Benjamin Sherman " Scatman" Crothers (May 23, 1910 – November 22, 1986)
Career
Music
Crothers began his musical career as a teenager. He sang and was self-educated on guitar and drums. He was in a band that played in
speakeasy in Terre Haute, Indiana.
During the 1930s, Crothers formed a band, spending eight years living in Akron, Ohio, and performing five days a week on a radio show in Dayton, Ohio. The station manager thought he needed a catchier name, so Crothers suggested "Scatman" for his
scat singing. He married Helen Sullivan, a native of Steubenville, Ohio, in 1937. In the 1940s, the couple moved to
California.
He performed in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York City. Capitol Records released several of his singles, including "I'd Rather Be a Hummingbird", "Blue-Eyed Sally", and "Television Blues". High Fidelity Records released his album Rock and Roll with Scatman Crothers. He went on USO tours with Bob Hope.
Film and television
Crothers made his film debut in the movie
Meet Me at the Fair (1953).
He had roles in the film musical
Hello Dolly! (1969) and
The Great White Hope (1970) before providing the voice of Scat Cat in the animated film
The Aristocats (1970).
Crothers appeared in four films with
Jack Nicholson:
The King of Marvin Gardens (1972),
The Fortune (1975),
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), and
The Shining (1980). He had the part of a fable-telling convict in the animated film
Coonskin (1975), a train porter in
Silver Streak (1976), a liveryman in
The Shootist (1976), Mingo in
Roots (1977), Tinker the piano player in Neil Simon's
The Cheap Detective (1978), a ringmaster in
Bronco Billy (1980), a baseball coach in
Zapped! (1982), and angels in
Two of a Kind (1983) and
(1983).
Crothers became the first black person to appear regularly in a Los Angeles television show when he joined Dixie Showboat.
Crothers had guest roles on Alfred Hitchcock Presents in 1958, Dragnet in 1967, Bewitched and McMillan & Wife in 1971, Adam-12 in 1972 (as "George Strothers"), Kojak and Ironside in 1973, , Mannix and Sanford and Son in 1974,
Death
Around 1985, Crothers was diagnosed with an inoperable malignant tumor in his lung which
metastasized to his esophagus. He was bedridden weeks before his death and had slipped into a coma. On November 22, 1986, Crothers died at age 76 at his home in Van Nuys, California after struggling with
lung cancer.
He is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.
Awards and honors
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Best Supporting Actor, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror, for The Shining (1980)
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Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame, 1981
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NAACP Image Award
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Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame, 1987 (posthumous)
Filmography
Film
-
King Cole Trio & Benny Carter Orchestra (1950) (short subject) as himself
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Yes Sir, Mr. Bones (1951) as Scatman
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The Return of Gilbert and Sullivan (1952)
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Meet Me at the Fair (1953) as Enoch Jones
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Surprising Suzie (1953) (short subject)
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East of Sumatra (1953) as Baltimore
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Walking My Baby Back Home (1953) as Smiley Gordon
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Johnny Dark (1954)
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Team Berlin (1955) (short subject)
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Tarzan and the Trappers (1958) as Tyana
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Porgy and Bess (1959) as Crabman
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The Sins of Rachel Cade (1961) as Musinga
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The Patsy (1964) as the Shoeshine Boy
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Bloody Mama (1970) as Moses the Caretaker
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The Aristocats (1970) as Scat Cat (voice)
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Chandler (1971) as Smoke
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Lady Sings the Blues (1972) as Big Ben
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The King of Marvin Gardens (1972) as Lewis
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Detroit 9000 (1973) as Reverend Markham
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Slaughter's Big Rip-Off (1973) as Cleveland
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Black Belt Jones (1974) as Pop Byrd
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Truck Turner (1974) as Duke
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Win, Place or Steal (1975) as the Attendant
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Linda Lovelace for President (1975) as Super Black
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The Fortune (1975) as the Fisherman
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Coonskin (1975) as Pappy / Old Man Bone (voice)
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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) as Mr. Turkle
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Friday Foster (1975) as Noble Franklin
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Stay Hungry (1976) as William
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The Shootist (1976) as Moses Brown
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Chesty Anderson, USN (1976) as Ben Benson
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Silver Streak (1976) as Ralson, a Railroad Porter
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Mean Dog Blues (1978) as Mudcat
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The Cheap Detective (1978) as Tinker
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Scavenger Hunt (1979) as Sam
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Banjo the Woodpile Cat (1979) as Crazy Legs (voice)
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The Shining (1980) as Dick Hallorann
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Bronco Billy (1980) as Doc Lynch
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The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island (1981) (made for TV) as Dewey Stevens
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Zapped! (1982) as Coach Dexter Jones
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Deadly Eyes (1982) as George Foskins
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(1983) as Mr. Bloom (segment "Kick the Can")
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Two of a Kind (1983) as Earl
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The Journey of Natty Gann (1985) as Sherman
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Morningstar/Eveningstar (1986) (TV Series) as Excell Dennis
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(1986) as Jazz (voice)
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Rock Odyssey (1987) as Jukebox (voice), posthumous release
Television
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The Adventures of Jim Bowie (1957) (Season 2 Episode 6: "The Quarantine") – Cicero
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Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1958) (Season 4 Episode 2: "Don't Interrupt") – Timothy
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Beany and Cecil (1959–1962) (multiple episodes and bumpers) - Go Man Van Gogh / Wildman of Wildsville (singing voice only at first, then regular voice)
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Bonanza (1961) (Season 3 Episode 1: "The Smiler") – Jud
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The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo (1964–1965) (voice)
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Dragnet (1967) (Season 2 Episode 10: "The Missing Realtor") – Dave Richmond
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Love, American Style (1970) (Episode 34 "Love and the Dummies" - Drummer)
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Harlem Globetrotters (1970–1971) (22 episodes) – George 'Meadowlark' Lemon (voice)
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Bewitched (1971) (Season 8 Episode 13: "Three Men and a Witch on a Horse") – Handler
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Nichols (1972) (Season 1 Episode 14: "Eddie Joe") – Jack
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The New Scooby-Doo Movies (1972–73) (9 episodes)
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(Season 1 Episode 12: "The Ghostly Creep from the Deep") as George 'Meadowlark' Lemon (voice)
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(Season 2 Episode 1: "The Mystery of Haunted Island") as George 'Meadowlark' Lemon (voice) (credited as Benjamin Crothers)
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(Season 2 Episode 2: "The Haunted Showboat") as Additional voices (voice, credit only) (credited as Benjamin Crothers)
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(Season 2 Episode 3: "Mystery in Persia") as Additional voices (voice, credit only) (credited as Benjamin Crothers)
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(Season 2 Episode 4: "The Spirited Spooked Sports Show") as Additional voices (voice, credit only) (credited as Benjamin Crothers)
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(Season 2 Episode 5: "The Exterminator") as Additional voices (voice, credit only) (credited as Benjamin Crothers)
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(Season 2 Episode 6: "The Weird Winds on Winona") as Additional voices (voice, credit only) (credited as Benjamin Crothers)
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(Season 2 Episode 7: "The Haunted Candy Factory") as Additional voices (voice, credit only)
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Kojak (1973) (Season 1 Episode 7: "The Corrupter") – Gaylord Fuller
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The Sty of the Blind Pig (1974) (Television Film) - Jim "Doc" Sweet
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Hong Kong Phooey (1974) (16 episodes) – Hong Kong Phooey / Penrod 'Penry' Pooch
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Mannix (1974) Season 8 Episode 5: "The Green Man") – Mudcat
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The Odd Couple (1974) (Season 5 Episode 8: "The Subway Show")
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McMillan & Wife (1974) (Season 4 Episode 1: "Downshift to Danger") – Floyd
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Chico and the Man (1974–78) (65 episodes) - Louie Wilson, the Garbage Man
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Sanford and Son (1975) (Season 4 Episode 16: "The Stand-In") – Bowlegs
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Roots (1977) (TV miniseries) (Episode: "Part VI") – Mingo
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(1977) (TV Special) – Himself
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Laff-A-Lympics (1977) (2 episodes) – Hong Kong Phooey / Additional voices (voice)
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(Season 1 Episode 9: "Spain and the Himalayas")
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(Episode: "Acapulco/England")
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CB Bears (1977) – Segment Title Narrator
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Starsky and Hutch (1977) (Season 2 Episode 23: "Long Walk Down a Short Dirt Road") – Fireball
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The Skatebirds (1977–1978) – Scat Cat (voice)
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Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels (1977–80) (2 episodes) – Additional Voices
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(Season 1 Episode 15: "The Mystery Mansion Mix-Up") (1977)
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(Season 3 Episode 3: "Cavey and the Volcanic Villain") (1980)
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NBC Salutes the 25th Anniversary of the Wonderful World of Disney (1978) (TV Movie documentary) – Himself
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Charlie's Angels (1978) (Season 3 Episode 1: "Angels in Vegas") – Jip Baker
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Vega$ (1978–79) (2 episodes)
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(Season 1 Pilot Episode: "High Roller") (1978) - Rosie
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(Season 2 Episode 2: "The Usurper") (1979) – Rosie
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The Love Boat (1978–1984) (3 episodes)
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(Season 1 Episode 17: "Winner Take Love/The Congressman Was Indiscreet/Isaac's History Lesson") (1978) – Virgil 'Scattergun' Gibson
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(Season 8 Episode 14: "Country Blues/A Matter of Taste/Frat Brothers Forever") (1984) - Malcolm
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(Season 8 Episode 15: "Santa, Santa, Santa/Another Dog Gone Christmas/Noel's Christmas Carol") (segment: "Santa, Santa, Santa") (1984) - Malcolm, a Shakespearean actor competing with Ray Walston and Avery Schreiber in the Christmas-themed vignette
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The Super Globetrotters (1979) (13 episodes) – Nate Branch / Liquid Man
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The Incredible Hulk (1979) (Season 3 Episode 5: "My Favorite Magician") – Edgar McGee
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Laverne & Shirley (1980) (2 episodes) – Porter
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(Season 5 Episode 20: "Murder on the Moosejaw Express: Part 1")
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(Season 5 Episode 21: "Murder on the Moosejaw Express: Part 2")
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Magnum, P.I. (1981) (Season 1 Episode 10: "Lest We Forget") – Tickler
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Trollkins (1981) (13 episodes) – Additional Voices
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The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island (1981) (TV Movie) – Dewey Stevens
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Jokebook (1982) – Main Title Singer (voice)
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Benson (1982) (Season 3 Episode 18: "In the Red") – Reverend Tompkins
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Madame's Place (1982) (Season 1 Episode 48: "Bankrupt and Suicidal") as himself
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Casablanca (1983) (5 episodes) – Sam
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(Season 1 Episode 1: "Who Am I Killing")
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(Season 1 Episode 2: "Master Builder's Woman")
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(Season 1 Episode 3: "Jenny")
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(Season 1 Episode 4: "The Cashier and the Belly Dancer")
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(Season 1 Episode 5: "Divorce Casablanca Style")
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Taxi (1983) (Season 5 Episode 23: "A Grand Gesture") – Walt
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This Is Your Life (1984) (Episode: "Scatman Crothers") – Himself
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The Transformers (1984–86) (33 episodes) – voice of Autobot Jazz
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The Paper Chase (1985) (Season 3 Episode 12: "Lasting Impressions") – Mr. Sims
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Paw Paws (1985–86) (21 episodes) – Eugene the Genie
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The Wonderful World of Jonathan Winters (1986) – Himself
Discography
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Rock 'N Roll With "Scat Man" (1956)
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4 A.M. (1960)
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Comedy Sweepstakes (1961)
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Big Ben Sings (1973)
External links
