Lillian Cumber

Lillian Cumber (née Victoria Lillian Fisher[citation needed], April 1, 1920 - 2002) was an African American columnist, gospel music group booking agent, and an agent for actors in Hollywood.[1][2] She represented African American actors.[3] She was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1974.

Cumber worked as a secretary for Walter L. Gordon and then was a newspaper columnist for 25 years.[4] She worked with Art Rupe, booking gospel performers at Herald Attractions.[5] After six years together she left in 1956 after a disagreement.[6] and founded the Lil Cumber Attraction Agency for African American actors. She was the first African American woman to represent actors in the film industry.[4] In 1958, Jet reported she closed her booking agency to enter UCLA Law School.[7] Also in 1958, she was engaged to marry drug store chain owner Ed Fisher.[8]

She helped cast Horace Jackson's film Living Between Two Worlds.[9] Marla Gibbs described meeting with her.[10]

It took her five years to get a license from the Screen Actors Guild.[11] Her clients included Eddie Cole.[12]

Additional resources

References

  1. ^ "Cumber, Lil 1920-2002". UCLA. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  2. ^ "Lillian Cumber First To Get Booking License For Sepia Movie Actors". The Carolina Times. March 1, 1958. p. 14.
  3. ^ "Fewer Negroes in Comedy Roles". Simpson's Leader-Times. October 21, 1964. p. 17 – via newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b "African American actors, Los Angeles, 1940s - UCLA Library Digital Collections". digital.library.ucla.edu.
  5. ^ "Lillian Cumber Sets Up Major Booking Operation". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 20, 1952. p. 19 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ Vera, Billy (December 10, 2019). Rip It Up: The Specialty Records Story. BMG Books. ISBN 9781947026377 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ "New York Beat". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. September 18, 1958. p. 64 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ "New York Beat". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. November 6, 1958. p. 64 – via Google Books.
  9. ^ "AFI|Catalog". catalog.afi.com.
  10. ^ "'The Jeffersons' Star Marla Gibbs Reflects on Early Hollywood Start". Outsider. February 15, 2022.
  11. ^ "New York Beat". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. March 13, 1958. p. 64 – via Google Books.
  12. ^ "New York Beat". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. November 24, 1960. p. 64 – via Google Books.