Ernie Morrison

Ernest "Ernie" Fredric Morrison (December 20, 1912 – July 24, 1989) was an American child actor who performed under the stage name "Sunshine Sammy". Morrison was the only black member of the East Side Kids, and was also an original Our Gang kid, a sidekick to Harold Lloyd and Snub Pollard, a silent screen comedian, a vaudevillian, and a dancer and band leader. Born in 1912 in New Orleans, Morrison fell into show business because a child actor bei... more

Ernest "Ernie" Fredric Morrison (December 20, 1912 – July 24, 1989) was an American child actor who performed under the stage name "Sunshine Sammy". Morrison was the only black member of the East Side Kids, and was also an original Our Gang kid, a sidekick to Harold Lloyd and Snub Pollard, a silent screen comedian, a vaudevillian, and a dancer and band leader. Born in 1912 in New Orleans, Morrison fell into show business because a child actor being used for a film couldn't be persuaded to do anything but howl. One of the crew members asked Morrison's father to bring in his newborn son, and since the newest member of the Morrison clan gave the film crew what they needed, they decided to christen him "Sunshine", since he did not cry. Morrison's father added "Sammy" to his son's moniker. Morrison ultimately appeared in two-reel silent comedies opposite both Harold Lloyd and Snub Pollard, two of the era's biggest comedians. He was the first black actor to be signed to a long-term contract... less