April 11 - Roscoe Lee Browne

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On this day, in 2007, Roscoe Lee Browne passed away in Los Angeles, California. Roscoe was born on May 2, 1922 in Woodbury, New Jersey (although some sources say it was 1925, Roscoe went on record at least once with the 1922 date). The fourth son of a Baptist preacher, he earned a bachelor’s degree at Lincoln University in Oxford, Pennsylvania. He served in the United States Army’s 92^nd Infantry Division during World War II, spending most of his tour in Italy. As an amateur runner, Roscoe helped organize the division’s track and field team. After an honorable discharge following the end of the war, he continued his studies at Middlebury College in Vermont and Columbia University in New York City. While he worked on his Master’s degree, he also managed to win the Amateur Athletic Union’s 1000-yard national indoor championship. Twice. From 1946 through the early Fifties, Roscoe moonlighted as a professor at his alma mater, Lincoln University, while at the same time earning a living as a wine salesman for Schenley Import Corporation. I’m not sure how he did that as they mostly dealt in bourbon, but maybe that made his next career move that much easier.

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In 1954, Joseph Papp decided New York City needed its own Shakespeare Festival and began advertising auditions. Roscoe heard about the idea and, since he both studied and taught comparative literature (and was presumably tired of shilling booze), decided he should be a part of it. His friends all decided he was crazy to leave a steady job for the world of the theater. He did it anyways. That first season of what eventually became known as Shakespeare in the Park, Roscoe landed the roles of soothsayer and Pindarus in Julius Caesar. That cemented the end of his steady salesman career and the beginning of a steady stage career.

Roscoe continued working with the Shakespeare Festival Theater and demand quickly grew for his deep, rich voice. His first film role came in 1961, as the off-screen camera man in the experimental movie The Conncection. He appeared in 30 films over the next 35 years and lent his voice to dozens more. Highlights from his big screen career include The Cowboys with John Wayne, Logan’s Run, Jumpin’ Jack Flash with Whoopie Goldberg, and both of the Babe movies (he’s the narrator). Even with such an impressive resume on film, it’s his television career that really made him a household face, if not necessarily a household name.

Roscoe’s first gig on the small screen was as a regular cast member for the 1964 satirical show That Was the Week That Was. A largely lost show (only audio recordings exist of most of its episodes), TW3, as it’s sometimes abbreviated, boasted a large rotating cast including Henry Fonda, Alan Alda, Henry Morgan, Gene Hackman, Woody Allen and Steve Allen. From there the sky was the limit for Roscoe. He guest starred on everything from Mannix to All in the Family to Soap to Law and Order. He also continued doing voice over work on shows like The Real Ghostbusters, Batman: The Animated Series and The Wild Thornberrys. Along the way he earned an Emmy nomination for his appearance on Barney Miller in 1976, an Emmy win for The Cosby Show in 1986, a Soap Opera Digest Award nomination for Falcon Crest in 1989 and a Daytime Emmy nomination for Spider-Man in 1995.

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Roscoe tried his best not to take on the kind of stereotypical roles traditionally offered to black actors and mostly succeeded. When he couldn’t find the parts he wanted, he created them himself. In 1966, he wrote and directed A Hand Is on the Gate, which was produced off-Broadway and starred Cicely Tyson and James Earl Jones. Later he toured the country with Anthony Zerbe, doing a two-man show consisting of comedy bits and poetry written by Roscoe. But his biggest theatrical successes over the decades came when he took roles in the plays of August Wilson, which earned him a Tony nomination in 1992 for Two Trains Running. His smooth voice and perfect diction didn’t always serve him well, though his humor did. During the run of Two Trains, he was accused of having “too white” a voice. His reply? I’m so sorry, I had a white maid once.

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Roscoe joined the Disney family in 1973 when he was cast as Gazenga in The World’s Greatest Athlete. His next contribution wasn’t part of Disneyana at the time, but is now. In 1977, he was asked to narrate a record presenting an abridged version of a movie popular that year directed by George Lucas. The result was The Story of Star Wars and it allowed Roscoe to check 'be on a gold record' off his list. Eleven years later, he provided the voice of Francis in Oliver and Company. Roscoe's final role for the Mouse was as Mr. Arrow in 2002's Treasure Planet.

Roscoe continued to steadily work right up to the end of his life, never giving a second thought to his friends worries about his career. His final performances, on both television and film, premiered after his passing. For all his contributions to the world of theater, Roscoe had been inducted into the Black Filmmaker's Hall of Fame in 1977 and was posthumously included in the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2008.