Hannah Washington


Hannah Washington was a former child actor who was active in Hollywood during the 1920s and 1930s. A fixture in short comedies — often as a character named Oatmeal — she was one of the few Black child actors in movies at the time. She also had roles in 1927's Uncle Tom's Cabin, 1933's King Kong, and 1935's The [Littlest Rebel], where she appeared alongside Shirley Temple.

Biography

Hannah was born in Los Angeles, California, to Robert Washington and Fannie Ford; her aunt was actress and dancer Mildred Washington. Her first known on-screen appearance was in 1926's Sea Horses; her parents were also extras on several of her older films. She was signed as a toddler by Sunset Studios in 1927 to a contract to appear in comedies. She appears to have returned from acting around 1935; she later married and had a son. She died in 1990 in Los Angeles.

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