James Wall

Who was James Wall?

James Earl "Jimmy" Wall was an American stage manager and actor.

Having performed on radio, theater, and in the Army during World War II, Wall worked as a stage manager on Broadway before being hired as the stage manager for the children's television series Captain Kangaroo by CBS in 1962. In an interview clip that aired on the October 28, 2010, CBS Evening News, Wall recalled how he made the case to Kangaroo's producers for an African-American character. However, he still had to audition for the role which became Mr. Baxter, a teacher and Captain Kangaroo's neighbor. Wall joined the cast in 1968, remaining with the show until 1979; he made a guest appearance in 1981. He was also the stage manager for 41 consecutive years on the US Open Tennis Championships telecasts.

Wall was presented with the Directors Guild of America's Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award in 1994. He continued to work for CBS in semi-retirement until 2009.