James Wall (actor)

Born in Wilmington, North Carolina, and raised there and in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, New York, Wall was the younger of two sons born to Elizabeth Davis and Ballie W. Wall Sr., a barber.{{Cite news|title=Comedian Jimmy Wall CBS-TV Stage Manager|author=|date=March 17, 1973|work=New York Amsterdam News|page=C7|quote=|id={{ProQuest|226560657}}}}"United States, Census, 1930", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X3QD-XF5 : Tue Jan 14 06:40:15 UTC 2025), Entry for Ballie W Wall and Elizabeth M Wall, 1930. He attended Alexander Hamilton High School, NYU,Matthews, Leslie (September 13, 1952). [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-new-york-age/164680688/ "Bronx Limited"]. The New York Age. p. 25. Retrieved February 4, 2025. and Columbia University.

A communications major who had mastered French, Spanish, Portuguese, Yiddish, and Russian, Wall later said he first felt the urge to perform while serving in the United States Army during World War II, where he rose to the rank of master sergeant.[https://www.newspapers.com/image/1134806721/?clipping_id=164683524 "GI Stage Show Touring Britain"]. The Afro-American. July 22, 1944. p. 8. Retrieved February 4, 2025.

Having performed on radio, theater, and in the Army during World War II, Wall worked as both actor and stage manager on Broadway before being hired as the stage manager for the children's television series Captain Kangaroo by CBS in 1962.[https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/james-e-wall-107675 "James E. Wall Credits"]. Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved February 4, 2025.Robinson, Major (July 14, 1955). [https://books.google.com/books?id=zrEDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA65&dq=%22Jimmy+Wall%22 "New York Beat"]. Jet. p. 65. Retrieved February 4, 2025. Two years later, he portrayed a stage manager in "The Lost Lady Blues", the next-to-last episode of the short-lived CBS series, The Reporter.[https://books.google.com/books?id=xMADAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA64&dq=%22Jimmy+Wall%22 "New York Beat"]. Jet. December 24, 1964. p. 64. Retrieved February 4, 2025. In an interview clip that aired on the October 28, 2010, CBS Evening News, Wall recalled how he made the case to Kangaroos producers for an African-American character. However, he still had to audition for the role which became Mr. Baxter', a teacher and Captain Kangaroo's neighbor.[http://www.honoraryunsubscribe.com/james_e._wall.html James E. Wall] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170227164945/http://honoraryunsubscribe.com/james_e._wall.html |date=2017-02-27 }} at Honorary Unsubscribe Wall joined the cast in 1968, remaining with the show until 1979; he made a guest appearance in 1981. He was also the stage manager for 41 consecutive years on the US Open Tennis Championships telecasts.

Wall was presented with the Directors Guild of America's Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award in 1994. He continued to work for CBS in semi-retirement until 2009.

From at least 1950 through 1958, Wall was married to Verine Franklin.[https://books.google.com/books?id=FLcDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA43&dq=%22Jimmy+Wall%22 "People Are Talking About..."]. Jet. February 27, 1958. p. 43. Retrieved February 4, 2025."United States, Census, 1950", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XR4-3YH2 : Thu Oct 05 00:40:38 UTC 2023), Entry for James Wall and Verine Wall, 1 May 1950.

On October 27, 2010, at age 92, Wall died in his sleep at his Manhattan home.

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• {{IMDb name|0908413|James E. Wall}}
• {{IBDB name|107675|James E. Wall}}

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Category:1917 births

Category:2010 deaths

Category:Actors from Wilmington, North Carolina

Category:Male actors from North Carolina

Category:United States Army personnel of World War II

Category:African-American radio personalities

Category:American male television actors

Category:20th-century African-American male actors

Category:20th-century American male actors

Category:21st-century African-American male actors

Category:21st-century American male actors