{"id":2984,"date":"2011-02-04T22:13:48","date_gmt":"2011-02-05T04:13:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.greatdetectives.net\/detectives\/?p=2984"},"modified":"2011-03-29T00:00:42","modified_gmt":"2011-03-29T06:00:42","slug":"triumph-of-eddie-anderson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greatdetectives.net\/detectives\/triumph-of-eddie-anderson\/","title":{"rendered":"The Triumph of Rochester"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Eddie<\/p>\n

There are no small parts, only small actors.-Milan Kundera<\/em><\/div>\n

During Hollywood’s Golden Age, Black actors who made it to Hollywood found themselves playing\u00a0 the same old stereotypical roles the same old way<\/p>\n

Yet, even during Segregation, a few Black performers managed to make a connection to a wider public. None did this better than Eddie “Rochester” Anderson.<\/p>\n

Anderson was born into show business and active in Vaudeville.\u00a0 His big break in radio came in 1937 when he landed what was to be a one-shot performance on the Jack Benny show, but would instead start an association with Benny that would last for nearly 30 years in the role of Rochester. While Rochester was Benny’s valet, Anderson portrayal moved away from stereotypes to create one of the golden age’s most memorable characters.<\/p>\n

Anderson became a popular regular on the Jack Benny show, with his entrances always drawing tremendous applause as seen in this 1942 video of a radio recording session:<\/p>\n

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Rochester may have been a valet, but Anderson made the character iconic and memorable with his style and perfect pitch comic timing as seen in this 1957 clip of the Jack Benny TV show.<\/p>\n