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|
Stage Name |
Birth Name |
| Jennie
LeGon |
Jeni
Le Gon |
|
-Dubbed
the 'Chocolate Princess' she was the fifth child of Hector and
Harriet LeGon. Attractive African-American female dancer, singer
and actress. As a child, studied dance at 'Mary Bruce's School
of Dancing' and by age sixteen was performing in vaudeville chorus
lines with the Whitman
Sistersas well as doing the social dances of the day like the Lindy hop
and 'flash acts'.
|
|
Worked
with many screen stars such as Judy Garland,
Fred Astaire, Ida James, Cab
Calloway, Long John Baldry, Count Basie, Bojangles,
Lena Horne and Dorothy
Dandridge etc. Her screen debut was with Bill 'Bojangles'
Robinson in 'Hooray for Love' in 1935. Did a few more films with
her in dance roles, moving into acting roles. At one time she
managed the 'Dance and Drama Playhouse' in Los Angeles and later
moved to Canada where she operated a dance studio.
-Was credited with being the first female African-American to obtain
a major studio contract (MGM-Hooray for Love). Co-wrote
the song 'The Sping' that was featured in Panama Hattie which
was sung by Lena Horne and danced by the Berry Brothers. Since
the 1950s has only made a few screen appearance's with the latest
being in 2001 in the film with Snoop Dogg in the horror film 'Bones'
playing the part of 'Window Granny'.
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