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Willis P. Sweatnam

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Willis P. Sweatnam

Willis Palmer Sweatnam, Sr. (1854 - November 25, 1930) was a Broadway show actor and minstrel show performer.[1]

Biography

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He was born in Zanesville, Ohio, in 1854. He had a son, Willis Palmer Sweatnam, Jr. (1887-?)

When down on his luck in 1903, George Ade created a blackface role for Sweatnam in his new play The County Chairman, and Sweatnam proved to be one of the stars of the show.[2]

He died on November 25, 1930, at the Lambs Club.[3]

References

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  1. ^ Anthony, Walter (10 March 1912). A Minstrel and an Actor: Some Reflectionson the Past and Future of Willis P. Sweatnam, The San Francisco Call
  2. ^ Coyle, Lee. George Ade: A Critical Study, p. 70 (1964)
  3. ^ "Willis Sweatnam Dies". New York Times. November 26, 1930. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
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