Editing Stepin Fetchit (section)

==Film career==
[[File:Stepin Fetchit-Chubby Johnson in Bend of the River.jpg|thumb|right|Stepin Fetchit and [[Chubby Johnson]] in ''[[Bend of the River]]'' (1952)]]
Perry played comic-relief roles in a number of films, all based on his character known as the "Laziest Man in the World". In his personal life, he was highly literate and had a concurrent career writing for ''[[The Chicago Defender]]''. He signed a five-year studio contract following his performance in the film, ''[[In Old Kentucky (1927 film)|In Old Kentucky]]'' (1927). The film's plot included a romantic connection between Perry and actress [[Carolynne Snowden]],<ref name="CS1">{{cite web|url=http://www.blackpast.org/aah/snowden-carolynne-1900-1985|title=Snowden, Carolynne (1900-1985) - The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed|website=Blackpast.org|date=December 13, 2007 |access-date=June 1, 2017}}</ref> a subplot that was a rarity for black actors appearing in a white film during this era.<ref>Ely, Melvin Patrick, The Adventures of Amos 'N' Andy: A Social History of an American Phenomenon, Macmillan Free Press, 1991, pp. 100–101.</ref> Perry also starred in ''[[Hearts in Dixie (movie)|Hearts in Dixie]]'' (1929), one of the first studio productions to boast a predominantly black cast.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hall |first=Mordaunt |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9F06E1D7153EE33ABC4051DFB4668382639EDE |title=Hearts in Dixie (1929) |newspaper=New York Times |date=February 28, 1929 |access-date=October 14, 2011}}</ref>

[[Jules Bledsoe]] provided Perry's singing voice for his role as Joe in the 1929 version of ''[[Show Boat (1929 film)|Show Boat]]''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hall |first=Mordaunt |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=990DEED81430E33ABC4052DFB2668382639EDE |title=Showboat (1929) |newspaper=New York Times |date=April 18, 1929 |access-date=October 14, 2011}}</ref> Fetchit did not sing "[[Ol' Man River]]", but he did sing "The Lonesome Road" in the film. In 1930, [[Hal Roach]] signed him to a film contract to appear in nine ''[[Our Gang]]'' episodes in 1930 and 1931.  However, his only appearance in the series was in ''[[A Tough Winter]]''. Perry's contract was canceled for unknown reasons after its release.

Perry was good friends with fellow comic actor [[Will Rogers]].<ref name="Lamparski" /> They appeared together in ''[[David Harum (1934 film)|David Harum]]'' (1934), ''[[Judge Priest]]'' (1934), ''[[Steamboat 'Round the Bend]]'' (1935), and ''[[The County Chairman (1935 film)|The County Chairman]]'' (1935).
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Tough winter fetchit.JPEG|right|250px|thumb|Fetchit (far right) as he appeared in the ''[[Our Gang]]'' comedy ''[[A Tough Winter]]''.]] -->

By the mid-1930s, Perry was the first black actor to become a millionaire.<ref name="npr" /> He appeared in 44 films between 1927 and 1939. In 1940, Perry temporarily stopped appearing in films, having been frustrated by his unsuccessful attempt to get equal pay and billing with his white costars.<ref name="npr" /> He returned in 1945, in part due to financial need, though he only appeared in eight films between 1945 and 1953. He declared bankruptcy in 1947, stating assets of $146.<ref name="Lamparski" /> He returned to vaudeville; he appeared at the Anderson Free Fair in 1949 alongside Singer's Midgets.<ref name="Inc.1949">{{cite magazine|title=16 Rides, 17 Shows Listed At Anderson|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RA4EAAAAMBAJ&q=%22stepin+fetchit%22+billboard&pg=PT64|date=July 16, 1949|magazine=Billboard|page=65|issn=0006-2510}}</ref> He became a friend of heavyweight boxing champion [[Muhammad Ali]] in the 1960s,<ref name="Lamparski" /> allegedly converting to the Nation of Islam shortly before.<ref name=":2" /> (Other sources have said he was a lifelong [[Catholic Church|Catholic]];<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |last=Bird |first=John |date=2006 |editor-last=Watkins |editor-first=Mel |title=The Life and Times of Stepin Fetchit |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/42573708 |journal=Studies in American Humor |issue=14 |pages=139–144 |jstor=42573708 |issn=0095-280X}}</ref> he was buried at [[Calvary Cemetery (Los Angeles)|Calvary Cemetery]], a Catholic institution in Los Angeles.)

After 1953, Perry appeared in cameos in the made-for-television movie ''Cutter'' (1972) and the feature films ''[[Amazing Grace (1974 film)|Amazing Grace]]'' (1974) and ''[[Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood]]'' (1976).<ref>Clark, Champ (2005). Shuffling to Ignominy: The Tragedy of Stepin Fetchit. iUniverse. pp. 124, 126, 132. {{ISBN|0-595-37125-6}}.</ref> He found himself in conflict during his career with civil rights leaders who criticized him personally for the film roles that he portrayed. In 1968, CBS aired the hour-long documentary ''[[Of Black America|Black History: Lost, Stolen, or Strayed]]'', written by [[Andy Rooney]] (for which Rooney received an Emmy Award)<ref name=rooney>{{cite news | title = Andy Rooney | work = [[CBS News]]| date = September 21, 2005 | url = https://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1998/07/08/60minutes/main13495.shtml | access-date = October 28, 2008 | url-status=dead| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081018174703/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1998/07/08/60minutes/main13495.shtml| archive-date= October 18, 2008 <!--DASHBot-->}}</ref> and narrated by [[Bill Cosby]], which criticized the depiction of black people in American film, and especially singled out Stepin Fetchit for criticism. After the show aired, Perry unsuccessfully sued CBS and the documentary's producers for defamation of character.<ref name="npr"/>{{failed verification|date=May 2023}}