Sam Baker (actor)
Sam Baker (Taylor, Indiana; 7 May 1907– Abilene, Kansas; 8 May 1982), born Samuel D. Baker, was an American actor who usually performed with Rudolph Valentino, Ramon Novarro, Harold Lloyd and Charlie Chaplin.[1]
Sam Baker | |
|---|---|
 Sam Baker as Hugo in The Lost City (1935) | |
| Born | 7 May 1907 Taylor, Indiana, United States |
| Died | 8 May 1982 (aged 75) Abilene, Kansas, United States |
| Occupation | Actor |
This Indiana-born actor played the Link in the film The Missing Link (1927), whose imposing presence combined with the era's casual racism and its attendant limitations, made him a natural for early jungle flicks.[2] His most easily recalled role may have been Hugo in Sherman S. Krellberg's notorious serial The Lost City (1935).[2] His most memorable role was Queequeg in The Sea Beast (1926).[2]
Baker's filmography is brief, as the sound era saw him move quickly from featured roles as African chieftains to bits as black convicts.[2] His first screen appearance was in a genre project: he was the sworder in Douglas Fairbanks' The Thief of Bagdad (1924).[3] In John Barrymore's The Sea Beast, a silent Moby Dick, he played Queequeg. In the sound remake of The Island of Lost Ships (1929), he played himself and received the smallest mention.[2]
He died in Abilene, Kansas, in early May 1982.[2]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1924 | The Thief of Bagdad | Sworder | Uncredited |
| 1926 | The Sea Beast | Queequeeq | |
| 1926 | The Road to Mandalay | Minor Role | Uncredited |
| 1927 | The Missing Link | The Missing Link | |
| 1929 | The Far Call | Tubal | |
| 1929 | The Isle of Lost Ships | Native Tribeman | |
| 1931 | Women of All Nations | Chief Eunuch | Uncredited |
| 1932 | Jungle Mystery | Zungu | Serial |
| 1933 | King of the Jungle | Gwana | |
| 1934 | Drums O' Voodoo | ||
| 1935 | Under Pressure | Iron Man | Uncredited |
| 1935 | The Lost City | Hugo | Serial |
| 1935 | Les Misérables | Black Convict | Uncredited |
| 1935 | Public Hero ﹟1 | Mose Jones | |
| 1935 | Steamboat Round the Bend | Minor Role | Uncredited, (final film role) |
References
- Bogle, Donald (19 February 2009). Bright Boulevards, Bold Dreams: The Story of Black Hollywood. Random House Publishing Group. p. 66. ISBN 9780307514936.
- Soister, Nicolella & Joyce 2013, p. 399.
- Soister, Nicolella & Joyce 2013, p. 559.
Bibliography
- Soister, John T.; Nicolella, Henry; Joyce, Steve (31 January 2013). American Silent Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Feature Films, 1913–1929. McFarland Publishing. p. 830. ISBN 9780786487905.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
