Scoey Mitchell
Roscoe Mitchell Jr. or Scoey Mitchell, usually credited as Scoey Mitchell, was an American actor, producer, writer and television director known for frequent appearances on 1970s game shows, including Match Game and Tattletales. He starred in the short-lived series Barefoot in the Park and had a recurring role on Rhoda.
He created two short-lived NBC television series, Me and Mrs. C and 13 East. He appeared as Richard Pryor's father in the film Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling.
Early life and career
Mitchell was born on March 12, 1930, in Newburgh, New York, as Roscoe Mitchlll Jr.. His father was a Baptist minister and community activist. His brother was jazz pianist Billy Mitchell. He started his career on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in 1967. He appeared in What's It All About, World? as himself in 1969.He guest-starred in television series including The Mothers-in-Law, Here Come the Brides, That Girl, The Odd Couple, The Six Million Dollar Man, and Baretta.
Mitchell starred in several television films, including Voyage of the Yes, Cops, and Cindy. He also turned to directing television with the film Me & Mrs. C. in 1984 and episodes of 13 East in 1989–90. Mitchell wrote for television, including The Scoey Mitchell Show in 1972, Just a Little More Love in 1983, and Handsome Harry's. In addition, he ventured into production of television and television films, including Grambling's White Tiger in 1981, Gus Brown and Midnight Brewster in 1985, and Miracle at Beekman's Place in 1988.
Mitchell also was on a number of television shows as himself, including Match Game from 1974 to 1979, Super Password in 1988, The Joey Bishop Show 1968–69, Hollywood Squares in 1968, and Tattletales from 1974 to 1978 and from 1982 to 1984. He guest starred on an episode of Taxi titled "Memories of Cab 804, Part 1" during the first season and his name was misspelled in the end credits as "Scoey Mitchell". Interestingly, during a recurring role on the series Rhoda, Mitchell’s name was misspelled as “SCOEY MITCHLLL” on the end credits of S01E23, “A Nice Warm Rut.”
In September 1970, ABC cast Mitchell in Barefoot in the Park based on Neil Simon's Broadway play of the same name. The series cast members were predominantly black, making it the first American television sitcom since Amos 'n' Andy to have a predominantly black cast. Barefoot in the Park had been a successful 1967 film starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda. It was thought by ABC that placing Barefoot in the Park behind Bewitched would do well, but because that show was already in a slump, Barefoot in the Park never developed high numbers for the network. During its first few episodes, Barefoot in the Park developed behind-the-scenes strife that sealed its fate: Mitchell was fired due to "differences of opinion" with the series' producers. Rather than replace Mitchell with another actor—and already disenchanted with the low ratings—ABC decided to cancel Barefoot in the Park in December 1970.
In 1986, Mitchell was in Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling, a semi-autobiographical film about Richard Pryor. In 2017, after a hiatus of almost thirty years, he returned to acting, in a one-off role in A Kindred Soul.
Death
Mitchell died of kidney failure on March 19, 2022, in a hospice-care facility in Torrance, California. He was survived by his wife, Claire.Filmography
Acting
Film
Television
Directing
Television
| Year | Title | Production Type | Episodes | Notes |
| 1984 | Me & Mrs. C. | M Television film | Co-directed with Drew R. Handley | |
| 1987 | Me & Mrs. C. | TV series | "The Jailbird" "Happy Birthday to You" "A Bump in the Night" "Smarty Pants" | |
| 1989–90 | 13 East | TV series | Pilot: "Where's the Ticket?" "I've Got a Loan to Pick with You" "A Day in the Life" "The Switch" "Tabloid Time" "Poppa's Coming" "Bullseye" |
Writing
Television
| Year | Title | Production Type | Directed by | Notes |
| 1972 | The Scoey Mitchell Show | Television film | Marc Breslow | |
| 1983 | Just a Little More Love | Television film | Burt Brinckerhoff | |
| 1984 | Me & Mrs. C. | Television film | Co-directed with Drew R. Handley | |
| 1985 | Gus Brown and Midnight Brewster | Television film | James Fargo | Story by Mitchell and Martin Rips; teleplay by Mitchell. |
| 1985 | Handsome Harry's | Television film | Bill Foster | Co-written and story by Mitchell with Calvin Kelly and James Tisdale. |
| 1986 | Me & Mrs. C. | Television series | Episodes:
| |
| 1988 | A Whole Lotta Fun | Television film | Co-written with Cassandra Clark, James Hampton, Tracy Morgan, Deborah Pearl, Steve Robertson, and John Vornholt. | |
| 1988 | Miracle at Beekman's Place | Television film | Bernard L. Kowalski |
Production
Television
| Year | Title | Production Type | Credited as | Notes |
| 1981 | Grambling's White Tiger | Television film | Associate producer | Directed by Georg Stanford Brown |
| 1983 | Just a Little More Love | Television film | Executive producer | |
| 1984 | Me & Mrs. C. | Television film | Producer | |
| 1985 | Gus Brown and Midnight Brewster | Television film | Producer | |
| 1985 | Handsome Harry's | Television film | Executive producer | |
| 1986 | Me & Mrs. C. | Television series | Producer | |
| 1988 | A Whole Lotta Fun | Television film | Executive producer | |
| 1988 | Miracle at Beekman's Place | Television film | Producer | |
| 1989 | 13 East | Television series | Producer |