Author: Rochester" Anderson, Edmund Lincoln (1905-1977). African-American comedian and actor known as "Rochester" to early radio and television audiences.
Title: Autograph. Signed "Rochester" by the American Comedian and Actor on a Card.
Description: - The American comedian's autograph signed "Rochester" in purple ink on on 3-1/4 inch high by 2-3/4 card stock clipped from a postcard. The image of a pier is printed in color on the verso. Very good.

The African-American comedian and actor Edmund Lincoln Anderson (1905-1977) was known as "Rochester" to early radio and television audiences. After starting his show business career on vaudeville, Anderson went on to play the character of Jack Benny's valet Rochester van Jones, known as "Rochester" on The Jack Benny Program broadcast on NBC radio. He was the first African-American to have a role on nationwide radio and continued in the role when the show moved to television in 1950. Although the portrayals were initially racist, as most depictions of African-Americans were during this period, the tone changed following World War II, possibly as the horrors of the Holocaust were revealed, and Jack Benny and his writers made conscious effort to remove stereotypical aspects from Rochester's character. Very good .

Keywords: THEATRE; RADIO; TELEVISION; THEATER; STAGE; VOICE OVER; EDMUND LINCOLN ANDERSON; ROCHESTER; JACK BENNY PROGRAM; DOC BENNY'S MINSTREL SHOW; AUTOGRAPH; TWENTIETH CENTURY; 20TH CENTURY; SIGNATURE; SIGNED; CARD; ACTOR; COMEDIAN; AFRICAN-AMERICAN; BLACK ST

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