Fat Albert & The Cosby Kids -- Real-Life Counterparts

Cafe Society
1

I just watched the “Fat Albert” movie (well, skipped through it, really, but it is hard to be too critical of something that at least had its heart in the right place), and was moved by the final scene of Bill Cosby and the elderly men standing at the grave of Albert Robertson, the real-life counterpart of Fat Albert. Each elderly man was intercut with his character from the movie. Bill Cosby is of course Cos. His brother Russell was the inspiration for Russell.

Question: Are the other men in the scene the actual boyhood friends of Bill Cosby upon whom he based the Fat Albert characters?

Russell Cosby is one of only two of the men credited besides Bill. There is a credit for “Old Old Weird Harold.” John Bynum, iirc.

Anybody know of a site that might delve into Bill Cosby’s boyhood friends and their inspiration for the cartoons?

Thanks,

Sir Rhosis

2

Sorry, no answer, but that sounds like pretty cool scene.

3

It was a nice scene, though a bit corny that each elderly man was wearing clothes like their cartoon counterpoint – Bill Cosby in a white sweater, Russell Cosby in a winter cap with earmuffs, “Mush-Mouth” in a boggin with a ball, etc. “Mush-Mouth” was confined to a wheelchair.

Sir Rhosis