ERNEST 'SUNSHINE SAMMY' MORRISON BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:
 
Ernest 'Sunshine Sammy' Morrison was perhaps the first African American child star, most known for his role as one of the original Our Gang kids, and as one of the East Side Kids. He was born Fredrick Ernest Morrison on December 20, 1912 in New Orleans, Louisiana. When he was a baby, his father was offered a job as a chef in Beverly Hills by a wealthy and influential family. The family that he worked for had connections in the film industry, and one day, a producer who was a friend of his father’s needed a baby for a movie scene. He asked if the infant would take the place of the child that was not working out, Morrison was tried out, and he got the job. Thus, his film career was born.
 
From the experience, the crew gave the child the nickname of “Sunshine”, for he never cried and had the biggest smile. Morrison's father added “Sammy” to round out the name. The young actor continued to work in the film industry, appearing with such comedians as Harold Lloyd and Snub Pollard. Producer Hal Roach’s wife, Margaret Roach, helped sign Morrison up for a two year contract with her husband’s studio. It was then that he became the first African American to be signed up for a long term contract.

When Roach came up with the idea for his Our Gang series (later called The Little Rascals), Morrison was the first child recruited. He played in close to thirty of the comedy shorts, and then left the team to act in vaudeville for the next sixteen years. In 1940, when actors were being cast for the East Side Kids movies, Morrison was remembered by producer Sam Katzman, who had produced some of his theatrical shows. “Sunshine Sammy” joined the group, playing the role of Scruno.
 
The actor left the cast after being drafted to serve in World War II. After his service, he declined to be re-admitted into the films. He appeared in a few more pictures, then officially retired to work at an aircraft assembly plant for the next thirty years. In later years he made a cameo appearance on the hit sitcom tv show “Good Times” (1974). In 1987 he was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame. On July 24, 1989, he passed away in Lynwood, California from cancer.
 
 
Filmography
 
1974       Good Times 
 
1944       Greenwich Village 
 
1944       Follow the Leader 
 
1943       Ghosts on the Loose 
 
1943       Clancy Street Boys 
 
1943       Hit Parade of 1943

1943       The Ape Man 
 
1943       Kid Dynamite 
 
1942       'Neath Brooklyn Bridge 
 
1942       Smart Alecks 
 
1942       Let's Get Tough! 
 
1942       In This Our Life 
 
1942       Mr. Wise Guy 
 
1941       Spooks Run Wild 
 
1941       Bowery Blitzkrieg 
 
1941       Flying Wild 
 
1940       Pride of the Bowery 
 
1940       Fugitive from a Prison Camp 
 
1940       That Gang of Mine 
 
1940       Boys of the City 
 
1940       I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby 
 
1940       Gang War 
 
1926       Soft Pedal 
 
1926       Don't Butt In 
 
1926       Between Meals 
 
1924       Fast Company 
 
1924       Battling Orioles 
 
1924       It's a Bear 
 
1924       Rupert of Hee Haw 
 
1924       Cradle Robbers 
 
1924       Commencement Day 
 
1924       Seein' Things 
 
1924       The Fraidy Cat

1924       The Buccaneers 
 
1924       Big Business 
 
1924       Tire Trouble 
 
1923       Sunday Calm 
 
1923       Derby Day 
 
1923       Stage Fright 
 
1923       No Noise 
 
1923       July Days 
 
1923       Lodge Night 
 
1923       Dogs of War 
 
1923       Back Stage 
 
1923       Giants vs. Yanks 
 
1923       Boys to Board

1923       A Pleasant Journey 
 
1923       The Big Show 
 
1923       The Cobbler 
 
1923       The Champeen 
 
1923       Christmas 
 
1922       A Quiet Street 
 
1922       Saturday Morning 
 
1922       Young Sherlocks

1922       Our Gang 
 
1922       Ginger Face 
 
1922       Fire Fighters 
 
1922       One Terrible Day 
 
1922       The Sleuth 
 
1922       Many Happy Returns 
 
1922       The Non-Skid Kid 
 
1922       Full o' Pep

1922       Stand Pat 
 
1922       High Tide 
 
1922       Penrod 
 
1922       Rich Man, Poor Man 
 
1922       Loose Change

1922       Try, Try Again 
 
1921       The Pickaninny 
 
1921       Sweet By and By 
 
1921       The Chink 
 
1921       At the Ringside

1921       High Rollers 
 
1921       Big Game 
 
1921       No Children 
 
1921       Bubbling Over 
 
1921       Rush Orders 

1921       Fellow Romans 
 
1921       Make It Snappy 
 
1921       Open Another Bottle 
 
1921       Pinning It On 
 
1921       Whirl o' the West 
 
1921       The Morning After 
 
1920       Number, Please? 
 
1920       Park Your Car

1920       Cash Customers

1920       Insulting the Sultan

1920       When the Wind Blows 
 
1920       Fellow Citizens 
 
1920       Doing Time 
 
1920       Rock-a-Bye Baby 
 
1920       Go As You Please 
 
1920       Get Out and Get Under 
 
1920       Money to Burn 
 
1920       Run 'Em Ragged 
 
1920       Call a Taxi 
 
1920       The Home Stretch 
 
1920       You're Pinched 
 
1920       Don't Rock the Boat 
 
1920       Any Old Port 
 
1920       All Dressed Up 
 
1920       Nearly a Maid 
 
1920       Drink Hearty 
 
1920       Trotting Through Turkey 
 
1920       Cracked Wedding Bells 
 
1920       Find the Girl 
 
1920       The Dinner Hour

1920       Cut the Cards 
 
1920       Haunted Spooks 
 
1920       Raise the Rent 
 
1920       Waltz Me Around 
 
1920       Getting His Goat 
 
1920       All Lit Up 
 
1920       The Dippy Dentist

1920       Why Go Home? 
 
1920       Red Hot Hottentotts

1919       The Floor Below 
 
1919       Tough Luck 

1919       Giving the Bride Away 
 
1919       Call for Mr. Caveman 
 
1919       Start Something 
 
1919       Baby Marie's Round-Up 
 
1919       The Little Diplomat 
 
1919       Peggy Does Her Darndest 
 
1918       Dolly's Vacation 
 
1918       Winning Grandma 
 
1918       Dolly Does Her Bit 
 
1918       Milady o' the Beanstalk 
 
1916       The Soul of a Child