Calvin Lockhart
Encyclopedia
Calvin Lockhart was a Bahamian-American
actor
on stage and in film. He was best known for the role of a big time gangster "Biggie Smalls" in the 1975 film Let's Do It Again
, not to be confused with the deceased rapper Biggie Smalls. Christopher Wallace took the alias from Lockhart's character before a lawsuit forced Wallace to change it to Notorious B.I.G.
Calvin Lockhart was survived by his wife Jennifer L. Miles and sons Leslie Cooper (deceased 2009) and Julien Lockhart Miles.
. He moved from the Bahamas to New York City
at age 18. He spent one year at the Cooper Union School of Engineering
, then left that school to pursue an acting career. Lockhart drove a taxi and operated a carpentry business in the borough of Queens
while trying to establish a career as an actor.
In 1960 he made his Broadway debut, playing a gang leader in The Cool World, which closed after just two performances. Lockhart then moved to Italy
and formed his own theater company in which he both acted and directed. Lockhart moved from Italy to West Germany
and then to England
, where he landed various roles on British television and small roles in films such as A Dandy in Aspic
and Salt and Pepper
.
In the 1980s he was also a guest star for seven episodes on the popular prime-time soap opera Dynasty, where he played Jonathan Lake, a love interest of the character Dominique Deveraux
played by Diahann Carroll.
In 1974 Lockhart became an actor-in-residence at the Royal Shakespeare Company
in Stratford-upon-Avon
, England. Lockhart's first notable screen role was in Joanna, a 1967 film
about an interracial romance set in London
. Lockhart played a nightclub owner and the boyfriend of star Genevieve Waite
.
His first lead role in a movie was in the 1970
release Halls of Anger. Lockhart played an English teacher and former basketball star who becomes vice-principal of an inner-city high school to which 60 white students are being bused in. An article in The New York Times
that year described Lockhart as having "matinee-idol looks" with "chiseled-out-of-marble features" and "skin the color of brown velvet." He also starred in Ossie Davis
's Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970) as the Reverend Deke O'Malley, under investigation by the movie's main characters.
His last film role was in Rain, a movie that was shot in the Bahamas and was released in 2007.
Lockhart died in a Nassau hospital from stroke-related complications. His wife and son indicated they would establish the Calvin Lockhart Scholarship Fund for Bahamian students interested in acting and movie production.
Bahamian American
Bahamian Americans are citizens or residents of the United States of Bahamian ancestry. The United States Census of 2000 counted 31,984 people of Bahamian ancestry.-Communities:...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
on stage and in film. He was best known for the role of a big time gangster "Biggie Smalls" in the 1975 film Let's Do It Again
Let's Do It Again (1975 film)
Let's Do It Again is a 1975 film starring Sidney Poitier, Bill Cosby and Jimmie Walker. Poitier also directed. The film is about blue-collar workers who decide to rig a boxing match to raise money for their fraternal lodge...
, not to be confused with the deceased rapper Biggie Smalls. Christopher Wallace took the alias from Lockhart's character before a lawsuit forced Wallace to change it to Notorious B.I.G.
The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
Calvin Lockhart was survived by his wife Jennifer L. Miles and sons Leslie Cooper (deceased 2009) and Julien Lockhart Miles.
Early career
Lockhart was born in Nassau, BahamasNassau, Bahamas
Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas...
. He moved from the Bahamas to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
at age 18. He spent one year at the Cooper Union School of Engineering
Cooper Union
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, commonly referred to simply as Cooper Union, is a privately funded college in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, United States, located at Cooper Square and Astor Place...
, then left that school to pursue an acting career. Lockhart drove a taxi and operated a carpentry business in the borough of Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
while trying to establish a career as an actor.
In 1960 he made his Broadway debut, playing a gang leader in The Cool World, which closed after just two performances. Lockhart then moved to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and formed his own theater company in which he both acted and directed. Lockhart moved from Italy to West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
and then to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where he landed various roles on British television and small roles in films such as A Dandy in Aspic
A Dandy in Aspic
A Dandy in Aspic is a 1968 British spy film, directed by Anthony Mann, based on the novel of the same name by Derek Marlowe and starring Laurence Harvey, Tom Courtenay and Mia Farrow....
and Salt and Pepper
Salt and Pepper
Salt and Pepper is a 1968 comedy film starring Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford, Michael Bates, Ilona Rodgers and John Le Mesurier. The film was directed by Richard Donner, who later would direct such blockbuster successes as Superman and Lethal Weapon.It spawned a 1970 sequel, One More Time,...
.
In the 1980s he was also a guest star for seven episodes on the popular prime-time soap opera Dynasty, where he played Jonathan Lake, a love interest of the character Dominique Deveraux
Dominique Deveraux
Dominique Deveraux is a fictional character on the American TV series Dynasty and its spin-off The Colbys...
played by Diahann Carroll.
In 1974 Lockhart became an actor-in-residence at the Royal Shakespeare Company
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...
in Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
, England. Lockhart's first notable screen role was in Joanna, a 1967 film
1967 in film
The year 1967 in film involved some significant events. It is widely considered as one of the most ground-breaking years in film.-Events:* December 26 - The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour airs on British television....
about an interracial romance set in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Lockhart played a nightclub owner and the boyfriend of star Genevieve Waite
Geneviève Waïte
Genevieve Waite is a South African actress, singer and former model. She married John Phillips on January 31, 1972, and they had two children, Tamerlane Phillips and Bijou Phillips. They divorced in 1985. She later married Norman Buntaine, now separated.-Filmography:* Just a Kiss ......
.
His first lead role in a movie was in the 1970
1970 in film
The year 1970 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 9 - Larry Fine, the second member of The Three Stooges, suffers a massive stroke, therefore ending his career....
release Halls of Anger. Lockhart played an English teacher and former basketball star who becomes vice-principal of an inner-city high school to which 60 white students are being bused in. An article in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
that year described Lockhart as having "matinee-idol looks" with "chiseled-out-of-marble features" and "skin the color of brown velvet." He also starred in Ossie Davis
Ossie Davis
Ossie Davis was an American film actor, director, poet, playwright, writer, and social activist.-Early years:...
's Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970) as the Reverend Deke O'Malley, under investigation by the movie's main characters.
Later years
Lockhart returned to the Bahamas in the late 1990s and worked as a director on several productions of the Freeport Players Guild. Lockhart married New York Interior Designer Jennifer L. Miles, the mother of his son, actor Julien Lockhart Miles.His last film role was in Rain, a movie that was shot in the Bahamas and was released in 2007.
Lockhart died in a Nassau hospital from stroke-related complications. His wife and son indicated they would establish the Calvin Lockhart Scholarship Fund for Bahamian students interested in acting and movie production.
Filmography
- Venere creola (1961) - Melchiorre
- Family Christmas (1965) (TV)
- Talking to a StrangerTalking to a StrangerTalking to a Stranger is a British television drama, produced by the BBC and made up of four separate plays telling the story of one weekend from the viewpoints of four different members of the same family. Originally transmitted on BBC2 as part of the Theatre 625 anthology strand, the four...
(1966) (mini) TV Series - Leonard - Girl in a Black Bikini (1967) TV Series - Lee Anderson
- Drums Along the Avon (1967) (TV) - Bus driver
- Hung Up (1968)
- A Dandy in AspicA Dandy in AspicA Dandy in Aspic is a 1968 British spy film, directed by Anthony Mann, based on the novel of the same name by Derek Marlowe and starring Laurence Harvey, Tom Courtenay and Mia Farrow....
(1968) - Brogue - Light Blue (The Wednesday PlayThe Wednesday PlayThe Wednesday Play was an anthology series of British television plays which ran on BBC1 from October 1964 to May 1970. Every week's play was usually written for television, although adaptations from other sources also featured...
) (1968) (TV) - Damon Page - The Mercenaries (1968) - President Mwamini Ubi
- Only When I LarfOnly When I LarfOnly When I Larf is a late 1960s British comic thriller describing the activities of a team of three fictional confidence tricksters led by Silas Lowther , his girlfriend Liz Mason and wannabe apprentice and Liz-worshipper Bob...
(1968) - Ali Lin - Salt and PepperSalt and PepperSalt and Pepper is a 1968 comedy film starring Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford, Michael Bates, Ilona Rodgers and John Le Mesurier. The film was directed by Richard Donner, who later would direct such blockbuster successes as Superman and Lethal Weapon.It spawned a 1970 sequel, One More Time,...
(1968) - Jones - Nobody Runs ForeverNobody Runs ForeverNobody Runs Forever also called The High Commissioner is a 1968 film directed by Ralph Thomas based on Jon Cleary's 1966 novel The High Commissioner. It stars Rod Taylor as Australian policeman Scobie Malone and Christopher Plummer as the Australian High Commissioner in England caught up in...
(1968) - Jamaica - JoannaJoanna (film)Joanna is a 1968 British drama film directed by Michael Sarne. It was listed to compete at the 1968 Cannes Film Festival, but the festival was cancelled due to the events of May 1968 in France.-Cast:* Geneviève Waïte - Joanna...
(1968) - Gordon - Halls of AngerHalls of AngerHalls of Anger is an American drama directed by Paul Bogart. The drama features Calvin Lockhart, Janet MacLachlan, Jeff Bridges and James A. Watson Jr.-Cast:* Calvin Lockhart as Quincy Davis* Janet MacLachlan as Lorraine Nash...
(1970) - Quincy Davis - Leo the LastLeo the LastLeo the Last is a 1970 film directed by John Boorman, based on the play The Prince by George Tabori, starring Marcello Mastroianni and Billie Whitelaw.-Plot:...
(1970) - Roscoe, the Pimp - Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970) - Rev. Deke O'Malley
- Myra BreckinridgeMyra Breckinridge (film)Myra Breckinridge is a 1970 American campy comedy film, based on Gore Vidal's 1968 novel of the same name, the film was directed by Michael Sarne, with Raquel Welch in the title role. It also starred John Huston as Buck Loner, Mae West as Leticia Van Allen, Farrah Fawcett, Rex Reed, Roger Herren,...
(1970) - Irving Amadeus - Melinda (1972) - Frankie J. Parker
- Contratto carnale (1974) - Ruma/Kofi
- The Beast Must DieThe Beast Must Die (film)The Beast Must Die is a 1974 horror film directed by Paul Annett. The screenplay was written by Michael Winder, based on the short story "There Shall Be No Darkness" by James Blish...
(1974) - Tom Newcliffe - Uptown Saturday NightUptown Saturday NightUptown Saturday Night is a 1974 comedy film written by Richard Wesley, and directed by Sidney Poitier. Poitier also stars in this film, along with Bill Cosby and Harry Belafonte. Cosby and Poitier teamed up again for Let's Do It Again and A Piece of the Action...
(1974) - Silky Slim - Honeybaby, Honeybaby (1974) - Liv
- Let's Do It AgainLet's Do It Again (1975 film)Let's Do It Again is a 1975 film starring Sidney Poitier, Bill Cosby and Jimmie Walker. Poitier also directed. The film is about blue-collar workers who decide to rig a boxing match to raise money for their fraternal lodge...
(1975) - Biggie Smalls - The BaronThe BaronThe Baron is a British television series, made in 1965/66 based on the book series by John Creasey, written under the pseudonym Anthony Morton, and produced by ITC Entertainment. It was the first ITC show without marionettes to be produced entirely in colour...
(1977) - The Baltimore BulletThe Baltimore BulletThe Baltimore Bullet is a 1980 film based on the adventures of two pool hustlers in the United States.It was directed by Robert Ellis Miller and starred James Coburn, Bruce Boxleitner and Omar Sharif. The Baltimore Bullet screenplay was written by legendary film and stage dancer John Brascia, from...
(1980) - Snow White - Coming to AmericaComing to AmericaComing to America is a 1988 comedy film directed by John Landis. The screenplay was written by David Sheffield and Barry W. Blaustein, from a story by Eddie Murphy, who also stars in the film. Murphy plays an African prince, who heads to the United States in hopes of finding a woman he can marry...
(1988) - Colonel Izzi - Wild at HeartWild at Heart (film)Wild at Heart is a 1990 American film written and directed by David Lynch, and based on Barry Gifford's 1989 novel Wild at Heart: The Story of Sailor and Lula. Both the book and the film revolve around Sailor Ripley and Lula Pace Fortune , a young couple from Cape Fear, North Carolina who go on...
(1990) - Reggie - Predator 2Predator 2Predator 2 is a 1990 science fiction action film starring Danny Glover, Gary Busey, María Conchita Alonso, Rubén Blades, and Bill Paxton. Written by Jim and John Thomas and directed by Stephen Hopkins, the film is a sequel to 1987's Predator, with Kevin Peter Hall again playing the role of the...
(1990) - King Willie - Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992) - The Electrician
- RainRain (2008 film)Rain is a 2008 film directed by Maria Govan. This was among the first feature productions to be shot entirely by citizens of the Bahamas.-Plot:...
(2008) - Samuel