Roscoe Ates

Biography

Roscoe Ates was a versatile American performer who excelled in vaudeville, stage, and screen. Born on January 20, 1895, in rural Mississippi, he began his career as a violinist accompanying silent films before transitioning to comedy, reviving his childhood stutter for comedic effect. He gained fame as the western character Soapy Jones, appearing in notable films like "Freaks" (1932) and "Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops" (1955).