of the East Side Kids. However, he left the series in January 1925.
He spent the next three years in the Step Brothers dance act, which was a popular Black group. He was later recruited by Harold Lloyd and Jack Benny.
Before the war, he taught English at Howard University and Texas Southern University. During World War II, he served in the US Army, where he was a singer, dancer, and comedian for the troops. Afterward, he began working in the aircraft industry.
Aside from his acting, Morrison was known for his writing. His first novel was about a young African-American girl in the Great Depression. This novel was later adapted into a movie starring Oprah. Toni Morrison also wrote historical fiction novels. Her second novel, “A Mercy,” won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. She was nominated for the National Book Award and a National Book Critics Circle Award. In 1987, she was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame.
On July 24, 1989, Morrison died of cancer in Lynwood, California. A funeral service will be held at Grace Chapel in Inglewood, California, at 1 p.m. He is interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery.
As the oldest child in the Our Gang/Little Rascals cast, Morrison earned an annual salary of $10,000. Throughout his career, he also made guest appearances on television situation comedies. Some of his silent films were produced in New York.
Morrison’s career took him to the stage, as well. In the early 1930s, he was the only African-American on the vaudeville stage. During this period, he was paired with Baby Marie Osborne. Despite this, he did not have a lot of romantic relationships. At the height of his popularity, he was the highest paid Black actor in Hollywood. Upon his retirement, he was listed in the top ten celebrities of the 20th century.
