Vernon McCalla (1905-1968) was a Jamaican American actor and activist who worked in Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s. He appeared in many of the films made by

Million Dollar Productions Million Dollar Productions was a movie studio in the United States active from 1937 until 1940. It was established to produce films with African American casts. It was a partnership between Harry M. Popkin, Leo C. Popkin and Ralph Cooper. Histor ...

Biography

Vernon was born in Kingston, Jamaica, to James McCalla and Florence Mossman. The family relocated to Oakland, California, when Vernon was young, and eventually he made his way to Hollywood where he began appearing on-screen. McCalla served as a representative for Black Hollywood professionals looking for more opportunities in filmmaking in the late 1930s and headed up the city's Young Voters' Club. Around that time, be began acting in a number of films made by Million Dollar Productions, a Los Angeles–based company owned and operated by Black filmmakers. He later returned to Oakland, where he became a businessman and was active in local politics.

Selected filmography

* '' Lady Luck'' (1942) * ''

Mr. Washington Goes to Town ''Mr. Washington Goes to Town'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by William Beaudine and Jed Buell, and starring F. E. Miller, Mantan Moreland and Maceo Bruce Sheffield. The film was marketed primarily to black audiences and written and fil ...

'' (1941) * ''

Four Shall Die ''Four Shall Die'' is a 1940 American supernatural crime film directed by William Beaudine. It features Dorothy Dandridge in her first credited film role. Cast * Niel Webster as Pierre Touissant * Mantan Moreland as Beefus, Touissant's Chauffe ...

'' (1940) * ''

Am I Guilty? ''Am I Guilty?'' Is an American film released in 1940 directed by Samuel Neufeld for the Supreme Pictures Corporation. A. W. Hackel was the film's producer.; his Supreme Pictures, which had produced dozens of Western films, planned a series of fi ...

'' (1940) * ''

One Dark Night ''One Dark Night'' (also known as ''Entity Force'') is a 1982 American supernatural horror film directed by Tom McLoughlin, and starring Meg Tilly, E. G. Daily, and Adam West. The film follows three teenagers sent to a mausoleum for the night as ...

'' (1939) * ''

Reform School A reform school was a penal institution, generally for teenagers mainly operating between 1830 and 1900. In the United Kingdom and its colonies reformatories commonly called reform schools were set up from 1854 onwards for youngsters who were ...

'' (1939) * '' Double Deal'' (1939) * ''

Gang Smashers ''Gang Smashers'', also released as ''Gun Moll'', is an American film released in 1938. It features an African American cast. Leo C. Popkin directed the Million Dollar Productions film from a screenplay by Ralph Cooper. The University of South C ...

'' (1938) * ''

The Duke Is Tops ''The Duke Is Tops'' is a 1938 American musical film released by Million Dollar Productions and directed by William Nolte. The film was later released in 1943 under the title ''The Bronze Venus''. It features top-billed Lena Horne in her film d ...

'' (1938)

References

Jamaican male film actors Jamaican emigrants to the United States 1905 births 1968 deaths {{US-film-actor-1900s-stub