Willis P. Sweatnam

Willis Palmer Sweatnam, Sr. (1854 - November 25, 1930) was a Broadway show actor and minstrel show performer.[1]

Biography

He was born in Zanesville, Ohio, in 1854. He had a son, Willis Palmer Sweatnam, Jr. (1887-?)

When down on his luck in 1903, George Ade created a blackface role for Sweatnam in his new play The County Chairman, and Sweatnam proved to be one of the stars of the show.[2]

He died on November 25, 1930, at the Lambs Club.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Anthony, Walter (10 March 1912). A Minstrel and an Actor: Some Reflectionson the Past and Future of Willis P. Sweatnam, The San Francisco Call
  2. ↑ Coyle, Lee. George Ade: A Critical Study, p. 70 (1964)
  3. ↑ "Willis Sweatnam Dies". New York Times. November 26, 1930. Retrieved 2009-07-24. One of the Best End-Men Who Ever Cracked Jokes in a Minstrel Show. Organized Several Companies. Created a Score of Negro Characters in Comedies. Willis P. Sweatnam, one of the best end men that ever cracked jokes in a minstrel show and the creator of a score of negro characters in American comedies, died last night at the Lambs Club, where he had made his home for several years. He was 76 years old and had been on the stage for more than half a century.
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