Last updated: November 29, 2021
Place
Eddie "Rochester" Anderson House
Photograph by Emily Rinaldi, courtesy of California State Historic Preservation Office
Quick Facts
Location:
1932 Rochester Cir. Los Angeles, California
Significance:
Ethnic Heritage/Black, Performing Arts
Designation:
Listed in the National Register – Reference number 100005219
OPEN TO PUBLIC:
No
MANAGED BY:
Oh Rochester, your house was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2020. The Eddie Anderson "Rochester" House is located in the South Los Angeles neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It was built in 1940 and was the residence of Edmund "Rochester" Anderson, famous African American radio, film, and television actor, from 1940 to his death in 1977. The main house is a two-story, single-family Colonial Revival residence with a wood-framed structure.
Edmund Lincoln Anderson was an entertainer who was so strongly associated with his most famous role that he became commonly known as “Rochester” the name of his character on The Jack Benny Program. Anderson was born in Oakland, California on September 18, 1905. By 1920, the family had moved to San Francisco. As a boy, Anderson sold newspapers on a street corner and permanently damaged his vocal cords from the constant shouting. As a result, he developed a raspy voice that would become his trademark. Anderson began singing and dancing in vaudeville houses as a teenager. He performed in various teams, which often included his older brother Cornelius. One such team, The Three Black Aces, enjoyed considerable success in the late 1920s and early 1930s. During one of his vaudeville tours on the East Coast, Anderson met the comedian Jack Benny. The men only shook hands, not knowing that one day they would be connected professionally and personally.
Precisely when Anderson moved to Los Angeles is unknown, but it must have been in the early 1930s. His first film appearance was What Price Hollywood? in 1932. Anderson played a butler. During the Golden Age of Hollywood African American actors were mainly relegated to roles as servants and other demeaning parts. With limited opportunities for upward mobility, many black actors calculated that playing a servant was better than being a servant. Anderson continued to work in films through the 1930s, but mostly uncredited parts such as bellhops, chauffeurs, and porters. His most important role during this period was in The Green Pastures (1936), the first film produced by a major Hollywood studio with an all-black cast since 1929. The film depicted stories from the Bible with Anderson playing the part of Noah. He also performed in nightclubs such as the Apex Club on Central Avenue, the heart of the African American community of Los Angeles before World War II.
Anderson rose to national fame through the role of Rochester on The Jack Benny Program. The radio program bounced back and forth between CBS and NBC between 1932 and 1955. It was among the most highly rated programs during its run and is credited as one of the originators of the situational comedy form. Anderson’s first appearance on the program on March 28, 1937 was a one-time role as a porter. Five weeks later he was cast as a waiter. A few weeks later, Anderson was once again given a bit part on the program. The show received so much favorable mail about the gravel-voiced Anderson that Benny decided to create a regular role for him as his butler and valet, “Rochester van Jones.” Anderson first appeared on the program as Rochester on June 20, 1937. This was the first time a black actor had achieved a reoccurring role on a radio program. The fact that Anderson was cast as a black character was a major step forward from programs such as Beulah and Amos and Andy where white actors played blacks. While he played Benny’s servant, “Anderson often got the better of his boss,” as historian R.J. Smith points out. While Rochester, especially in the early years, was a racist trope for a lazy servant with bad habits like drinking and gambling, the character was also smart, outspoken, and witty. Anderson often deflated Benny’s pomposity with a single line “What’s that, boss?” which became his catch phrase.
After Anderson joined the cast of The Jack Benny Program, he continued to act in films on a regular basis. Two of the films in which he appeared won the Academy Award for Best Picture, You Can’t Take It with You (1938) and Gone with the Wind (1939). His parts in those films were still small, because starring roles for African Americans in Hollywood were rare. In 1943, MGM decided to make a film version of the Broadway musical, Cabin in the Sky, which featured an all-black cast. Anderson was cast in the starring role of Little Joe Jackson, who dreams of being a better man. Cabin in the Sky was the feature film debut of the director Vincente Minnelli and the singer Lena Horne.
This grand new house, built in 1940, reflected Anderson’s success in the entertainment industry. By this time, he was earning a salary of $100,000 a year, making him the highest paid African American actor in Hollywood at the time. During World War II, Anderson used his celebrity status to advocate for blacks in the military. He believed that African Americans should be given the opportunity to fly planes for the Armed Forces. To show his support, he visited the Tuskegee Airfield and meet with pilots there.
While The Jack Benny Program continued to air on CBS radio until 1955, a television version debuted in 1950. Following World War II, the racial humor on the show surrounding Rochester declined. Benny and the writers made a conscious effort to remove all stereotypical aspects from Rochester’s character. The relationship between Benny and Rochester became more complex and familiar over time. Mary Livingston, Benny’s wife in real life and on the show, decided to reduce her role. Despite her success, she suffered from stage fright, which grew more acute over time. As Livingston appeared less frequently, Rochester became Benny’s primary foil. After the television show ended in 1965, by all accounts the two men held each other in high esteem and remained friends.
During the latter period of his life, he spent most of his time with his stable of racehorses, a hobby he had developed earlier in his life. Anderson died on February 28, 1977. He was posthumously awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Radio. He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2001. Anderson is significant as a rare example of an African American who found success in the early entertainment industry. Playing the role of Rochester (both radio and television) made Anderson one of the most popular and highest paid comedians of the 1940s, 50s, and 60s.
The Eddie Rochester Anderson Foundation used the property as a sober living facility until recently, when the program moved to another location. The property is now rented out.
Edmund Lincoln Anderson was an entertainer who was so strongly associated with his most famous role that he became commonly known as “Rochester” the name of his character on The Jack Benny Program. Anderson was born in Oakland, California on September 18, 1905. By 1920, the family had moved to San Francisco. As a boy, Anderson sold newspapers on a street corner and permanently damaged his vocal cords from the constant shouting. As a result, he developed a raspy voice that would become his trademark. Anderson began singing and dancing in vaudeville houses as a teenager. He performed in various teams, which often included his older brother Cornelius. One such team, The Three Black Aces, enjoyed considerable success in the late 1920s and early 1930s. During one of his vaudeville tours on the East Coast, Anderson met the comedian Jack Benny. The men only shook hands, not knowing that one day they would be connected professionally and personally.
Precisely when Anderson moved to Los Angeles is unknown, but it must have been in the early 1930s. His first film appearance was What Price Hollywood? in 1932. Anderson played a butler. During the Golden Age of Hollywood African American actors were mainly relegated to roles as servants and other demeaning parts. With limited opportunities for upward mobility, many black actors calculated that playing a servant was better than being a servant. Anderson continued to work in films through the 1930s, but mostly uncredited parts such as bellhops, chauffeurs, and porters. His most important role during this period was in The Green Pastures (1936), the first film produced by a major Hollywood studio with an all-black cast since 1929. The film depicted stories from the Bible with Anderson playing the part of Noah. He also performed in nightclubs such as the Apex Club on Central Avenue, the heart of the African American community of Los Angeles before World War II.
Anderson rose to national fame through the role of Rochester on The Jack Benny Program. The radio program bounced back and forth between CBS and NBC between 1932 and 1955. It was among the most highly rated programs during its run and is credited as one of the originators of the situational comedy form. Anderson’s first appearance on the program on March 28, 1937 was a one-time role as a porter. Five weeks later he was cast as a waiter. A few weeks later, Anderson was once again given a bit part on the program. The show received so much favorable mail about the gravel-voiced Anderson that Benny decided to create a regular role for him as his butler and valet, “Rochester van Jones.” Anderson first appeared on the program as Rochester on June 20, 1937. This was the first time a black actor had achieved a reoccurring role on a radio program. The fact that Anderson was cast as a black character was a major step forward from programs such as Beulah and Amos and Andy where white actors played blacks. While he played Benny’s servant, “Anderson often got the better of his boss,” as historian R.J. Smith points out. While Rochester, especially in the early years, was a racist trope for a lazy servant with bad habits like drinking and gambling, the character was also smart, outspoken, and witty. Anderson often deflated Benny’s pomposity with a single line “What’s that, boss?” which became his catch phrase.
After Anderson joined the cast of The Jack Benny Program, he continued to act in films on a regular basis. Two of the films in which he appeared won the Academy Award for Best Picture, You Can’t Take It with You (1938) and Gone with the Wind (1939). His parts in those films were still small, because starring roles for African Americans in Hollywood were rare. In 1943, MGM decided to make a film version of the Broadway musical, Cabin in the Sky, which featured an all-black cast. Anderson was cast in the starring role of Little Joe Jackson, who dreams of being a better man. Cabin in the Sky was the feature film debut of the director Vincente Minnelli and the singer Lena Horne.
This grand new house, built in 1940, reflected Anderson’s success in the entertainment industry. By this time, he was earning a salary of $100,000 a year, making him the highest paid African American actor in Hollywood at the time. During World War II, Anderson used his celebrity status to advocate for blacks in the military. He believed that African Americans should be given the opportunity to fly planes for the Armed Forces. To show his support, he visited the Tuskegee Airfield and meet with pilots there.
While The Jack Benny Program continued to air on CBS radio until 1955, a television version debuted in 1950. Following World War II, the racial humor on the show surrounding Rochester declined. Benny and the writers made a conscious effort to remove all stereotypical aspects from Rochester’s character. The relationship between Benny and Rochester became more complex and familiar over time. Mary Livingston, Benny’s wife in real life and on the show, decided to reduce her role. Despite her success, she suffered from stage fright, which grew more acute over time. As Livingston appeared less frequently, Rochester became Benny’s primary foil. After the television show ended in 1965, by all accounts the two men held each other in high esteem and remained friends.
During the latter period of his life, he spent most of his time with his stable of racehorses, a hobby he had developed earlier in his life. Anderson died on February 28, 1977. He was posthumously awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Radio. He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2001. Anderson is significant as a rare example of an African American who found success in the early entertainment industry. Playing the role of Rochester (both radio and television) made Anderson one of the most popular and highest paid comedians of the 1940s, 50s, and 60s.
The Eddie Rochester Anderson Foundation used the property as a sober living facility until recently, when the program moved to another location. The property is now rented out.