WONDERFUL SMITH

Wonderful Smith was a black African-American comedian from the 1940s. He appeared in two movies in stereotypical roles, and he also appeared on Red Skelton's radio show. He is best remembered for a comedy routine called "Hello, Mr. President", where he stood with a telephone and pretended to talk with President Roosevelt. He served during World War II, and when he returned, he found that his role in the radio show had been greatly reduced, and he sued and lost. He later made some TV appearances, and was in some 1970s movies. Smith passed away in 2008 at the age of 97.