Scatman Crothers

Biography

Benjamin Sherman "Scatman" Crothers (May 23, 1910 – November 22, 1986) was an American actor, singer, dancer and musician known for his work as Louie the Garbage Man on the TV show Chico and the Man, and as Dick Hallorann in The Shining in 1980. He was also a prolific voiceover artist, and provided the voices of Meadowlark Lemon in the animated TV version of The Harlem Globetrotters, Jazz the Autobot in The Transformers, the title character in Hong Kong Phooey, and Scat Cat in the 1970 film The Aristocats.

Known For

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

The Love Boat

Bonanza

Hill Street Blues

Ironside

The Mike Douglas Show

Adam-12

Mannix

All Movies (64)

• Transformers: 40th Anniversary Event2024 · as Jazz (archive audio)
• Scooby-Doo! and the Pirates2011 · as (voice) (archive footage)
• Transformers: The Return of Optimus Prime1987 · as Jazz
• Rock Odyssey1987 · as Jukebox (voice)
• The Transformers: The Movie1986 · as Jazz (voice)
• The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye1986 · as Jazz (voice)
• The Journey of Natty Gann1985 · as Sherman
• Two of a Kind1983 · as Earl
• Twilight Zone: The Movie1983 · as Mr. Bloom
• Grandpa, Will You Run with Me?1983 · as Self - Sketch Performer
• Missing Children: A Mother's Story1982 · as Mose Wheeler
• Deadly Eyes1982 · as George Faskins
• Zapped!1982 · as Dexter Jones
• Working1982 · as Parking Attendant
• The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island1981 · as Dewey Stevens
• Making 'The Shining'1980 · as Self
• The Harlem Globetrotters Meet Snow White1980 · as Nate (voice)
• Bronco Billy1980 · as Doc Lynch
• The Shining1980 · as Hallorann
• Scavenger Hunt1979 · as Sam
• Banjo the Woodpile Cat1979 · as Crazy Legs (voice)
• NBC Salutes the 25th Anniversary of the Wonderful World of Disney1978 · as Self
• The Cheap Detective1978 · as Tinker
• Mean Dog Blues1978 · as Mudcat
• Silver Streak1976 · as Ralston
• Chesty Anderson U.S. Navy1976 · as Ben Benson
• The Shootist1976 · as Moses
• Stay Hungry1976 · as William
• Joys1976 · as Self
• Friday Foster1975 · as Reverend Noble Franklin
• One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest1975 · as Orderly Turkle
• Coonskin1975 · as Pappy / Old Man Bone (voice)
• Man on the Outside1975 · as Ruben Hammer
• The Fortune1975 · as Fisherman
• Linda Lovelace for President1975 · as Super Black
• Win, Place or Steal1975 · as Attendant
• Truck Turner1974 · as Duke
• Sty of the Blind Pig1974 · as Doc
• Black Belt Jones1974 · as Pop Byrd
• Scooby-Doo! Meets the Harlem Globetrotters1973 · as (voices)
• Slaughter's Big Rip-Off1973 · as Cleveland
• Detroit 90001973 · as Reverend Markham
• The King of Marvin Gardens1972 · as Lewis
• Lady Sings the Blues1972 · as Big Ben
• The Lorax1972 · as Singer
• Chandler1971 · as Smoke
• The Aristocats1970 · as Scat Cat (voice)
• The Great White Hope1970 · as Carnival Barker (uncredited)
• Bloody Mama1970 · as Moses
• Hello, Dolly!1969 · as Mr. Jones (Porter) (uncredited)
• Hook, Line and Sinker1969 · as The Corpse (uncredited)
• The Patsy1964 · as Shoeshine Boy
• Lady in a Cage1964 · as Mr. Paul's Assistant (uncredited)
• The Sins of Rachel Cade1961 · as Musinga
• Porgy and Bess1959 · as Crabman
• Alias Jesse James1959 · as Railroad Porter (uncredited)
• Tarzan and the Trappers1958 · as Tyana
• Tarzan and the Trappers1958 · as Tyana (as Sherman Crothers)
• Between Heaven and Hell1956 · as George (uncredited)
• Johnny Dark1954 · as Himself
• Walking My Baby Back Home1953 · as Smiley Gordon
• East of Sumatra1953 · as Baltimore (as Scat Man Crothers)
• Meet Me at the Fair1953 · as Enoch Jones
• Yes Sir, Mr. Bones1951 · as Scatman

All TV Shows (50)

• Morningstar/Eveningstar1986
• Paw Paws1985 · as Eugene the Genie (voice)
• The Transformers1984 · as Jazz (voice)
• This Is Your Life1983 · as Self
• Casablanca1983 · as Sam
• It Takes Two1982
• Matt Houston1982
• Madame's Place1982 · as Self
• Hotel1982 · as Garland Fisk
• One of the Boys1982 · as Bernard Soloman
• Hill Street Blues1981
• Magnum, P.I.1980 · as Tickler
• The Super Globetrotters1979 · as Nate Branch / Liquid Man (voice)
• Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo1979 · as (voice)
• Flying High1978
• Vega$1978
• Taxi1978 · as Walt
• The Incredible Hulk1977
• The Love Boat1977 · as Virgil Gibson
• Scooby's All-Stars1977 · as Hong Kong Phooey (voice)
• Roots1977 · as Mingo
• Laverne & Shirley1976
• Starsky & Hutch1975
• Chico and the Man1974 · as Louie
• Kolchak: The Night Stalker1974 · as Uncle Filemon
• Hong Kong Phooey1974 · as Hong Kong Phooey (voice)
• Kojak1973 · as Gaylord Fuller
• Griff1973 · as Joe Rawls
• The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts1973 · as Self
• Temperatures Rising1972
• The New Scooby-Doo Movies1972 · as Meadowlark Lemon (voice)
• Sanford and Son1972
• McMillan & Wife1971 · as Floyd
• Nichols1971 · as Jack
• The Odd Couple1970 · as Blind Man
• Harlem Globetrotters1970
• Love, American Style1969 · as One-Man Band
• Adam-121968 · as George Strothers
• Mannix1967
• Ironside1967 · as Jason
• Bewitched1964 · as Handler
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson1962 · as Self
• The Mike Douglas Show1961 · as Self
• Johnny Midnight1960 · as Train Attendant (uncredited)
• Bourbon Street Beat1959 · as Joe
• Bonanza1959 · as Jud
• The Adventures of Jim Bowie1956
• Alfred Hitchcock Presents1955 · as Timothy
• Lux Video Theatre1950 · as Johnson
• The Colgate Comedy Hour1950 · as Self