If several people hadn’t kept reminding all of us about the star’s ethnicity, it wouldn’t have even occurred to me! Since most black Americans can trace their relative’s first journey to America on Jew-owned Slave Vessels, it’s no great wonder that the offspring and benefactors of the slave trade moved into film production in order to get out in front of the narrative and lay it around another unsuspecting fool’s collar! Communist Manifesto: Marx & Engles.

I can see someone like Rowan Atkinson still doing the Poker Routine today.

What a treasure it made my morning.

I'm Ronald Smokey Stevens. My first exposure to Bert Wiliams and his genius occured as I watched Avon Long , a star at the Cotton Club of the 30's, recreate Bert's historic pantomime "poker card game" everynight while we performed the
Broadway musical BUBBLING BROWN SUGAR on Broadway.
As a result of that exposure I was encouraged to shoot my recreation of Bert's historic pantomime poker card game. I recreated Bert's card game also in my Broadway production entitled "ROLLIN' ON THE T.O.B.A", A tribute To The Last Days of Black Vaudeville, that I co-wrote-directed choreographed and starred in. The production opened off b'way at The 47th St Theater in Nyc in 1999, before moving to The Henry Miller Theater at The Kit Kat Club. While performing the show in Chicago, the director of The Community Film Workshop , saw my recreation and encouraged me to film it. It's entitled :KNOW WHEN TO HOLD THEM It's on my youtube channel at Smokey Stevens. Having said this I'm thankful for the excellant artistic legacy they left me..Ronald Smokey Stevens

What a talent! Since he directed, could be the FIRST black to direct & supervise a film. Wonder why he didn't continue on;he had a following from vaudeville. A rare look at a genius back in the day...still holds up grandly. The stereotypes are not taken seriously, so stop the racists remarks! Just enjoy!!
BTW, His NOBODY recording is on YOUTUBE....

zon07, there is a collection of Williams' works in the 78 RPMs, including "Nobody."

http://www.archive.org/details/BertWilliams

***** stars to have this rare footage of this extraordinary groundbreaking performer, performing in a era where minstrel shows were still the way black Americans entered the entertainment industry.

** star for material he had to work with in this footage - but that was what white audiences wanted to see. He was a song and dance man and this was the silent era. Be thankful he was so popular someone decided to record him on film.

At 19:29 is where Bert Williams performs his famous pantomime poker sketch. Best part of this film. Wish they had let him do more of his own material.

In an era when racial inequality and stereotyping were an accepted part of life, he became the first black American to take a lead role on the Broadway stage, and did much to push back racial barriers during his career. Fellow vaudevillian W.C. Fields, who appeared in productions with Williams, described him as "the funniest man I ever saw – and the saddest man I ever knew." Williams was part of the duo song & dance act of "Williams and Walker". His most famous song was "Nobody".

In 1910 he received an unprecedented offer to join Flo Ziegfeld's Follies, becoming its first featured black performer in an all-white show. Several cast members delivered an ultimatum to Ziegfeld that Williams be fired or they would leave. Ziegfeld held firm, saying, "I can replace every one of you, except [Williams]."

Williams also had an exclusive contract with Columbia Records. The wording of Columbia's promotion dropped much of the previous "coon harmony"-type sales patter and touted Williams' "inimitable art" and "direct appeal to the intelligence." Tim Brooks (who gathered information on every Columbia Records recording from 1910-1934) wrote, "Williams had become a star who transcended race, to the extent that was possible in 1910." HOPE WE FIND A RECORDING OF "NOBODY" IN THE ARCHIVE SOON.

For those researching the West Indian contribution to American culture - Mr. Williams was born in Sweetes, Antigua.