I, too, enjoy the Stepin Fetchit character. He is supposed to look "foolish" and cowardly but he was the only one who was really making any sense. He kept warning Tom and Charlie about the dangers in the tomb and look what happens--Tom gets shot 3 times (or was it 4?). So much for bravery.

Only the foolhearted would not pay heed to the Egpytian 'ghosts' that pervaded that scary archeological dig. Remember the Egyptian who drops dead in the beginning by merely gazing into the tomb.
No wonder Stepin was nervous and acared--anybody with any sense would be too.

I agree with your take on Streamline--that was a much more degrading role perpetuating a negative sterotype.