James Wall, Captain Kangaroo's 'Mr. Baxter,' dies
NEW YORK — James Wall, Captain Kangaroo's neighbor "Mr. Baxter" on the children's show and longtime stage manager for CBS News, has died. He was 92.
CBS News says Wall died Wednesday in New York City after a short illness.
The former vaudevillian joined the popular children's show in 1962 as a stage manager before persuading the show's producers to create its first black character in 1968.
He played Baxter and another recurring roll on the show until 1978.
Wall was a stage manager for many CBS broadcasts over the years, including "60 Minutes," ''Face the Nation," and the US Open Tennis Championships.
In 1994, Wall was honored with an achievement award by the Director's Guild of America.
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked.
If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.