On this day, May 2, 1922, Roscoe Lee Browne was born.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Roscoe Lee Browne



Browne in 1979

Born: May 2, 1922; Woodbury, New Jersey, U.S.
Died: April 11, 2007 (aged 84); Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Roscoe Lee Browne (May 2, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American actor and director. He resisted playing stereotypically black roles, instead performing in several productions with New York City's Shakespeare Festival Theater, Leland Hayward's satirical NBC series That Was the Week That Was, and a poetry performance tour of the United States in addition to his work in television and film. He is perhaps best known for his role as Saunders in Soap (1979–1981).

{snip}

Death

Browne died of stomach cancer at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles in the morning of April 11, 2007, aged 84. He never married and had no children.

He was remembered for his contributions in a New York Times encomium by Frank Crohn of the Edna St. Vincent Millay Society:

We mourn the loss of our long-time Trustee and faithful friend. He was always to be counted upon to be supportive of the aims and purposes of the Society. He filled our lives with the soft sound of poetry as only he could recite it. Now the stage is empty and the lights are low.

{snip}

[Tetrachloride]

1. A great time traveler

He was notable in “The Cowboys.”

[mahatmakanejeeves]

3. Oh, yes, yes, yes. Thank you for bringing that up. I ought to find a clip from that. NT

[Aristus]

2. My first knowledge of him was when he recorded the narration of an audio-only version of the

"Star Wars" story in the late 1970's. I'll never know why they chose him for the narration. AFAIK, he had no other connection to the Star Wars franchise.

The LP of the Star Wars story was a prize for any young Star Wars fan. You could listen to the story any time you liked at home. No video, but if one saw the movie, one could insert the images in your mind while the audio played. The things we had to do to get our Star Wars fix before streaming and the internet.

[Tetrachloride]

4. going to toss a banana peel and see what happens

[Auggie]

5. All In The Family, The Elevator Story, Season 2 Episode 14

Hugh Victor Thompson III: I am Hugh Victor Thompson III. What is your name?

Archie Bunker: I ain't telling you my name.

Hugh Victor Thompson III: Why? Is it a funny name?

Archie Bunker: No. It's a name right out of American history. Bunker, as in the Battle Of.

Hugh Victor Thompson III: Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Bunker Hill.

[lastlib]

6. He was only a year old?

A really good actor--perfect in "The Cowboys," and did a marvelous job in his appearance in All In The Family.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

7. Whoops. I was just a century off. Thanks. NT

[lastlib]

8. no worries, mate! (I'm a century off, too!)

(I did something like it myself on facebook this morning--typing before coffee.......gets me every time!)