Josh Binney(1889-1956)

Josh Binney--born Harold Joshua Binney--was the second eldest of five sons. As a young man his interests turned to vaudeville, and he was one of the Keystone Kops. On October 14, 1908, he married Claribel Maude Sprung. They had three children: Robert, Isobel and Barbara (his great-granddaughter is actress Audrey Moore). He continued his film career as a director of many "race movies"--films geared toward African-American audiences with all-black casts--starring actors like Cab Calloway and Stepin Fetchit. He and his son Robert were active in summer stock and after the war he directed training films for the Army. His son, Robert Binney (stage name Conrad Noles), continued with him in show business and went on to star as Huey Long in "The Great Dictator" on Broadway, prior to World War II.