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
1962
The Mike Douglas Show
1961
The Love Boat
1977
Bonanza
1959
Mannix
1967
Magnum, P.I.
1980
Ironside
1967
Bewitched
1964
Love, American Style
1969
Hill Street Blues
1981
Adam-12
1968
The Incredible Hulk
1977
Filmography
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
as Self · 1962
The Mike Douglas Show
as Self · 1961
The Love Boat
as Virgil Gibson · 1977
Bonanza
as Jud · 1959
Mannix
· 1967
Magnum, P.I.
as Tickler · 1980
Ironside
as Jason · 1967
Bewitched
as Handler · 1964
Love, American Style
as One-Man Band · 1969
Hill Street Blues
· 1981
Adam-12
as George Strothers · 1968
The Incredible Hulk
· 1977
American Playhouse
as Parking Attendant · 1982
Taxi
as Walt · 1978
Hotel
as Garland Fisk · 1982
Starsky & Hutch
· 1975
The Colgate Comedy Hour
as Self · 1950
Kojak
as Gaylord Fuller · 1973
The Transformers
as Jazz (voice) · 1984
The Odd Couple
as Blind Man · 1970
Laverne & Shirley
· 1976
Matt Houston
· 1982
The Shining
as Hallorann · 1980
Vega$
· 1978
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
as Timothy · 1955
Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo
as (voice) · 1979
Sanford and Son
· 1972
The Aristocats
as Scat Cat (voice) · 1970
The Transformers: The Movie
as Jazz (voice) · 1986
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
as Orderly Turkle · 1975
Scooby's All-Stars
as Hong Kong Phooey (voice) · 1977
McMillan & Wife
as Floyd · 1971
Kolchak: The Night Stalker
as Uncle Filemon · 1974
The Adventures of Jim Bowie
· 1956
Lux Video Theatre
as Johnson · 1950
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
as Self · 1973
Madame's Place
as Self · 1982
The New Scooby-Doo Movies
as Meadowlark Lemon (voice) · 1972
Chico and the Man
as Louie · 1974
Roots
as Mingo · 1977
Nichols
as Jack · 1971
Temperatures Rising
· 1972
Bourbon Street Beat
as Joe · 1959
Flying High
· 1978
Hong Kong Phooey
as Hong Kong Phooey (voice) · 1974
Twilight Zone: The Movie
as Mr. Bloom · 1983
Johnny Midnight
as Train Attendant (uncredited) · 1960
Hello, Dolly!
as Mr. Jones (Porter) (uncredited) · 1969
The Shootist
as Moses · 1976
Paw Paws
as Eugene the Genie (voice) · 1985
Silver Streak
as Ralston · 1976
It Takes Two
· 1982
Alias Jesse James
as Railroad Porter (uncredited) · 1959
This Is Your Life
as Self · 1983
Harlem Globetrotters
· 1970
The Journey of Natty Gann
as Sherman · 1985
Bronco Billy
as Doc Lynch · 1980
The Cheap Detective
as Tinker · 1978
Stay Hungry
as William · 1976
The Patsy
as Shoeshine Boy · 1964
One of the Boys
as Bernard Soloman · 1982
Bloody Mama
as Moses · 1970
Zapped!
as Dexter Jones · 1982
Two of a Kind
as Earl · 1983
Black Belt Jones
as Pop Byrd · 1974
Between Heaven and Hell
as George (uncredited) · 1956
Griff
as Joe Rawls · 1973
The Lorax
as Singer · 1972
Friday Foster
as Reverend Noble Franklin · 1975
Scavenger Hunt
as Sam · 1979
Lady in a Cage
as Mr. Paul's Assistant (uncredited) · 1964
The King of Marvin Gardens
as Lewis · 1972
Coonskin
as Pappy / Old Man Bone (voice) · 1975
Casablanca
as Sam · 1983
The Super Globetrotters
as Nate Branch / Liquid Man (voice) · 1979
The Great White Hope
as Carnival Barker (uncredited) · 1970
Truck Turner
as Duke · 1974
Slaughter's Big Rip-Off
as Cleveland · 1973
Hook, Line and Sinker
as The Corpse (uncredited) · 1969
Transformers: 40th Anniversary Event
as Jazz (archive audio) · 2024
The Fortune
as Fisherman · 1975
Morningstar/Eveningstar
· 1986
Walking My Baby Back Home
as Smiley · 1953
Linda Lovelace for President
as Super Black · 1975
Meet Me at the Fair
as Enoch Jones · 1953
Deadly Eyes
as George Faskins · 1982
Scooby-Doo! Meets the Harlem Globetrotters
as (voices) · 1973
Lady Sings the Blues
as Big Ben · 1972
Porgy and Bess
as Crabman · 1959
Making 'The Shining'
as Self · 1980
The Sins of Rachel Cade
as Musinga · 1961
Man on the Outside
as Ruben Hammer · 1975
The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye
as Jazz (voice) · 1986
Shine On: The Forgotten Shining Location
as Self (archive footage) · 2024
Tarzan and the Trappers
as Tyana · 1960
Tarzan and the Trappers
as Tyana (as Sherman Crothers) · 1960
Transformers: The Return of Optimus Prime
as Jazz · 1987
Chesty Anderson U.S. Navy
as Ben Benson · 1976
Banjo the Woodpile Cat
as Crazy Legs (voice) · 1979
Johnny Dark
as Himself · 1954
Detroit 9000
as Reverend Markham · 1973
Missing Children: A Mother's Story
as Mose Wheeler · 1982
The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island
as Dewey Stevens · 1981
East of Sumatra
as Baltimore (as Scat Man Crothers) · 1953
Rock Odyssey
as Jukebox (voice) · 1987
Joys
as Self · 1976
NBC Salutes the 25th Anniversary of the Wonderful World of Disney
as Self · 1978
Scooby-Doo! and the Pirates
as (voice) (archive footage) · 2011
Chandler
as Smoke · 1971
Win, Place or Steal
as Attendant · 1975
Working
as Parking Attendant · 1982
Yes Sir, Mr. Bones
as Scatman · 1951
The Harlem Globetrotters Meet Snow White
as Nate (voice) · 1980
Mean Dog Blues
as Mudcat · 1978
Sty of the Blind Pig
as Doc · 1974
Grandpa, Will You Run with Me?
as Self - Sketch Performer · 1983