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{{short description|American actor, director and producer}}
{{short description|American actor, director and producer (1930–1990)}}

{{use mdy dates|date=March 2016}}
{{use mdy dates|date=March 2016}}

{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
|name = Raymond St. Jacques
| name = Raymond St. Jacques
|image = Raymond St, Jacques Rawhide 1965.jpg{{!}}border
| image = Raymond St, Jacques Rawhide 1965.jpg{{!}}border
|caption = St. Jacques as Simon Blake in 1965
| caption = St. Jacques in ''[[Rawhide (TV series)|Rawhide]]'', 1965.
|birth_name = James Arthur Johnson
| birth_name = James Arthur Johnson
|birth_date ={{birth date|1930|3|1}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1930|3|1}}
|birth_place = [[Hartford, Connecticut]], U.S.
| birth_place = [[Hartford, Connecticut]], U.S.
|death_date ={{death date and age|1990|8|27|1930|3|1}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1990|8|27|1930|3|1}}
|death_place = [[Los Angeles]], California, U.S.
| death_place = [[Los Angeles, California]], U.S.
|resting_place = [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)|Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills]]
| resting_place = [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)|Forest Lawn Memorial Park]]<br><small>(Los Angeles, California)</small>
|education = [[Hillhouse High School]]
| education = [[Hillhouse High School]]
|alma_mater = [[Yale University]]
| alma_mater = [[Yale University]]
| years_active = 1959–1990
⚫
|occupation = Actor, director, producer
| known_for = ''[[Rawhide (TV series)|Rawhide]]'' (as Simon Blake)<br>Coffin Ed Johnson – ''[[Cotton Comes to Harlem]]'', ''[[Come Back, Charleston Blue]]''
| relatives = [[Sterling St. Jacques]] (son)
⚫
| occupation = {{hlist|Actor|director|producer}}
}}
}}


'''Raymond St. Jacques''' (March 1, 1930 – August 27, 1990) was an American actor, director and producer. He was the first African American actor to appear in a regular role on a western series, playing Simon Blake on ''[[Rawhide (TV series)|Rawhide]]''.
'''Raymond St. Jacques''' (born '''James Arthur Johnson'''; March 1, 1930 – August 27, 1990) was an American actor, director and producer whose career spanned over thirty years on stage, film and television. St. Jacques is noted as the first
African-American actor to appear in a regular role on a Western series. He portrayed Simon Blake on the eighth season of ''[[Rawhide (TV series)|Rawhide]]'' (1965–1966).

==Early life and education==
⚫
St. Jacques was born James Arthur Johnson in [[Hartford, Connecticut]]. He had a sister, Barbara Ann. Shortly after his birth, his parents divorced; he moved with his mother and sister to [[New Haven, Connecticut]].<ref name="flint">{{cite web|last1=Flint|first1=Peter B.|title=Raymond St. Jacques, an Actor Of TV and Films, Is Dead at 60|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/08/30/obituaries/raymond-st-jacques-an-actor-of-tv-and-films-is-dead-at-60.html|website=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=March 25, 2016|date=August 30, 1990}}</ref> St. Jacques' mother Vivienne later worked as a medical technician at [[Yale University]].


⚫
After graduating from [[Hillhouse High School]], St. Jacques attended Yale, where he studied drama and psychology.<ref name="flint"/> Upon graduation, he worked as an assistant director, actor and [[fencing]] instructor for the American Shakespearean Festival in New Haven. St. Jacques staged all of the fencing scenes and duels while at the company. He continued to practice fencing for the rest of his life.<ref name="baltimore">{{cite news|title=AFRO talks to...Director, Producer, Actor 'Book of Numbers' Raymond St. Jacques|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1715&dat=19730407&id=bbs9AAAAIBAJ&pg=1734,26486767&hl=en|work=Baltimore Afro-American|date=April 10, 1973|location=Baltimore, Maryland|page=14}}</ref>
==Early years==
⚫
[[File:John Ireland Raymond St.Jacques Rawhide 1965.JPG|thumb|St. Jacques (right) as Simon Blake with [[John Ireland (actor)|John Ireland]], 1965]]
⚫
St. Jacques was born '''James Arthur Johnson''' in [[Hartford, Connecticut]]. He had a sister, Barbara Ann. Shortly after his birth, his parents divorced; he moved with his mother and sister to [[New Haven, Connecticut]].<ref name="flint">{{cite web|last1=Flint|first1=Peter B.|title=Raymond St. Jacques, an Actor Of TV and Films, Is Dead at 60|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/08/30/obituaries/raymond-st-jacques-an-actor-of-tv-and-films-is-dead-at-60.html|website=nytimes.com|accessdate=March 25, 2016|date=August 30, 1990}}</ref> Johnson's mother Vivienne later worked as a medical technician at [[Yale University]]. After graduating from [[Hillhouse High School]], Johnson attended Yale, where he studied drama and psychology.<ref name="flint"/>


After moving to [[New York City]], St. Jacques continued to pursue acting and studied at the [[Actors Studio]].<ref>{{cite book|first=David |last=Garfield|title=A Player's Place: The Story of The Actors Studio|url=https://archive.org/details/playersplacestor00garf|url-access=registration|year=1980|publisher=MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc.|location=New York|isbn=0-02-542650-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/playersplacestor00garf/page/278 278]|chapter=Appendix: Life Members of The Actors Studio as of January 1980}}</ref> To support himself, he worked as a model, dishwasher, and busboy.<ref name="flint"/>
⚫
Upon graduation, he worked as an assistant director, actor and [[fencing]] instructor for the American Shakespearean Festival in New Haven. He staged all of the fencing scenes and duels while at the company and would continue to practice fencing for the rest of his life.<ref name="baltimore">{{cite news|title=AFRO talks to...Director, Producer, Actor 'Book of Numbers' Raymond St. Jacques|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1715&dat=19730407&id=bbs9AAAAIBAJ&sjid=4SsMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1734,26486767&hl=en|work=Baltimore Afro-American|date=April 10, 1973|location=Baltimore, Maryland|page=14}}</ref>


After moving to [[New York City]], Johnson continued to pursue acting and studied at the [[Actors Studio]].<ref>{{cite book|quote=|first=David |last=Garfield|title=A Player's Place: The Story of The Actors Studio|url=https://archive.org/details/playersplacestor00garf|url-access=registration|year=1980|publisher=MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc.|location=New York|isbn=0-02-542650-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/playersplacestor00garf/page/278 278]|chapter=Appendix: Life Members of The Actors Studio as of January 1980}}</ref> To support himself, he worked as a model, dishwasher and a busboy.<ref name="flint"/> His first professional acting role was in the off-Broadway play ''High Name Today''.<ref name="baltimore"/> He was cast in the role of "Judge" in the off-Broadway performance of [[Jean Genet]]'s play [[The Blacks (play)|The Blacks]] at [[St. Mark's Playhouse]] in 1960.
St. Jacques's first professional acting role was in the off-Broadway play ''High Name Today''.<ref name="baltimore"/> St. Jacques was cast in the role of "Judge" in the off-Broadway performance of [[Jean Genet]]'s play ''[[The Blacks (play)|The Blacks]]'' at [[St. Mark's Playhouse]] in 1960.


==Career==
==Career==
After appearing in bit parts on television in the early 1960s, St. Jacques made his film debut in a small part in the 1964 film ''[[Black Like Me (film)|Black Like Me]]''.<ref name="jetobit">{{cite journal|title=Actor Raymond St. Jacques Succumbs to Cancer At 60|journal=Jet|date=September 17, 1990|volume=78|issue=23|pages=12–14|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s68DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA12&lpg=PA12&dq=raymond+st.+jacques+forest+lawn&source=bl&ots=dC2G6zojvM&sig=RtE2TR3ujF6qoyxR4yTem-mfGpE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjOxKDRtNvLAhVDwiYKHWg0DkwQ6AEIYzAO#v=onepage&q&f=false|accessdate=March 25, 2016|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|issn=0021-5996}}</ref> He followed with a role in ''[[The Pawnbroker (film)|The Pawnbroker]]'' later that year. He appeared in supporting roles in ''[[''[[The Comedians (1967 film)|The Comedians]]'' (1967) and ''[[The Green Berets (film)|The Green Berets]]'' (1968).
After appearing in bit parts on television in the early 1960s, St. Jacques made his film debut in a small part in the 1964 film ''[[Black Like Me (film)|Black Like Me]]''.<ref name="jetobit">{{cite journal|title=Actor Raymond St. Jacques Succumbs to Cancer At 60|journal=Jet|date=September 17, 1990|volume=78|issue=23|pages=12–14|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s68DAAAAMBAJ&q=raymond+st.+jacques+forest+lawn&pg=PA12|access-date=March 25, 2016|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|issn=0021-5996}}</ref> He followed with a role in ''[[The Pawnbroker (film)|The Pawnbroker]]'' later that year. He appeared in supporting roles in ''[[The Comedians (1967 film)|The Comedians]]'' (1967) and ''[[The Green Berets (film)|The Green Berets]]'' (1968).


His best-known film roles were that of Coffin Ed in the [[blaxploitation]] classics ''[[Cotton Comes to Harlem]]'' (1970) (adapted from crime novels by [[Chester Himes]]) and ''[[Come Back, Charleston Blue]]'' (1972). In the early 1970s, St. Jacques began teaching fencing and acting at the Mafundi Institute in [[Watts, Los Angeles]]. In 1973, he produced, directed, and starred in the crime film ''[[Book of Numbers (film)|Book of Numbers]]''.<ref name="baltimore"/>
St. Jacques's best-known film roles were that of Coffin Ed in the [[blaxploitation]] classics ''[[Cotton Comes to Harlem]]'' (1970) (adapted from crime novels by [[Chester Himes]]) and ''[[Come Back, Charleston Blue]]'' (1972). In the early 1970s, St. Jacques began teaching fencing and acting at the Mafundi Institute in [[Watts, Los Angeles]]. In 1973, he produced, directed, and starred in the crime film ''[[Book of Numbers (film)|Book of Numbers]]''.<ref name="baltimore"/>


⚫
[[File:John Ireland Raymond St.Jacques Rawhide 1965.JPG|thumb|St. Jacques (right) with [[John Ireland]] in ''[[Rawhide (TV series)|Rawhide]]'', 1965]]
⚫
During the 1960s, St. Jacques also guest starred on numerous television shows including ''[[East Side/West Side]]'', ''[[Daktari]]'', ''[[The Virginian (TV series)|The Virginian]]'', and ''[[The Man from U.N.C.L.E.]]''. In 1965, he was cast as "Simon Blake" in the Western series ''[[Rawhide (TV series)|Rawhide]]'', the first African-American actor to ever be cast as a regular on a prime time Western series. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, St. Jacques continued with roles on stage, film and television. He became known as "The Man of a Thousand Faces" due to the varied parts he played throughout his career.<ref name="jetobit"/>


⚫
During the 1960s, St. Jacques also guest starred on numerous television shows including ''[[East Side/West Side]]'', ''[[Daktari]]'', ''[[The Virginian (TV series)|The Virginian]]'', and ''[[The Man from U.N.C.L.E.]]''. In 1965, he was cast as "Simon Blake" in the Western series ''[[Rawhide (TV series)|Rawhide]]'', the first African-American actor to be cast as a regular on a prime time Western series.
⚫
In 1976, St. Jacques starred as [[Othello (character)|Othello]] in the [[John Anson Ford Amphitheatre]] production of the [[Othello|play of the same name]]. He remained active in stage work throughout his career, touring in productions of ''[[Julius Caesar (play)|Julius Caesar]]'', ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'', ''[[A Raisin in the Sun]]'', and the stage adaptation of ''[[The Man with the Golden Arm (novel)|The Man with the Golden Arm]]''.<ref name="latimes">{{cite web|title=Raymond St. Jacques; Actor was 60|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1990-08-29/news/mn-214_1_actor-raymond-st-jacques|website=latimes.com|accessdate=March 25, 2016|date=August 29, 1990}}</ref> From 1988 to 1989, St. Jacques had a two-year stint as Judge Clayton C. Thomas on the [[Television syndication|syndicated]] TV show ''[[Superior Court (TV series)|Superior Court]]''. In 1989, he played [[Abolitionism in the United States|abolitionist]] [[Frederick Douglass]] in [[Edward Zwick]]'s ''[[Glory (1989 film)|Glory]]''.<ref name="jetobit"/> His final film role was in the 1991 sci fi film ''[[Timebomb (1991 film)|Timebomb]]'' released after his death.

⚫
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, St. Jacques continued with roles on stage, film and television. He became known as "The Man of a Thousand Faces" due to the varied parts he played throughout his career.<ref name="jetobit"/> In 1976, St. Jacques starred as [[Othello (character)|Othello]] in the [[John Anson Ford Amphitheatre]] production of the [[Othello|play of the same name]]. He remained active in stage work throughout his career, touring in productions of ''[[Julius Caesar (play)|Julius Caesar]]'', ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'', ''[[A Raisin in the Sun]]'', and the stage adaptation of ''[[The Man with the Golden Arm (novel)|The Man with the Golden Arm]]''.<ref name="latimes">{{cite web|title=Raymond St. Jacques; Actor was 60|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-08-29-mn-214-story.html|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=March 25, 2016|date=August 29, 1990}}</ref>

From 1988 to 1989, St. Jacques had a two-year stint as Judge Clayton C. Thomas on the [[Television syndication|syndicated]] TV show ''[[Superior Court (TV series)|Superior Court]]''. In 1989, he played [[Abolitionism in the United States|abolitionist]] [[Frederick Douglass]] in [[Edward Zwick]]'s film ''[[Glory (1989 film)|Glory]]''.<ref name="jetobit"/> His final film role was in the 1991 science fiction film ''[[Timebomb (1991 film)|Timebomb]]'', released after his death.


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
St. Jacques was a lifelong bachelor.<ref name="jet">{{cite journal|title=Late Actor St. Jacques Leaves Estate Valued At $750,000 To Kin, Friends|journal=Jet|date=April 15, 1991|volume=79|issue=26|pages=35–36|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=37sDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA35&dq=sterling+st.+jacques&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiuxfWTqNvLAhXESCYKHXKaD2cQ6AEIHTAA#v=onepage&q=sterling%20st.%20jacques&f=false|accessdate=March 25, 2016|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|issn=0021-5996}}</ref> In August 1969, St. Jacques granted an interview to columnist [[Earl Wilson (columnist)|Earl Wilson]] and told Wilson of his plans to adopt two African American boys who were 6 and 7 years old.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Wilson|first1=Earl|title=Bachelor Actor St. Jacques To Adopt 2 Children|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1368&dat=19690802&id=Zs0VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IBEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5264,311368&hl=en|accessdate=March 25, 2016|work=The Milwaukee Sentinel|date=August 2, 1969|location=Milwaukee, Wisconsin|page=21}}</ref> The adoption apparently never happened but, by the early 1970s, St. Jacques claimed to have two older sons, Raymond, Jr and Sterling. In a 1973 interview, St. Jacques claimed that Raymond, Jr was living in [[Boston]].<ref name="baltimore"/> In May 1972, Sterling, then reported to be 22 years old, made news after four men attempted to rob St. Jacques' [[Bel Air, Los Angeles|Bel Air]] home. Sterling was the only person home at the time (St. Jacques was in Dallas at the time) and fled after calling police. The four men were apprehended after their getaway car stalled in St. Jacques' driveway.<ref>{{cite news|title=Suspects Caught In Stalled Car|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19720526&id=qVwxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6wEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3795,6066558&hl=en|accessdate=March 25, 2016|work=Toledo Blade|date=May 27, 1972|location=Toledo, Ohio|page=5}}</ref> Sterling went on to appear in St. Jacques' 1973 film ''[[Book of Numbers (film)|Book of Numbers]]''.<ref name="baltimore"/> In the mid to late 1970s, Sterling became known as a high fashion model (he was briefly engaged to fellow model [[Pat Cleveland]]),<ref>{{cite journal|title=A Fast Paced Ride With the Jet Set Crowd|journal=Ebony|date=August 1977|volume=21|issue=10|page=72|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=08sDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA72&dq=sterling+st.+jacques+pat+cleveland&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjNsNjkr9vLAhWM8CYKHaxuCrIQ6AEIHDAA#v=onepage&q=sterling%20st.%20jacques%20pat%20cleveland&f=false|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|issn=0012-9011}}</ref> dancer and a frequent New York City nightclub and society fixture.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Scott|first1=Walter|authorlink1=Lloyd Shearer|title=Walter Scott's Personality Parade|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=19761128&id=McstAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-KAFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2296,6893380&hl=en|work=Reading Eagle|date=November 28, 1976|location=Reading, Pennsylvania}}</ref> In her 2016 memoir ''Walking with Muses'', Sterling’s ex-fiancée Pat Cleveland stated that their engagement came to an end because Sterling was gay. Sometime in the early 1980s, he moved to Europe where he found moderate success as an [[Italo disco]] singer. Sterling St Jacques reportedly died of complications of [[AIDS]] in 1984 (his death has never been officially confirmed and his true fate remains unknown).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cleveland |first1=Pat |last2=Glennon |first2=Lorraine |authorlink1=Pat Cleveland |title=Walking with the Muses: A Memoir |date=2017 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=1501108239 |page=316}}</ref> However, in a 1988 interview with the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'', St. Jacques still claimed to have two sons and said Sterling was appearing on a television show in [[Düsseldorf]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Weaver |first1=Maurice |title=Raymond St. Jacques Ascends the Bench |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1988-09-29-8802030036-story,amp.html |website=chicagotribune.com|publisher=Chicago Tribune |accessdate=May 15, 2019 |date=September 29, 1988}}</ref>
St. Jacques was a lifelong bachelor.<ref name="jet">{{cite journal|title=Late Actor St. Jacques Leaves Estate Valued At $750,000 To Kin, Friends|journal=Jet|date=April 15, 1991|volume=79|issue=26|pages=35–36|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=37sDAAAAMBAJ&dq=sterling+st.+jacques&pg=PA35|accessdate=March 25, 2016|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|issn=0021-5996}}</ref> In August 1969, St. Jacques granted an interview to columnist [[Earl Wilson (columnist)|Earl Wilson]] and told Wilson of his plans to adopt two African-American boys who were six and seven years old.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Wilson|first1=Earl|title=Bachelor Actor St. Jacques To Adopt 2 Children|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1368&dat=19690802&id=Zs0VAAAAIBAJ&pg=5264,311368&hl=en|accessdate=March 25, 2016|work=The Milwaukee Sentinel|date=August 2, 1969|location=Milwaukee, Wisconsin|page=21}}{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
By the early 1970s, St. Jacques said he had two older sons, Raymond, Jr and [[Sterling St. Jacques|Sterling]], the latter being adopted.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Peterson |first=Maurice |date=1973-05-13 |title=He's Making a Big Numbers ' Racket |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/05/13/archives/hes-making-a-big-numbers-racket-hes-making-a-big-numbers-racket.html |access-date=2024-07-31 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In a 1973 interview, St. Jacques said that Raymond, Jr was living in [[Boston]].<ref name="baltimore"/> In May 1972, Sterling, then reported to be 22 years old, made news after four men attempted to rob St. Jacques's [[Bel Air, Los Angeles|Bel Air]] home while St. Jacques was in [[Dallas]]. Sterling was reported to be the only person home at the time, and fled after calling police. The four men were apprehended after their getaway car stalled in St. Jacques's driveway.<ref>{{cite news|title=Suspects Caught In Stalled Car|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19720526&id=qVwxAAAAIBAJ&pg=3795,6066558&hl=en|accessdate=March 25, 2016|work=Toledo Blade|date=May 27, 1972|location=Toledo, Ohio|page=5}}</ref>
Sterling appeared in St. Jacques's 1973 film ''[[Book of Numbers (film)|Book of Numbers]]''.<ref name="baltimore"/> In the mid to late 1970s, he became known as a high fashion model. He was briefly engaged to fashion model [[Pat Cleveland]].<ref>{{cite journal|title=A Fast Paced Ride With the Jet Set Crowd|journal=Ebony|date=August 1977|volume=21|issue=10|page=72|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=08sDAAAAMBAJ&dq=sterling+st.+jacques+pat+cleveland&pg=PA72|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|issn=0012-9011}}</ref> He also worked as a dancer and as a frequent figure in New York City nightclubs and society life.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Scott|first1=Walter|authorlink1=Lloyd Shearer|title=Walter Scott's Personality Parade|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=19761128&id=McstAAAAIBAJ&pg=2296,6893380&hl=en|work=Reading Eagle|date=November 28, 1976|location=Reading, Pennsylvania}}</ref> In her 2016 memoir ''Walking with Muses'', Cleveland said that their engagement ended because Sterling was gay. According to Cleveland's memoir, Sterling St Jacques died of complications of [[AIDS]] in 1984. (His death has never been officially confirmed.)<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cleveland |first1=Pat |last2=Glennon |first2=Lorraine |authorlink1=Pat Cleveland |title=Walking with the Muses: A Memoir |date=2017 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-1501108235 |page=316}}</ref>
In a 1988 interview with the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'', St. Jacques still said he had two sons and that Sterling was appearing on a television show in [[Düsseldorf]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Weaver |first1=Maurice |title=Raymond St. Jacques Ascends the Bench |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1988-09-29-8802030036-story,amp.html |website=chicagotribune.com|publisher=Chicago Tribune |access-date=May 15, 2019 |date=September 29, 1988}}</ref>


⚫
==Activism==
The adoption of Raymond, Jr. and Sterling was apparently never official. In his will, St. Jacques claimed that he had no children and named only Sterling, whom he identified as his nephew, in his will. St. Jacques bequeathed Sterling $1 from his $750,000 estate.<ref name="jet"/>
⚫
St. Jacques frequently spoke of the prejudices he and other African-American actors faced and difficulties in getting roles as non-stereotypical, thoughtful characters. He later worked to help African Americans find work behind the camera.<ref name="jetobit"/> In 1977, he publicly criticized the lack of minority actors in ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' (which he said he saw five times) and other science fiction films.<ref>{{cite news|last1=St. Jacques|first1=Raymond|title=The Great White Void|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/20382247/|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=17 July 1977|page=R2|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Monagle|first1=Matthew|title=The Fight Over Star Wars and Racism in 1977|url=https://filmschoolrejects.com/the-fight-over-star-wars-and-racism-in-1977-828063c65f65/|website=Film School Rejects|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170929153515/https://filmschoolrejects.com/the-fight-over-star-wars-and-racism-in-1977-828063c65f65/|archive-date=September 29, 2017|date=December 14, 2015}}</ref>


St. Jacques was an activist for African-American civil rights. In 1985, he and other protestors were arrested during an anti-[[apartheid]] demonstration outside of the [[South Africa]]n embassy in Washington, D.C.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Actor Arrested|journal=Jet|date=March 25, 1985|volume=68|issue=2|page=61|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FbEDAAAAMBAJ&q=raymond+st.+jacques+apartheid&pg=PA61|access-date=March 25, 2016|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|issn=0021-5996}}</ref>
⚫
===Activism===
⚫
St. Jacques frequently spoke of the prejudices he and other African American actors faced in being cast in non-stereotypical, thoughtful roles. He later worked to help African Americans find work behind the camera.<ref name="jetobit"/> In 1977 he publicly criticised the lack of minority actors in ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' (which he acknowledged having seen five times) and other [[science fiction]] films.<ref>{{cite news|last1=St. Jacques|first1=Raymond|title=The Great White Void|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/20382247/|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=17 July 1977|page=R2|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Monagle|first1=Matthew|title=The Fight Over Star Wars and Racism in 1977|url=https://filmschoolrejects.com/the-fight-over-star-wars-and-racism-in-1977-828063c65f65/|website=Film School Rejects|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170929153515/https://filmschoolrejects.com/the-fight-over-star-wars-and-racism-in-1977-828063c65f65/|archivedate=29 September 2017|date=14 December 2015}}</ref> St. Jacques was also an activist for African American civil rights. In 1985, he and other protestors were arrested during an anti-[[apartheid]] demonstration outside of the South African embassy in Washington, D.C.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Actor Arrested|journal=Jet|date=March 25, 1985|volume=68|issue=2|page=61|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FbEDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA61&lpg=PA61&dq=raymond+st.+jacques+apartheid&source=bl&ots=d1VlgpcNn3&sig=uLGjnVkqZef4glvJfvrmHIiWTDY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjwn6uAu9vLAhUQ8WMKHQheAPAQ6AEIOjAF#v=onepage&q=raymond%20st.%20jacques%20apartheid&f=false|accessdate=March 25, 2016|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|issn=0021-5996}}</ref>


==Death==
==Death==
On August 27, 1990, St. Jacques died of [[lymphoma]] at [[Cedars-Sinai Medical Center]] in Los Angeles, California.<ref name="latimes"/><ref name="jetobit"/> His funeral was held on August 31 at The Church of the Recessional at [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)|Forest Lawn Memorial Park]] in Glendale, California, after which he was interred at [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)|Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Funeral Rites Set for Raymond St. Jacques|work=Los Angeles Times|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1990-08-31/news/mn-190_1_raymond-st-jacques|accessdate=March 25, 2016|date=August 31, 1990}}</ref> One of the pall bearers at the funeral was [[Stanley Bennett Clay]], who later revealed that St. Jacques had not been Sterling's adoptive father but his [[Sugar daddy (slang term)|sugar daddy]], but that they later had a falling-out.<ref>https://www.dougcooperspencer.com/blog-the-view-from-here/cat-talking-a-conversation-with-actor-author-director-stanley-bennett-clay-part-i</ref>
On August 27, 1990, St. Jacques died of [[lymphoma]] at [[Cedars-Sinai Medical Center]] in Los Angeles, California.<ref name="latimes"/><ref name="jetobit"/> His funeral was held on August 31 at The Church of the Recessional at [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)|Forest Lawn Memorial Park]] in Glendale, after which he was interred at [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Funeral Rites Set for Raymond St. Jacques|work=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-08-31-mn-190-story.html|access-date=March 25, 2016|date=August 31, 1990}}</ref>


==Filmography==
==Filmography==
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|1973|| ''[[Book of Numbers (film)|Book of Numbers]]'' || Blueboy Harris ||
|1973|| ''[[Book of Numbers (film)|Book of Numbers]]'' || Blueboy Harris ||
|-
|-
|1974|| ''[[Lost in the Stars (film)|Lost in the Stars]]'' || John Kumalo ||
|1974|| ''[[Lost in the Stars (1974 film)|Lost in the Stars]]'' || John Kumalo ||
|-
|-
|1977|| ''[[The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover]]'' || [[Martin Luther King, Jr.|Martin Luther King]] ||
|1977|| ''[[The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover]]'' || [[Martin Luther King]] ||
|-
|-
|1977|| ''[[Roots (1977 miniseries)|Roots]]'' || The drummer || TV Mini-Series, Episode: "Part IV"
|1977|| ''[[Roots (1977 miniseries)|Roots]]'' || The drummer || TV Mini-Series, Episode: "Part IV"
Line 99: Line 112:
|-
|-
|1984|| ''[[The Evil That Men Do (film)|The Evil That Men Do]]'' || Randolph ||
|1984|| ''[[The Evil That Men Do (film)|The Evil That Men Do]]'' || Randolph ||
|-
|1985|| ''[[The Fall Guy]]'' || Ed Simmions || Episode ''Spring Break'' (S04Ep20)
|-
|-
|1987|| ''[[The Wild Pair (film)|The Wild Pair]]'' || Ivory ||
|1987|| ''[[The Wild Pair (film)|The Wild Pair]]'' || Ivory ||
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|1989|| ''[[Glory (1989 film)|Glory]]'' || Frederick Douglass || Uncredited
|1989|| ''[[Glory (1989 film)|Glory]]'' || Frederick Douglass || Uncredited
|-
|-
|1991|| ''[[Voodoo Dawn]]'' || Claude ||
|1991|| ''[[Voodoo Dawn]]'' || Claude || Released posthumously
|-
|-
|1991|| ''[[Timebomb (1991 film)|Timebomb]]'' || Det. Sanchez ||
|1991|| ''[[Timebomb (1991 film)|Timebomb]]'' || Det. Sanchez || Released posthumously
|}
|}


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* {{IBDB name}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{IMDb name|0820566}}
* {{IMDb name|0820566}}

* [http://openvault.wgbh.org/saybrother/MLA001054/index.html: " 'Blast from the Past' with Raymond St. Jacques"] for the WGBH series, [https://web.archive.org/web/20100306075844/http://openvault.wgbh.org/series/Say+Brother/ Say Brother]
*{{Find a Grave|6181308}}
{{NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture}}
{{NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}



{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Jacques, Raymond}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Jacques, Raymond}}
[[Category:1930 births]]
[[Category:1930 births]]
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[[Category:1990 deaths]]
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[[Category:20th-century African-American male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:Activists for African-American civil rights]]
[[Category:Activists for African-American civil rights]]
⚫
[[Category:African-American male actors]]
[[Category:African-American film directors]]
[[Category:African-American film directors]]
⚫
[[Category:American film directors]]
[[Category:African-American film producers]]
[[Category:African-American film producers]]
[[Category:Film directors from Connecticut]]
[[Category:American film producers]]
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[[Category:American male fencers]]
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[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)]]
[[Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in California]]
[[Category:Deaths from lymphoma in California]]
[[Category:Deaths from lymphoma]]
[[Category:American drama teachers]]
[[Category:Drama teachers]]
[[Category:Male actors from Hartford, Connecticut]]
[[Category:Male actors from Hartford, Connecticut]]
[[Category:Male Western (genre) film actors]]
[[Category:Male Western (genre) film actors]]
[[Category:Yale University alumni]]
[[Category:Yale University alumni]]
[[Category:Hillhouse High School alumni]]
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[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]

Latest revision as of 06:50, 10 December 2024

Raymond St. Jacques
St. Jacques in Rawhide, 1965.
Born
James Arthur Johnson

(1930-03-01)March 1, 1930
Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
DiedAugust 27, 1990(1990-08-27) (aged 60)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting placeForest Lawn Memorial Park
(Los Angeles, California)
EducationHillhouse High School
Alma materYale University
Occupations
  • Actor
  • director
  • producer
Years active1959–1990
Known forRawhide (as Simon Blake)
Coffin Ed Johnson – Cotton Comes to Harlem, Come Back, Charleston Blue
RelativesSterling St. Jacques (son)

Raymond St. Jacques (born James Arthur Johnson; March 1, 1930 – August 27, 1990) was an American actor, director and producer whose career spanned over thirty years on stage, film and television. St. Jacques is noted as the first African-American actor to appear in a regular role on a Western series. He portrayed Simon Blake on the eighth season of Rawhide (1965–1966).

Early life and education

[edit]

St. Jacques was born James Arthur Johnson in Hartford, Connecticut. He had a sister, Barbara Ann. Shortly after his birth, his parents divorced; he moved with his mother and sister to New Haven, Connecticut.[1] St. Jacques' mother Vivienne later worked as a medical technician at Yale University.

After graduating from Hillhouse High School, St. Jacques attended Yale, where he studied drama and psychology.[1] Upon graduation, he worked as an assistant director, actor and fencing instructor for the American Shakespearean Festival in New Haven. St. Jacques staged all of the fencing scenes and duels while at the company. He continued to practice fencing for the rest of his life.[2]

After moving to New York City, St. Jacques continued to pursue acting and studied at the Actors Studio.[3] To support himself, he worked as a model, dishwasher, and busboy.[1]

St. Jacques's first professional acting role was in the off-Broadway play High Name Today.[2] St. Jacques was cast in the role of "Judge" in the off-Broadway performance of Jean Genet's play The Blacks at St. Mark's Playhouse in 1960.

Career

[edit]

After appearing in bit parts on television in the early 1960s, St. Jacques made his film debut in a small part in the 1964 film Black Like Me.[4] He followed with a role in The Pawnbroker later that year. He appeared in supporting roles in The Comedians (1967) and The Green Berets (1968).

St. Jacques's best-known film roles were that of Coffin Ed in the blaxploitation classics Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970) (adapted from crime novels by Chester Himes) and Come Back, Charleston Blue (1972). In the early 1970s, St. Jacques began teaching fencing and acting at the Mafundi Institute in Watts, Los Angeles. In 1973, he produced, directed, and starred in the crime film Book of Numbers.[2]

St. Jacques (right) with John Ireland in Rawhide, 1965

During the 1960s, St. Jacques also guest starred on numerous television shows including East Side/West Side, Daktari, The Virginian, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. In 1965, he was cast as "Simon Blake" in the Western series Rawhide, the first African-American actor to be cast as a regular on a prime time Western series.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, St. Jacques continued with roles on stage, film and television. He became known as "The Man of a Thousand Faces" due to the varied parts he played throughout his career.[4] In 1976, St. Jacques starred as Othello in the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre production of the play of the same name. He remained active in stage work throughout his career, touring in productions of Julius Caesar, Romeo and Juliet, A Raisin in the Sun, and the stage adaptation of The Man with the Golden Arm.[5]

From 1988 to 1989, St. Jacques had a two-year stint as Judge Clayton C. Thomas on the syndicated TV show Superior Court. In 1989, he played abolitionist Frederick Douglass in Edward Zwick's film Glory.[4] His final film role was in the 1991 science fiction film Timebomb, released after his death.

Personal life

[edit]

St. Jacques was a lifelong bachelor.[6] In August 1969, St. Jacques granted an interview to columnist Earl Wilson and told Wilson of his plans to adopt two African-American boys who were six and seven years old.[7]

By the early 1970s, St. Jacques said he had two older sons, Raymond, Jr and Sterling, the latter being adopted.[8] In a 1973 interview, St. Jacques said that Raymond, Jr was living in Boston.[2] In May 1972, Sterling, then reported to be 22 years old, made news after four men attempted to rob St. Jacques's Bel Air home while St. Jacques was in Dallas. Sterling was reported to be the only person home at the time, and fled after calling police. The four men were apprehended after their getaway car stalled in St. Jacques's driveway.[9]

Sterling appeared in St. Jacques's 1973 film Book of Numbers.[2] In the mid to late 1970s, he became known as a high fashion model. He was briefly engaged to fashion model Pat Cleveland.[10] He also worked as a dancer and as a frequent figure in New York City nightclubs and society life.[11] In her 2016 memoir Walking with Muses, Cleveland said that their engagement ended because Sterling was gay. According to Cleveland's memoir, Sterling St Jacques died of complications of AIDS in 1984. (His death has never been officially confirmed.)[12]

In a 1988 interview with the Chicago Tribune, St. Jacques still said he had two sons and that Sterling was appearing on a television show in Düsseldorf.[13]

Activism

[edit]

St. Jacques frequently spoke of the prejudices he and other African-American actors faced and difficulties in getting roles as non-stereotypical, thoughtful characters. He later worked to help African Americans find work behind the camera.[4] In 1977, he publicly criticized the lack of minority actors in Star Wars (which he said he saw five times) and other science fiction films.[14][15]

St. Jacques was an activist for African-American civil rights. In 1985, he and other protestors were arrested during an anti-apartheid demonstration outside of the South African embassy in Washington, D.C.[16]

Death

[edit]

On August 27, 1990, St. Jacques died of lymphoma at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.[5][4] His funeral was held on August 31 at The Church of the Recessional at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, after which he was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills.[17]

Filmography

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1964 Black Like Me Burial Insurance Salesman
1964 The Pawnbroker Tangee
1965 Mister Moses Ubi
1966 Mister Buddwing Hank
1967 The Comedians Captain Concasseur
1968 Madigan Dr. Taylor
1968 The Green Berets Sgt. Doc McGee
1968 If He Hollers, Let Him Go! James Lake
1968 Uptight B.G.
1969 Change of Mind David Rowe
1970 Cotton Comes to Harlem Coffin Ed Johnson
1972 Cool Breeze Bill Mercer
1972 The Final Comedown Imir
1972 Come Back, Charleston Blue Coffin Ed Johnson
1973 Book of Numbers Blueboy Harris
1974 Lost in the Stars John Kumalo
1977 The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover Martin Luther King
1977 Roots The drummer TV Mini-Series, Episode: "Part IV"
1977 The Baron
1978 Born Again Jimmy Newsom
1980 Cuba Crossing Mr. Bell
1984 The Evil That Men Do Randolph
1985 The Fall Guy Ed Simmions Episode Spring Break (S04Ep20)
1987 The Wild Pair Ivory
1988 They Live Street Preacher
1989 Glory Frederick Douglass Uncredited
1991 Voodoo Dawn Claude Released posthumously
1991 Timebomb Det. Sanchez Released posthumously

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Flint, Peter B. (August 30, 1990). "Raymond St. Jacques, an Actor Of TV and Films, Is Dead at 60". The New York Times. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e "AFRO talks to...Director, Producer, Actor 'Book of Numbers' Raymond St. Jacques". Baltimore Afro-American. Baltimore, Maryland. April 10, 1973. p. 14.
  3. ^ Garfield, David (1980). "Appendix: Life Members of The Actors Studio as of January 1980". A Player's Place: The Story of The Actors Studio. New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc. p. 278. ISBN 0-02-542650-8.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Actor Raymond St. Jacques Succumbs to Cancer At 60". Jet. 78 (23). Johnson Publishing Company: 12–14. September 17, 1990. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  5. ^ a b "Raymond St. Jacques; Actor was 60". Los Angeles Times. August 29, 1990. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  6. ^ "Late Actor St. Jacques Leaves Estate Valued At $750,000 To Kin, Friends". Jet. 79 (26). Johnson Publishing Company: 35–36. April 15, 1991. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  7. ^ Wilson, Earl (August 2, 1969). "Bachelor Actor St. Jacques To Adopt 2 Children". The Milwaukee Sentinel. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. p. 21. Retrieved March 25, 2016.[permanent dead link‍]
  8. ^ Peterson, Maurice (May 13, 1973). "He's Making a Big Numbers ' Racket". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  9. ^ "Suspects Caught In Stalled Car". Toledo Blade. Toledo, Ohio. May 27, 1972. p. 5. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  10. ^ "A Fast Paced Ride With the Jet Set Crowd". Ebony. 21 (10). Johnson Publishing Company: 72. August 1977. ISSN 0012-9011.
  11. ^ Scott, Walter (November 28, 1976). "Walter Scott's Personality Parade". Reading Eagle. Reading, Pennsylvania.
  12. ^ Cleveland, Pat; Glennon, Lorraine (2017). Walking with the Muses: A Memoir. Simon and Schuster. p. 316. ISBN 978-1501108235.
  13. ^ Weaver, Maurice (September 29, 1988). "Raymond St. Jacques Ascends the Bench". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  14. ^ St. Jacques, Raymond (July 17, 1977). "The Great White Void". Los Angeles Times. p. R2 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Monagle, Matthew (December 14, 2015). "The Fight Over Star Wars and Racism in 1977". Film School Rejects. Archived from the original on September 29, 2017.
  16. ^ "Actor Arrested". Jet. 68 (2). Johnson Publishing Company: 61. March 25, 1985. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  17. ^ "Funeral Rites Set for Raymond St. Jacques". Los Angeles Times. August 31, 1990. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
[edit]
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