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John Larkin was an African-American stage and screen performer, as well as songwriter, whose acting career extended nearly four decades — from the late 1890s through his last acting roles in the five films released the year of his death. A scrapbook preserved at Atlanta's Emory University indicates that "he was billed as "The Rajah of Mirth" and "The Funniest Colored Comedian in the World".
Birth Name
John Larkin Smith
Born
Sunday, 25 November 1877
Died
Wednesday, 18 March 1936
Actor Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| The Green Pastures | Sexton | 1936 |
| Hearts Divided | Isham | 1936 |
| Frankie and Johnnie | Andy | 1936 |
| The Great Ziegfeld | Sam | 1936 |
| The Trail of the Lonesome Pine | Ebony | 1936 |
| Broadway Hostess | Mose | 1935 |
| Diamond Jim | Butler | 1935 |
| Pursuit | Deacon | 1935 |
| So Red the Rose | Cato's Companion | 1935 |
| Mississippi | Rumbo | 1935 |
Actor Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| The Green Pastures | Sexton | 1936 |
| Hearts Divided | Isham | 1936 |
| Frankie and Johnnie | Andy | 1936 |
| The Great Ziegfeld | Sam | 1936 |
| The Trail of the Lonesome Pine | Ebony | 1936 |
| Broadway Hostess | Mose | 1935 |
| Diamond Jim | Butler | 1935 |
| Pursuit | Deacon | 1935 |
| So Red the Rose | Cato's Companion | 1935 |
| Mississippi | Rumbo | 1935 |
| The Secret Bride | Janitor | 1934 |
| Kentucky Kernels | Jackson - Wakefield's Servant | 1934 |
| Operator 13 | Slave Fishing for Codfish | 1934 |
| The Thin Man | Porter | 1934 |
| The Witching Hour | Clarence - Brookfield's Butler | 1934 |
| Lazy River | Negro at Jockey Club | 1934 |
| Bedside | Train Porter | 1934 |
| Day of Reckoning | Abraham | 1933 |
| Ann Vickers | Black Trusty | 1933 |
| Stage Mother | The Porter | 1933 |
| This Day and Age | Shoeshine Man | 1933 |
| Bed of Roses | Black Man Meeting Released Prisoner | 1933 |
| Black Beauty | Eph | 1933 |
| Gabriel Over the White House | Sebastian - Valet | 1933 |
| The Great Jasper | Chippy | 1933 |
| Lawyer Man | Tony's Butler | 1932 |
| Washington Merry-Go-Round | Train Conductor with Telegram | 1932 |
| Crooner | Men's Room Attendant | 1932 |
| Love Is a Racket | Tod - Jimmy's Elevator Operator | 1932 |
| Street of Women | Waiter with Food at Skyscraper | 1932 |
| The Tenderfoot | Depot Porter | 1932 |
| So Big! | Jeff, the Black Waiter | 1932 |
| Lena Rivers | Lucifer 'Lucy' Jones / Lucifer Jones | 1932 |
| The Wet Parade | Moses | 1932 |
| Union Depot | Porter with Ticket for Ruth | 1932 |
| Men of Chance | Black Horse Handler | 1932 |
| Emma | Train Station Porter | 1932 |
| Alexander Hamilton | Zekial | 1931 |
| Sporting Blood | Uncle Ben | 1931 |
| Stranger in Town | Jed | 1931 |
| Gold Dust Gertie | Black Waiter Aboard Yacht | 1931 |
| Smart Money | Snake Eyes - Porter | 1931 |
| The Prodigal | Andrew Jackson Jones | 1931 |
| Man to Man | Bildad | 1930 |
Director Filmography
| Title | Year |
|---|
