James E. Wall

James E. Wall (December 12, 1917 – October 27, 2010) was an American actor and stage manager whose career spanned Broadway, television, and sports broadcasting. Born in Wilmington, North Carolina, he was raised both there and in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. The younger of two sons of Elizabeth Davis and Ballie W. Wall Sr., a barber, Wall attended Alexander Hamilton High School before pursuing higher education at NYU and Columbia University. A communications major, he became proficient in French, Spanish, Portuguese, Yiddish, and Russian.

Wall traced his desire to perform to his time in the United States Army during World War II, where he attained the rank of master sergeant. Following his military service, he built a career in radio and theater before establishing himself on Broadway. His Broadway appearances spanned from 1952 to 1960 and included Shuffle Along in 1952, the musical Jamaica, the drama Mister Johnson, Seventh Heaven, and The Long Dream. He worked on Broadway in a dual capacity, serving as both actor and stage manager.

In 1962, CBS hired Wall as stage manager for the children's television series Captain Kangaroo. He later advocated to the show's producers for the inclusion of an African-American character, though he was still required to audition for the role. He joined the cast in 1968 as Mr. Baxter, a teacher and neighbor of Captain Kangaroo, remaining with the series until 1979 and making a guest appearance in 1981. In 1964, he had appeared on screen as a stage manager in "The Lost Lady Blues," the penultimate episode of the CBS series The Reporter. A clip of Wall discussing his role on Captain Kangaroo aired on the CBS Evening News on October 28, 2010. He also served as stage manager for the US Open Tennis Championships telecasts for 41 consecutive years. In 1994, the Directors Guild of America presented him with the Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award. Wall continued working for CBS in a semi-retirement capacity until 2009.

Wall was married to Verine Franklin from at least 1950 through 1958. He died in his sleep at his Manhattan home on October 27, 2010, at the age of 92.