SCATMAN CROTHERS BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:
 
Scatman Crothers was born on May 23rd, 1910 in Terre Haute, Indiana with the birth name Benjamin Sherman Crothers.  He became a well known song writer, composer, singer, guitarist, comedian and actor who first got involved in entertaining following high school.

He began with performing live at a number of nightclubs and hotels later adding to his resume television and film roles.  He also recorded a variety of records and composed such songs as, "The Gal Looks Good", "Nobody Knows Why", "I Was There", "A Man's Gotta Eat" and "When, Oh When".

Crothers earned his nickname, Scatman when he auditioned for a 1932 radio show.  His career in entertainment continued for many years as a singer until 1953 when he debuted on the film, "Meet Me at the Fair" starring with Dan Dailey, Diana Lynn, Chet Allen, Rhys Williams, George Chandler, Hugh O'Brian and Russell Simpson.   

Some of his more well known film roles included, "The King of Marvin Gardens" (1972) starring Jack Nicholson, Bruce Dern and Ellen Burstyn, "The Fortune" (1975), "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975) starring Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, Will Sampson and Louise Fletcher and "The Shining" (1980) starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd and Barry Nelson. 

He reached a whole new level of popularity when he was cast on the television show, "Chico and the Man" (1974-1978) portraying Louie the Garbage Man and starring Freddie Prinze, Jack Albertson and Della Reese.  Other television credits included, "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", "Dragnet 1967", "The Adventures of Jim Bowie", "Bewitched", "Adam-12", "Ironside", "Kojak", "Mannix", "The Odd Couple", "Roots", "Bonanza", "Laverne and Shirley", "One of the Boys", "It Takes Two", "Taxi" and "The Love Boat" among many others.

He never neglected film roles throughout his career and as his popularity increased so did the level of roles he received appearing in such features as, "Silver Streak" (1976) starring alongside Gene Wilder, Jill Clayburgh, and Richard Pryor, with Patrick McGoohan, Ray Walston, Clifton James and Ned Beatty, "The Shootist" (1976) starring John Wayne, Lauren Bacall, Ron Howard, Richard Boone, James Stewart, Hugh O'Brian, Sheree North, John Carradine and Harry Morgan, "Bronco Billy" (1980) starring Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Geoffrey Lewis, Sam Bottoms, Bill McKinney, Hank Worden, Woodrow Parfrey, Beverlee McKinsey and Merle Haggard, "Zapped!" (1982) starring Scott Baio, Willie Aames, Heather Thomas and Sue Ane Langdon, "Two of a Kind" (1983) starring John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Gene Hackman and Charles Durning and his final role was in 1987 doing voice over work for the feature film, "Rock Odyssey".

Scatman Crothers married only once in 1937 to Helen Crothers and they had one child together and remained married until he passed away on November 22nd, 1986 in Van Nuys, California after suffering from pneumonia and lung cancer.  His remains are interred at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood, California.

Filmography

1987         Rock Odyssey
1986         The Transformers: The Movie
1986         Morningstar/Eveningstar
1984-1986     The Transformers
1985         The Paper Chase
1985         The Journey of Natty Gann
1985         Matt Houston
1978-1984     The Love Boat
1984         Pryor's Place
1984         We Got It Made 
1984         Hill Street Blues
1983         Two of a Kind
1983         Hotel
1983         Casablanca
1983         Twilight Zone: The Movie
1983         Taxi 
1982         Jokebook
1982         Missing Children: A Mother's Story
1982         It Takes Two
1982         Deadly Eyes
1982         Zapped!
1982         One of the Boys 
1982         American Playhouse
1982         Benson
1981         The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island
1981         Magnum, P.I. 
1981         Revenge of the Gray Gang 
1980         NBC Special Treat 
1980         Bronco Billy
1980         The Shining
1980         Laverne & Shirley
1979         Banjo the Woodpile Cat
1979         Scavenger Hunt
1979         The Super Globetrotters
1979         The Incredible Hulk 
1978-1979     Vega$
1979         ABC Weekend Specials
1978         Flying High
1978         Charlie's Angels
1974-1978     Chico and the Man 
1978         The Cheap Detective
1978         Mean Dog Blues
1977         The Skatebirds
1977         C B Bears 
1977         Starsky and Hutch
1977         Scooby's Laff-A Lympics 
1977         Roots
1976         Silver Streak
1976         Chesty Anderson U.S. Navy
1976         The David Steinberg Show
1976         The Shootist
1976         Stay Hungry
1976         Petrocelli 
1975         Friday Foster
1975         One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1975         Coonskin
1975         Man on the Outside
1975         The Fortune
1975         Linda Lovelace for President
1975         Win, Place or Steal
1975         Sanford and Son 
1974         Hong Kong Phooey
1974         The Odd Couple
1974         Mannix 
1974         McMillan & Wife
1974         Kolchak: The Night Stalker
1974         The Sty of the Blind Pig
1974         Toma
1974         Truck Turner
1974         Black Belt Jones
1973         Griff 
1973         Ironside 
1973         Kojak 
1973         The New Temperatures Rising Show
1972-1974     The New Scooby-Doo Movies
1973         Slaughter's Big Rip-Off
1973         Detroit 9000
1972         Adam-12
1969-1972     Love, American Style
1972         Lady Sings the Blues
1972         The King of Marvin Gardens
1972         The Lorax 
1972         Nichols
1971         Bewitched
1971         The Good Life
1971         Chandler
1970         The AristoCats
1970         The Governor & J.J. 
1970         Barefoot in the Park 
1970         The Great White Hope
1970         Harlem Globe Trotters
1970         Bloody Mama
1969         Hello, Dolly!
1969         Hook, Line and Sinker
1967         Dragnet 1967 
1966         Alvarez Kelly
1966         Three on a Couch
1965         The Family Jewels
1964         The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo
1964         The Patsy
1964         Lady in a Cage
1961         Bonanza
1961         The Sins of Rachel Cade
1959         Bourbon Street Beat 
1959         Matty's Funnies with Beany and Cecil 
1959         Alias Jesse James
1958         Alfred Hitchcock Presents 
1958         The Gift of Love
1958         Tarzan and the Trappers 
1957         The Adventures of Jim Bowie
1956         Between Heaven and Hell
1953         Walking My Baby Back Home
1953         East of Sumatra
1953         Lux Video Theatre 
1953         Meet Me at the Fair
1952         The Return of Gilbert & Sullivan
1952         The Colgate Comedy Hour 
1951         Yes Sir, Mr. Bones