Hannah Washington

Hannah Washington was a former child actor who was active in Hollywood during the 1920s and 1930s.[1][2] A fixture in short comedies — often as a character named Oatmeal — she was one of the few Black child actors in movies at the time.[3][4] She also had roles in 1933's King Kong and 1935's The Littlest Rebel, where she appeared alongside Shirley Temple.[5][6]

Hannah Washington
Born
Hannah C. Washington

October 6, 1923
Los Angeles, California, USA
DiedJanuary 15, 1990 (aged 66)
Los Angeles, California, USA
OccupationChild actor
RelativesMildred Washington (aunt)

Biography

Hannah was born in Los Angeles, California, to Robert Washington and Fannie Ford; her aunt was actress and dancer Mildred Washington. Her first known on-screen appearance was in 1926's Sea Horses; her parents were also extras on several of her older films.[7] She was signed as a toddler by Sunset Studios in 1927 to a contract to appear in comedies.[4] She appears to have returned from acting around 1935; she later married and had a son.

Select filmography

References
  1. Warner, Wade (26 Feb 1928). "Behind the Scenes". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  2. "Negro Child Acts in Uncle Tom's Cabbage". The Miami Herald. 5 Feb 1927. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  3. ""Oatmeal" Cause of Court Contest". The Los Angeles Times. 14 Apr 1928. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  4. "Hannah Washington in "Us Bunch" Comedies". The Pittsburgh Courier. 29 Jan 1927. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  5. Staff, America Film Institute; Institute, American Film; Afi, American Film (1997). Within Our Gates: Ethnicity in American Feature Films, 1911-1960. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-20964-0.
  6. Clark, Alexis. "How the History of Blackface Is Rooted in Racism". HISTORY. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  7. "Both Are 3 But Fail to Agree". The Sacramento Bee. 22 Jan 1927. Retrieved 2021-09-01.


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