Gordon Heath
| Gordon Heath | |
|---|---|
| Born |
September 20, 1918 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died |
August 27, 1991 (aged 72) Paris, France |
| Occupation | Actor, musician, café owner |
| Years active | 1953-1989 |
Gordon Heath (September 20, 1918 – August 27, 1991) was an African-American actor and musician who narrated the animated feature film Animal Farm (1954) and appeared in the title role of The Emperor Jones (1953) and Othello (1955), both live BBC telecasts, respectively directed by Alvin Rakoff and Tony Richardson.
He and music and business partner, Lee Payant, operated a Left Bank café in Paris, France, called L'Abbaye where many of the duo's folk albums were recorded and released on various international labels including Elektra Records. Payant died on December 14, 1976.
Heath died in Paris after a lengthy illness on August 27, 1991.[1]
Select filmography
- The Emperor Jones (TV 1953)
- BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (TV series 1950–1954)
- Animal Farm (1954)
- Mr. Arkadin (1955)
- Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion (TV series 1955)
- Heroes and Sinners (1955)
- Othello (TV 1955)
- Le secret de soeur Angèle (1956)
- Man of Africa (1956)
- Storm Over Jamaica (1958)
- Sapphire (1959)
- My Baby Is Black! (1961)
- My Uncle from Texas (1962)
- Lost Command (1966)
- Staircase (1969)
- The Madwoman of Chaillot (1969)
- La nuit Bulgare (1972)
- L'aventure, c'est l'aventure (1972)
- L'africain (1983)
- Asterix Versus Caesar (1985)
- Asterix in Britain (1986)
- Samuel Fuller's Street of No Return (1989)
Select discography
- Gordon Heath and Lee Payant Sing Songs of the Abbaye ‒ Elektra (1954)
- Gordon Heath and Lee Payant Sing Encores from the Abbaye ‒ Elektra (1955)
- An Evening at L'Abbaye – Elektra (1957)
References
- ↑ Eleanor Blau (August 31, 1991). "Gordon Heath, 72; Co-Starred in Play 'Dweep are the Roots'". The New York Times. Retrieved July 14, 2010.
Bibliography
- Bourne, Stephen. "Heath, Gordon." Who's Who in Contemporary Gay & Lesbian History from World War II to the Present Day. Robert Aldrich and Garry Wotherspoon, eds. London and New York: Routledge, 2001. 183.
- Breman, Paul. "Obituary: Gordon Heath." The Independent (London) (September 13, 1991): 26.
- Heath, Gordon. Deep Are the Roots: Memoirs of a Black Expatriate. Amherst: The University of Massachusetts Press, 1992.
- Shipman, David. "Obituary: Gordon Heath." The Independent (London) (September 2, 1991): 21.
External links
- Gordon Heath on lgbtq.com
- Gordon Heath at the Internet Movie Database
- Illustrated Gordon Heath & Lee Payant discography
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