Biography for
James Baskett More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

16 February 1904, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Date of Death

9 July 1948, Los Angeles, California, USA (heart ailment)

Spouse

Margaret

(? - 9 July 1948) (his death)

Trivia

First African-American male actor to be awarded an Academy Award.

Well-known old-time radio performer, especially for the role of "Gabby Gibson" on the Amos 'n' Andy Show.

His portrayal of Uncle Remus in "Song of the South" was the crowning achievement of his career, for which he won an honorary Academy Award. Ironically, his performance cannot be seen in its entirety in the United States, as the Walt Disney Co. will not release the entire film on the home video market because of the controversial nature of the film, which was denounced as racist by the NAACP when it was premiered in 1946. A further irony is that the NAACP now has no public stance on the film.

He did not attend the premiere of "Song of the South" in Atlanta because as an African American he would not have been allowed to participate in any of the festivities in that racially segregated city.

His father John Baskett owned a barber shop in Indianapolis.

Buried in Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The first actor to win an Academy Award (although an honorary one) for his performance in a Walt Disney film.

Is one of two Disney stars buried in Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, Indiana. Bill Shirley, who played Prince Charming in Sleeping Beauty is the other. However, James Baskett is buried in a grave, and Bill Shirley is buried in the main mausoleum. There is a special plaque marking James Baskett's grave that talks about his role in Song of the South.