Willie Best színész
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William “Willie” Best (May 27, 1916 - February 27, 1962), sometimes known as “Sleep n Eat,” was an American television and film actor. Best was one of the first African-American film actors and comedians to become well known. In the 21st century, his work, like that of Stepin Fetchit, is sometimes reviled because he was often called upon to play stereotypically lazy, illiterate, and/or simple-minded characters in films. Of the 124 films he appeared in, he received screen credit in at least 77, an unusual feat for an African-American bit player. Willie Best appeared in more than one hundred films of the 1930s and 1940s. Although several sources state that for years he was billed only as “Sleep n Eat,” Best received credit under this moniker instead of his real name in only six movies his first film as a bit player (Harold Lloyds Feet First) and in Up Pops the Devil (1931), The Monster Walks (1932), Kentucky Kernels and West of the Pecos (both 1934), and Murder on a Honeymoon (1935). Best was first loved as a great clown, then later in the 20th century reviled and pitied, before being forgotten in the history of film. Hal Roach called him one of the greatest talents he had ever met. Comedian Bob Hope similarly acclaimed him as “the best actor I know,” while the two were working together in 1940 on The Ghost Breakers. As a supporting actor, Best, like many black actors of his era, was regularly cast in domestic worker or service-oriented roles (though a few times he played the role echoing his previous occupation as a private chauffeur). He was often seen making a brief comic turn as a hotel, airline or train porter, as well as an elevator operator, custodian, butler, valet, waiter, deliveryman, and at least once as a launch pilot (in the 1939 movie Mr. Moto in Danger Island). Willie Best received screen credit most of the time, which was unusual for “bit players,” most in the 1930s and 40s were not accorded due credit. This also happened to white actors in small roles, but black actors were not credited even when their roles were larger. In more than 80 of his movies, he was given a proper character name (as opposed to simple descriptions such as “room service waiter” or “shoe-shine boy”), beginning with his second film. Best played “Chattanooga Brown” in two Charlie Chan films —The Red Dragon in 1945 and Dangerous Money in 1946. He also played the character of “Hipp” in three of RKO’s six Scattergood Baines films with Guy Kibbee Scattergood Baines (1941), Scattergood Survives a Murder (1942), and Cinderella Swings It in 1943. (Actor Paul White, who played a young version of Best’s “Hipp” in the first film, went on to play “Hipp” in the next three films. Best returned to the role in the last two.) After a drug arrest ended his film career, he worked in television for a while and became known to early TV audiences as “Charlie the Elevator Operator” on CBSs My Little Margie, from 1953 to 1955. He also played Willie, the house servant, handyman and close friend of the title character of ABC’s The Trouble with Father, for its entire run from 1950 to 1955.
Male Model
Film 1952
Porter
Film 1938
Hotel Janitor (uncredited)
Film 1939
Hipp
Film 1942
Hipp
Film 1943
Baltimore
Film 1939
Janitor
Film 1930
Alex
Film 1940
Shoe Shine Man (uncredited)
Film 1935
Chattanooga Brown
Film 1945
Bub Wellington
Film 1941
Dizzy Memphis (uncredited)
Film 1934
Willie (as Sleep 'n' Eat)
Film 1935
Shadrach
Film 1946
Samuel
Film 1941
Jo-Mo
Film 1942
Sam (Uncredited)
Film 1942
Porter (uncredited)
Film 1945
Woodrow
Film 1944
George
Film 1941
Arnold
Film 1941
Flash
Film 1945
Film 1935
Andrew
Film 1940
Mo' Rum (uncredited)
Film 1944
Jughead
Film 1938
George Washington Jones
Film 1940
Janitor at Spivali's Bar (uncredited)
Film 1936
Bootblack
Film 1937
Sam
Film 1937
Film 1937
McTavish
Film 1937
Men's Room Attendant (uncredited)
Film 1943
George
Film 1938
Airport Porter (uncredited)
Film 1937
Steward (uncredited)
Film 1943
Willie Shelley
Film 1945
Jasper - Elevator Operator
Film 1938
Redcap (uncredited)
Film 1939
Eph
Film 1936
Catfish
Film 1936
Buckshot (as Sleep 'n' Eat)
Film 1934
Film 1935
Algernon, Simon's Butler (Uncredited)
Film 1939
Chimney Sweep
Film 1939
Driver (uncredited)
Film 1939
Willie, Stable Boy
Film 1951
Bunny - the Janitor (uncredited)
Film 1939
Airline Porter (uncredited)
Film 1937
Black Pedestrian
Film 1936
Train Porter (uncredited)
Film 1938
Red Cap (uncredited)
Film 1944
George (uncredited)
Film 1930
Newsboy (uncredited)
Film 1940
Henry - the Angel (uncredited)
Film 1936
Men's Room Attendant (uncredited)
Film 1944
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Film 1941
Apollo
Film 1935
Train Porter
Film 1938
Pompey
Film 1935
Film 1937
Soldier in "Ice Cold Katie" Number (uncredited)
Film 1943
Excitement
Film 1936
Exodus
Film 1932
Charlie (archive footage)
Film 1962
Self (archive footage)
Film 2004
Hannibal
Film 1938
Self (archive footage)
Film 1975
Andy Jones
Film 1948
George
Film 1941
Butler
Film 1944
Hipp
Film 1941
Norton's Valet
Film 1939
Singer
Film 1941
Luftus
Film 1931
Club Merlin Doorman (uncredited)
Film 1931
Willie
Film 1941
Tv 1952
Tv 1951
Billy Slocum
Tv 1954
