Charles H. Turpin (died 1935) was a constable [1] filmmaker, theater owner, and judge in St. Louis, Missouri. [2] [3] In 1910, he became the first African American elected to city-wide office in St. Louis. [1] [4] A legal dispute contested his estate. [2]
He was born in Ohio and moved with his family to Mississippi for a few years as a child. [5] Tom Turpin, a musician and ragtime composer, was his brother. Saloon owner and businessman John L. Turpin, proprietor of the Silver Dollar Saloon in St. Louis was their father. [6]
In 1913 he arranged to build a 1-story theater building in St. Louis. [7] He served as a constable in St. Louis Fourth District. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch advised readers not to re-elect him as constable. [8]
In 1937, Time magazine referred to him as a " taffy-colored Republican". [9]
Turpin was also involved in filmmaking. [10] He produced short documentary films. [11]
Thomas Million John Turpin Jr. was his brother. [12] [13]
He owned the Booker T. Washington theater in St. Louis. [14] [3]
Charles Udell Turpin was his son. [9] He was noted as a successful Remington salesman. [15]
The Booker T. Washington Theatre was preceded by John L. Turpin's Silver Dollar saloon and then the Rosebud Café from 1800 to 1906 where his brother performed. [6] It became an important venue in St. Louis. The theater building designed by J. M. Hirschtein succeeded and Airdome theater Turoin operated on the site for several years. [16]
The theater hosted vaudeville, motion pictures, and musical acts including Clara Smith, Bessie Smith, Ethel Waters and Bill Robinson. A young Josephine Baker performed with her children outside the theater seeking notice. [17] [18] [19] It closed around 1930.
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