Date of Birth
26 February 1933, New York City, New York, USA

Date of Death
29 November 1976, Los Angeles, California, USA (heart attack)

Birth Name
Godfrey MacArthur Cambridge

Mini Biography
Cambridge won a four year scholarship to study medicine but decided instead to become an actor, leaving college in his third year. He acted in many off-Broadway productions, winning the Village Voice's Obie Award in Jean Genet's The Blacks; and on Broadway he gained a Tony Award Nomination in Purlie's Victorious. It was as a comedian that he broke into television, initially in the Jack Paar Show. Having previously had occasional parts, he established himself in films in the late sixties. He played both comic and straight roles but is likely remembered such portrayals as that of the white bigot who wakes up one morning to find himself turned black in Watermelon Man, The (1970). His compulsive eating probably contributed to his untimely death at 43 on the set of the television film Victory at Entebbe (1976) (TV) in which he was to have played General Idi Amin.

Spouse
Barbara Ann Teer (? - ?) (divorced)

Trivia
Died of heart attack on set of TV movie Victory at Entebbe (1976) (TV), where he was set to play Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. Amin claimed Cambridge's death was "punishment from God."

Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith. Pg. 86-87. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387

Was nominated for Broadway's 1962 Tony Award for Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Dramatic) for "Purlie Victorious," a role he recreated in the film version titled Gone Are the Days! (1963).

Was originally set to star in "The Partners" (1971) but left during filming of the pilot because he did not get along with Don Adams.



Alternate Names: Godfrey M. Cambridge


Filmography

Actor:
Scott Joplin (1977).... Tom Turpin

Friday Foster (1975).... Ford Malotte

"Police Story".... Willis Johnson /... (3 episodes, 1975)
- The Cut Man Caper (1975) TV episode.... The Cut Man
- Year of the Dragon: Part 2 (1975) TV episode.... Willis Johnson
- Year of the Dragon: Part 1 (1975) TV episode.... Willis Johnson

Whiffs (1975).... Dusty
... aka C.A.S.H. (UK)
... aka W.H.I.F.F.S.

Ceremonies in Dark Old Men (1975) (TV).... Mr. Jenkins

Police Story: The Cut Man Caper (1975) (TV)

The Furst Family of Washington (1973) (TV).... Oscar Furst

Come Back, Charleston Blue (1972).... Gravedigger Jones

Beware! The Blob (1972).... Chester Hargis
... aka Son of Blob (UK) (USA: TV title)
... aka Beware of the Blob
... aka Son of the Blob (USA: video box title)

The Biscuit Eater (1972).... Willie Dorsey

"O'Hara, U.S. Treasury".... Win Ethan (1 episode, 1972)
- Operation: Rake-Off (1972) TV episode.... Win Ethan

"The Ice Palace" (1 episode, 1971)
- Episode #1.7 (1971) TV episode

"Night Gallery".... Jackie Slater (1 episode, 1971)
... aka Rod Serling's Night Gallery (USA)
- Make Me Laugh (1971) TV episode.... Jackie Slater

"Love, American Style".... (segment "Love and the Champ") (1 episode, 1970)
- Love and the Champ/Love and the Pen Pals (1970) TV episode.... (segment "Love and the Champ")

"The Red Skelton Show".... Joe Broadway (1 episode, 1970)
... aka The Red Skelton Hour (USA: new title)
- San Fernando Red and the Football Star (1970) TV episode.... Joe Broadway

Watermelon Man (1970).... Jeff Gerber

Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970).... Gravedigger Jones

Bye Bye Braverman (1968).... Taxi Driver

The Biggest Bundle of Them All (1968).... Benjamin'Benny' Brownstead

The President's Analyst (1967).... Don Masters, CEA Agent

"The Monkees".... Mexican Parking Lot Attendant (1 episode, 1967)
- A Nice Place to Visit (1967) TV episode (uncredited).... Mexican Parking Lot Attendant

"ABC Stage 67".... Husband (1 episode, 1967)
- A Time for Laughter: A Look at Negro Humor in America (1967) TV episode.... Husband

The Busy Body (1967).... Mike

"Daktari".... Mills (1 episode, 1966)
- Cry for Help (1966) TV episode.... Mills

"The Dick Van Dyke Show".... Harry Bond (1 episode, 1966)
... aka The Dick Van Dyke Daytime Show (USA: rerun title)
- The Man from My Uncle (1966) TV episode.... Harry Bond

"I Spy".... Cetshyayo (1 episode, 1966)
- Court of the Lion (1966) TV episode.... Cetshyayo

The Troublemaker (1964).... Fire Inspector

"East Side/West Side".... Portly (1 episode, 1963)
- Who Do You Kill? (1963) TV episode.... Portly

Gone Are the Days! (1963).... Gitlow Judson
... aka Purlie Victorious
... aka The Man from C.O.T.T.O.N. (USA: reissue title)

"Car 54, Where Are You?" (1 episode, 1963)
- The Curse of the Snitkins (1963) TV episode

"The United States Steel Hour" (1 episode, 1962)
... aka The U.S. Steel Hour (USA: alternative title)
- Male Call (1962) TV episode

"Naked City".... Detective Carlisle /... (2 episodes, 1960-1962)
- Today the Man Who Kills Ants Is Coming (1962) TV episode.... Detective Carlisle
- A Death of Princes (1960) TV episode (as Godfrey M. Cambridge).... George - Fight Handler

Splendor in the Grass (1961) (uncredited).... Chauffeur
... aka Splendour in the Grass (UK)

"The Defenders".... Guard (1 episode, 1961)
- The Riot (1961) TV episode.... Guard

The Last Angry Man (1959).... Nobody Home