James Baskett made history on March 20, 1948 when he was given an honorary Academy Award for his role as Uncle Remus in the 1946 film, Song Of The South.The achievement was sadly short-lived as the actor passed just months after his feat.
Baskett was born February 16, 1904 in Indianapolis, Ind. Although he intended to become a pharmacist, Baskett caught the acting bug in Chicago and then traveled to New York to hone his craft with the Lafayette Players Stock Company.
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Theater and film roles began to roll in, including a long-standing role as lawyer Gabby Gibson on the Amos ‘N’ Andy radio show. He is best remembered for his role as the affable storyteller Uncle Remus, which garnered criticism then and now due to racist themes and stereotypes.
