James Earl Wall (December 12, 1917 – October 27, 2010[1]) was an American stage manager and actor, best known for his longstanding role as Mr. Baxter on Captain Kangaroo.

Early life and career

Born in Wilmington, North Carolina, and raised there and in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, New York, Wall was the younger of two sons born to Elizabeth Davis and Ballie W. Wall Sr., a barber.[2][3][1] He attended Alexander Hamilton High School,[2] NYU,[4] and Columbia University.[2]

A communications major who had mastered French, Spanish, Portuguese, Yiddish, and Russian,[4] Wall later said he first felt the urge to perform while serving in the United States Army during World War II, where he rose to the rank of master sergeant.[2][5]

Having performed on radio, theater, and in the Army during World War II, Wall worked as both actor and stage manager on Broadway before being hired as the stage manager for the children's television series Captain Kangaroo by CBS in 1962.[6][7] Two years later, he portrayed a stage manager in "The Lost Lady Blues", the next-to-last episode of the short-lived CBS series, The Reporter.[8] In an interview clip that aired on the October 28, 2010, CBS Evening News, Wall recalled how he made the case to Kangaroo's producers for an African-American character. However, he still had to audition for the role which became Mr. Baxter, a teacher and Captain Kangaroo's neighbor.[9] Wall joined the cast in 1968, remaining with the show until 1979; he made a guest appearance in 1981. He was also the stage manager for 41 consecutive years on the US Open Tennis Championships telecasts.[9]

Wall was presented with the Directors Guild of America's Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award in 1994. He continued to work for CBS in semi-retirement until 2009.

Personal life and death

From at least 1950 through 1958, Wall was married to Verine Franklin.[10][11]

On October 27, 2010, at age 92, Wall died in his sleep at his Manhattan home.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c "James E. 'Jimmy' Wall dies at 92; played Mr. Baxter on 'Captain Kangaroo'" Los Angeles Times, 28 October 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d "Comedian Jimmy Wall CBS-TV Stage Manager". New York Amsterdam News. March 17, 1973. p. C7. ProQuest 226560657.
  3. ^ "United States, Census, 1930", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X3QD-XF5 : Tue Jan 14 06:40:15 UTC 2025), Entry for Ballie W Wall and Elizabeth M Wall, 1930.
  4. ^ a b Matthews, Leslie (September 13, 1952). "Bronx Limited". The New York Age. p. 25. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
  5. ^ "GI Stage Show Touring Britain". The Afro-American. July 22, 1944. p. 8. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
  6. ^ "James E. Wall Credits". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
  7. ^ Robinson, Major (July 14, 1955). "New York Beat". Jet. p. 65. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
  8. ^ "New York Beat". Jet. December 24, 1964. p. 64. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
  9. ^ a b James E. Wall Archived 2017-02-27 at the Wayback Machine at Honorary Unsubscribe
  10. ^ "People Are Talking About...". Jet. February 27, 1958. p. 43. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
  11. ^ "United States, Census, 1950", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XR4-3YH2 : Thu Oct 05 00:40:38 UTC 2023), Entry for James Wall and Verine Wall, 1 May 1950.
Allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Wall_(actor)
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