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Showing posts from July 17, 2024

Blacks in Blackface: Johnny Lee

  John D. Lee Jr. 1898-1965 "Johnny Lee" "John Dotson Lee Jr."     John D. Lee Jr. aka "Johnnie Lee" began in show business as a dancer. Johnny did the voice of Br'er Rabbit in the Walt Disney film Song of the South (1946).  He had featured roles in Come On, Cowboy! (1948) and She's Too Mean for Me (1948). Johnny Lee played a stuttering bill collector in the 1948 film, Boarding House Blues. Johnny Lee made a record that was released in July 1949 called "You Can't Lose A Broken Heart". He is credited as "Johnnie Lee" and the backup vocals were by The Ebonaires. Johnny also starred in an all black musical comedy called Sugar Hill in 1949 at Las Palmas Theatre in California. Johnny Lee as Algonquin J. Calhoun Johnny Lee is best known as the shyster lawyer Algo...