# Scoey Mitchell

Roscoe Mitchell Jr. or Scoey Mitchell (March 12, 1930 – March 19, 2022), usually credited as Scoey Mitchell, was an American actor, producer, writer and television director known for frequent appearances on 1970s game shows, including Match Game and Tattletales. He starred in the short-lived series Barefoot in the Park (based on the Neil Simon play) and had a recurring role on Rhoda.
He created two short-lived NBC television series, Me and Mrs. C and 13 East. He appeared as Richard Pryor's father in the film Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling.

## Early life and career

Mitchell was born on March 12, 1930, in Newburgh, New York, as Roscoe Mitchlll Jr. (the surname had three "L"s, and no "E"). His father was a Baptist minister and community activist. His brother was jazz pianist Billy Mitchell. He started his career on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in 1967. He appeared in What's It All About, World? as himself in 1969.
He guest-starred in television series including The Mothers-in-Law, Here Come the Brides, That Girl, The Odd Couple, The Six Million Dollar Man, and Baretta.
Mitchell starred in several television films, including Voyage of the Yes, Cops, and Cindy. He also turned to directing television with the film Me & Mrs. C. in 1984 and episodes of 13 East in 1989–90. Mitchell wrote for television, including The Scoey Mitchell Show in 1972, Just a Little More Love in 1983, and Handsome Harry's. In addition, he ventured into production of television and television films, including Grambling's White Tiger in 1981, Gus Brown and Midnight Brewster in 1985, and Miracle at Beekman's Place in 1988.
Mitchell also was on a number of television shows as himself, including Match Game from 1974 to 1979, Super Password in 1988, The Joey Bishop Show 1968–69, Hollywood Squares in 1968, and Tattletales from 1974 to 1978 and from 1982 to 1984. He guest starred on an episode of Taxi titled "Memories of Cab 804, Part 1" (1978) during the first season and his name was misspelled in the end credits as "Scoey Mitchell" (a letter 'l' replaced the letter 'e').
In September 1970, ABC cast Mitchell in Barefoot in the Park based on Neil Simon's Broadway play of the same name. The series cast members were predominantly black, making it the first American television sitcom since Amos 'n' Andy to have a predominantly black cast (Vito Scotti was the sole major white character). Barefoot in the Park had been a successful 1967 film starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda. It was thought by ABC that placing Barefoot in the Park behind Bewitched would do well, but because that show was already in a slump, Barefoot in the Park never developed high numbers for the network. During its first few episodes, Barefoot in the Park developed behind-the-scenes strife that sealed its fate: Mitchell was fired due to "differences of opinion" with the series' producers. Rather than replace Mitchell with another actor—and already disenchanted with the low ratings—ABC decided to cancel Barefoot in the Park in December 1970.
In 1986, Mitchell was in Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling, a semi-autobiographical film about Richard Pryor. In 2017, after a hiatus of almost thirty years, he returned to acting, in a one-off role in A Kindred Soul.

## Death

Mitchell died of kidney failure on March 19, 2022, in a hospice-care facility in Torrance, California. He was survived by his wife, Claire.

## Filmography
### Acting
#### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1986 | Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling | Father | Semi-autobiographical; directed by Richard Pryor. |

#### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Episode(s) | Notes |
| 1965 | Get Smart | | | Credited as Scoey Mitchell |
| 1967 | The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour | Himself | "Episode #2.12" (S2:Ep 12) | Credited as Scoey Mitchell |
| 1968 | The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour | Himself | "Episode #2.17" (S2:Ep 17) | Credited as Scoey Mitchell |
| 1968 | The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour | Himself | "Episode #2.24" (S2:Ep 24) | Credited as Scoey Mitchell |
| 1969 | What's It All About, World? | Himself | | Contract role |
| 1969 | The Mothers-in-Law | Solomon Elkins | "Guess Who's Coming Forever" (S2:Ep 20) | Credited as Scoey Mitchell |
| 1969 | Here Come the Brides | Sheriff Bond | "Far Cry from Yesterday" (S2:Ep 1) | |
| 1969 | The Carol Burnett Show | Himself | "Episode #3.4" (S3:Ep 4) | |
| 1969 | That Girl | Tony Harris | "Shake Hands and Come Out Acting" (S4:Ep 9) | Credited as Scoey Mitchell |
| 1970 | Barefoot in the Park | Paul Bratter | | Contract role; credited as Scoey Mitchell |
| 1972 | The Odd Couple | Consul from Nigeria | "The Princess" (S3:Ep 3) | Uncredited |
| 1973 | Voyage of the Yes | Pretty | Television film | Directed by Lee H. Katzin. |
| 1973 | Cops | Sergeant Monroe Dupree | Television film | Credited as "Scoey Mitchell" Directed and written by Jerry Belson. |
| 1974 | The Six Million Dollar Man | Major Chooka | "Little Orphan Airplane" (S1:Ep 5) | Credited as Scoey Mitchell |
| 1974–76 | Rhoda | Justin Culp | Recurring | Credited as Scoey Mitchell |
| 1975 | Joe Forrester | Guest | Pilot: "Stake Out" | |
| 1975 | Police Story | Investigator Mal Groves | "The Execution" (S2:Ep 18) "The Cut Man Caper" (S3:Ep 5) | |
| 1976 | Doc | The Father | "And Baby Makes Eight" (S1:Ep 16) | |
| 1977 | Baretta | Mike | "Playin' Police" (S3:Ep 24) | Credited as Scoey Mitchell |
| 1978 | Cindy | Cindy's father | Television film | Directed by William Graham. |
| 1978 | Baretta | Aterna | "The Bundle" (S4:Ep 24) | |
| 1978 | Taxi | Robber | "Memories of Cab 804: Part 1" (S1:Ep 11) | Credited as Scoey Mitchell |
| 1979 | Lou Grant | Minister | "Skids" (S2:Ep 23) | Credited as Scoey Mitchell |
| 1979 | Just Friends | Guest | "Room at the Top" (S1:Ep 8) | |
| 1979 | A New Kind of Family | Carl Ashton | "Thank You for a Lovely Evening" (S1:Ep 7) | |
| 1979 | Password Plus | Guest | Air date April 2, 1979, with Lee Meriwether | Credited as Scoey Mitchell |
| 1985 | Gus Brown and Midnight Brewster | Maurice | Television film | Directed by James Fargo. |
| 1985 | Handsome Harry's | Harry Marquette | Television film | Credited as "Scoey Mitchell" Directed by Bill Foster. |
| 1986 | Me & Mrs. C. | Reverend Kilgore | "Ladies' Choice: Part 1" (S1:Ep 2) "Ladies' Choice: Part 2" (S1:Ep 3) | |
| 1986 | Miracle at Beekman's Place | Dr Cyrus Beekman | Television film | Directed by Bernard L. Kowalski and written by Mitchell. |

### Directing
#### Television

| Year | Title | Production Type | Episodes | Notes |
| 1984 | Me & Mrs. C. | M Television film | | Co-directed with Drew R. Handley |
| 1987 | Me & Mrs. C. | TV series | "The Jailbird" (S2:Ep 2) "Happy Birthday to You" (S2:Ep 3) "A Bump in the Night" (S2:Ep 12) "Smarty Pants" (S2:Ep 13) | |
| 1989–90 | 13 East | TV series | Pilot: "Where's the Ticket?" (S1:Ep 1) "I've Got a Loan to Pick with You" (S1:Ep 2) "A Day in the Life" (S1:Ep 3) "The Switch" (S1:Ep 4) "Tabloid Time" (S1:Ep 5) "Poppa's Coming" (S1:Ep 6) "Bullseye" (S2:Ep 10) | |

### Writing
#### Television

| Year | Title | Production Type | Directed by | Notes |
| 1972 | The Scoey Mitchell Show | Television film | Marc Breslow | |
| 1983 | Just a Little More Love | Television film | Burt Brinckerhoff | |
| 1984 | Me & Mrs. C. | Television film | Co-directed with Drew R. Handley | |
| 1985 | Gus Brown and Midnight Brewster | Television film | James Fargo | Story by Mitchell and Martin Rips; teleplay by Mitchell. |
| 1985 | Handsome Harry's | Television film | Bill Foster | Co-written and story by Mitchell with Calvin Kelly and James Tisdale (credited as Jim Tisdale). |
| 1986 | Me & Mrs. C. | Television series | | Episodes: Pilot: "Moving in and Moving Out" (S1:Ep 1) "Ladies' Choice: Part 2" (S1:Ep 3) "The Checks Are in the Mail" (S1:Ep 4) "The Lottery" (S1:Ep 5) "Let's Have a Party" (S1:Ep 6) |
| 1988 | A Whole Lotta Fun | Television film | | Co-written with Cassandra Clark, James Hampton, Tracy Morgan, Deborah Pearl (credited as Debbie Pearl), Steve Robertson, and John Vornholt. |
| 1988 | Miracle at Beekman's Place | Television film | Bernard L. Kowalski | |

### Production
#### Television

| Year | Title | Production Type | Credited as | Notes |
| 1981 | Grambling's White Tiger | Television film | Associate producer | Directed by Georg Stanford Brown |
| 1983 | Just a Little More Love | Television film | Executive producer | |
| 1984 | Me & Mrs. C. | Television film | Producer | |
| 1985 | Gus Brown and Midnight Brewster | Television film | Producer | |
| 1985 | Handsome Harry's | Television film | Executive producer | |
| 1986 | Me & Mrs. C. | Television series | Producer | |
| 1988 | A Whole Lotta Fun | Television film | Executive producer | |
| 1988 | Miracle at Beekman's Place | Television film | Producer | |
| 1989 | 13 East | Television series | Producer | |