Fanny De Knight

Fanny Belle DeKnight, born Fannie Belle Johnson on May 22, 1869, in Richmond, Virginia, was an American actress whose career spanned stage and film work across the 1920s and 1930s. She died on April 28, 1950.

DeKnight began her performing career in the 1890s, touring alongside her husband, pianist Samuel Knight, in a capacity that drew on her skills as a comedic reciter. By 1913, she had broadened her professional identity, advertising herself as a dramatic and dialect reader in The Crisis.

Her stage career included several notable theatrical productions. She appeared in the 1922 play Taboo as Mammy Dorcas and took on the role of Mrs. Frisbie in Lulu Belle. In 1931, she made her Broadway appearance in The House of Connelly. She also appeared in Carry Nation in 1932, portraying Aunt Judy.

DeKnight's film work brought her considerable recognition. Director King Vidor personally selected her for the 1929 musical film Hallelujah, casting her in the role of Mammy Johnson, a part for which she became particularly well known. She subsequently appeared in the 1932 short musical film A Rhapsody in Black and Blue alongside Sidney Easton, though both performers went uncredited for their primary roles in that production.