Dudley Dickerson
Dickerson inDangerous Money (1946)
Born	Dudley Henry Dickerson Jr. (1906-11-27)November 27, 1906 Chickasha, Oklahoma, U.S.
Died	September 23, 1968(1968-09-23) (aged 61) Lynwood, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1932–1959

Dudley Henry DickersonJr. (November 27, 1906 – September 23, 1968) was an African-American film actor. Born inChickasha, Oklahoma, he appeared in nearly 160 films between1932 and1952, and is best remembered for his roles in severalThree Stooges films.

Considering the historical context of Dickerson's career, he was frequently assigned stereotypical roles prevalent in contemporary cinema. His inexhaustible energy is evident even within these limiting roles, and he excelled in what is now recognized as "scared reaction" comedy.^[1] One of his early screen credits was theOur Gang comedySpooky Hooky (1936), as a bemused caretaker. Dickerson also appeared inSoundies musical films withDorothy Dandridge andMeade Lux Lewis;Big Joe Turner had recorded three numbers for Soundies but was not present for the filming, so Dickerson stood in for him and lip-synced his vocals.^[2]

Modern viewers will remember Dudley Dickerson for his portrayals of startled cooks, quizzical orderlies, frightened porters, and apprehensive watchmen in suchThree Stooges films asThey Stooge to Conga,A Gem of a Jam, andHold That Lion! InHold that Lion, he played a lovable train conductor who memorably bugged out his eyes and shrieked, "He'p, he'p, ah'm losin' mah mahnd!" when a lion attacked him and ripped the seat of his pants while he was shining a pair of shoes. This gag had been used by Moe in a previous short, but Dickerson's portrayal of the scene was so funny that the crew (and Dickerson himself) could hardly contain their laughter, as one can hear in the final release.

Probably Dickerson's most memorable role was that of the hapless chef in the Stooges'A Plumbing We Will Go, in which he uttered in bewilderment, "This house has sho' gone crazy!" He was also able to show the range of his acting talent in this role, able to raise a laugh from the audience by just giving a suspicious, sideways look to a kitchen appliance that had previously acted up. The footage would be recycled twice more in future Stooge comedies: 1949'sVagabond Loafers and 1956'sScheming Schemers. Both films included a newly filmed scene of a raincoat-clad Dickerson informing guests that "dinner's postponed on account of rain" (a turn of phrase usually used to describe the cancellation of a baseball game due to inclement weather).^[1]

Dickerson received featured billing in severalHugh Herbert comedies produced byColumbia Pictures, in which, as Herbert's valet, he is always in scary situations and reacts with comic terror.

In the early 1950s, Dickerson appeared in several episodes of TV'sThe Amos 'n' Andy Show, usually as a lodge member or Joe the Barber.

Dickerson had also appeared opposite Columbia comicAndy Clyde. When Columbia concluded its long-running Clyde series, producerJules White called Dickerson back to appear opposite Clyde in a remake of the 1948 shortGo Chase Yourself. To White's surprise, Dickerson had lost considerable weight and would no longer match the scenes filmed in 1948. White regarded Dickerson so highly that he filmed the new scenes anyway. Columbia released the film in 1956 asPardon My Nightshirt.

Dickerson retired from acting in 1959. He died of abrain tumor in 1968 at age 61, and is buried at Lincoln Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California.^{[citation needed]}

Wikimedia Commons has media related toDudley Dickerson.

• Dudley Dickerson atIMDb
• Dudley Dickerson atthreestooges.net
• Dudley Dickerson atFind a Grave

• 1906 births
• 1968 deaths
• American male film actors
• Deaths from brain cancer in California
• Male actors from Oklahoma
• 20th-century American male actors
• 20th-century American comedians
• 20th-century African-American male actors
• African-American male comedians
• African-American comedians
• American male comedians
• Comedians from Oklahoma
• People from Chickasha, Oklahoma

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