Sam McDaniel
Samuel Rufus McDaniel was an American actor who appeared in over 210 television shows and films between 1929 and 1950. He was the older brother of actresses Etta McDaniel and Hattie McDaniel.
Early life
Born in Wichita, Kansas, to former slaves, McDaniel was one of 13 children. His father Henry McDaniel fought in the Civil War with the 122nd USCT and his mother, Susan Holbert, was a singer of gospel music. In 1900, the family moved to Colorado, living first in Fort Collins and then in Denver where he grew up and graduated from Denver East High School. The children of the McDaniel family had a traveling minstrel show. After the death of brother Otis in 1916, the troupe began to lose money. In 1931, McDaniel found work in Los Angeles with sisters Hattie, Etta and Orlena. Sam was working on KNX radio program called The Optimistic Doughnut Hour, and he was able to get his sister a spot.Career
McDaniel almost exclusively played butler, doormen, valet, porter and servant roles in films.He played Doc, the competent ship's cook, in the Oscar-winning 1937 film Captains Courageous. He also played Spiffingham the Butler in the Three Stooges film Heavenly Daze. He is the only African-American to ever appear on I Love Lucy, playing "Sam the Porter" in the 1955 episode "The Great Train Robbery". He appeared uncredited as a waiter on a train in both the 1947 film The Egg and I and its first followup Ma and Pa Kettle. He also played various supporting roles on TV's The Amos 'n' Andy Show.
Death
McDaniel died of throat cancer on September 24, 1962, in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California.Filmography
Hallelujah as Adam- Brown Gravy Dance, Fools, Dance as Luva's butler The Public Enemy as Head waiterA Free Soul as Casino valet Guilty Hands as Jimmy Are You Listening? Grand Hotel The Rich Are Always with Us as Max, Julian's butlerMovie Crazy as Men's room attendant Once in a Lifetime Whistling in the Dark Employees' Entrance as Building janitor Blondie Johnson Footlight Parade The Late Christopher Bean Lady Killer as Train porterGoing Hollywood as Rasputin, the train Porter Broadway Thru a Keyhole Fugitive Lovers as Janitor Manhattan Melodrama as Black Boy Operator 13 The Old Fashioned Way as Train porterThe Dragon Murder Case Belle of the Nineties as Jasmine's admirer Evelyn Prentice Kid Millions as Ship's steward One Hour Late as WaiterGold Diggers of 1935 Rendezvous Hearts Divided Poor Little Rich Girl The Gorgeous Hussy Polo Joe as Harvey A Family Affair
- Dark Manhattan as Jack JohnsonCaptains Courageous as DocIt Happened in Hollywood Jezebel Four's a Crowd They Made Me a Criminal Union Pacific Days of Jesse James Virginia City Brother Orchid Too Many Husbands as Porter The Man Who Talked Too Much Virginia The Great Lie Bad Men of Missouri You Belong to Me All Through the Night In This Our Life Silver Queen I Was Framed as Kit Carson, cook and servantAfter Midnight with Boston Blackie as Train porter Son of Dracula as Andy The Iron Major The Adventures of Mark Twain Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble 3 Men in White Double Indemnity as Charlie, garage attendantThree Little Sisters as BenjyHome in Indiana Tall in the Saddle Music for Millions Experiment Perilous as Train porter Dillinger The Naughty Nineties Lady on a Train My Reputation Without Reservations as FreddyCentennial Summer Never Say Goodbye The Egg and I The Secret Life of Walter Mitty The Foxes of Harrow Race Street The Babe Ruth Story Heavenly Daze Ma and Pa Kettle Flamingo Road The File on Thelma Jordon The President's Lady Sangaree A Lion Is in the Streets Affair with a Stranger Carmen Jones A Man Called Peter Good Morning, Miss Dove Johnny Trouble A Hole in the Head Ice Palace
- ''The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn''