Willie Best

William "Willie" Best (May 27, 1913 - February 27, 1962) was an American actor. Best was one of the first well-known African-American film actors, although his work, like that of Stepin Fetchit, is today reviled because he was often called upon to play stereotypically lazy, illiterate, and simple-minded Black characters in films. Best's characterization of the stereotype of the lazy Black man earned him the stage name "Sleep 'n' Eat"; indeed, many of his films bill him under this name, if they billed him at all.

Biography

Best was a native of Sunflower, Mississippi, appeared in numerous films throughout the 1930s and 1940s. He began his performing career with a traveling show in California, then became a regular character actor in Hollywood. Best was alternately loved as a great clown, then reviled, then pitied, finally virtually forgotten. Hal Roach called him one of the greatest talents he had ever met.

He died on February 27, 1962 in Hollywood, California of cancer, at age forty-eight. His grave is located at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery.

Filmography

His extensive film credits include:

*"Deep South" (1930) his film debut
*"Ladies of Leisure" (1930) uncredited, as Elevator Operator
*"Feet First" (1930) with Harold Lloyd, as Charcoal the Janitor (later changed to Charlie)
*"The Virtuous Husband" (1931) as Luftus
*"Up Pops the Devil" (1931) uncredited, as Laundryman
*"The Monster Walks" (1932) as Exodus
*"Kentucky Kernels" (1932) as Buckshot
*"West of the Pecos" (1934) as Jonah
*"Little Miss Marker" (1934) as Dizzy Memphis , with Shirley Temple
*"The Littlest Rebel" (1935) as James Henry, also with Shirley Temple
*"Murder on a Honeymoon" (1935) as Willie, the Porter
*"The Nitwits" (1935) as Sleepy
*"The Arizonia" (1935) as Pompey
*"Jalna" (1935) as Sam, the Janitor
*"Hot Tip" (1935) as Apollo
*"Annie Oakley" (1935) uncredited, Second Cook
*"To Beat the Band" (1935) uncredited, as Elevator Operator
*"Dog Blight" (1936) as Sleepy
*"Muss 'em Up" (1936) as Janitor
*"The Lady Consents" (1936) as Sam
*"Silly Billies" (1936) as Excitement
*"Two in Revolt" (1936) as Old Eph
*"Murder on a Bridle Path" (1936) as 'High-Pockets'
*"The Bride Walks Out" (1936) as Smokie
*"The Green Pastures" (1936) uncredited, as Henry, the Angel
*"Thank You, Jeeves!" (1936) as The Sax Player
*"Down the Stretch" (1936) as Noah
*"Make Way for a Lady" (1936) uncredited, as William Townley
*"General Spanky" (1936) as Henry
*"Night Waitress" (1936) as Black Passerby
*"We Who Are About to Die" (1937) as Airport Porter
*"Deep South" (1937)
*"Criminal Lawyer" (1937) as Servant at Party
*"Racing Lady" (1937) as Brass
*"Breezing Home" (1937) as Speed
*"You Can't Buy Luck" (1937) as Airline Porter
*"Meet the Missus" (1937) as Mose
*"Super-Sleuth" (1937) as Warts
*"The Lady Fights Back" (1937) as McTavish
*"Saturday's Heroes" (1937) as Sam
*"Crashing Hollywood" (1938) as Train Porter
*"Everybody's Doing It" (1938) as Jasper Gold is Where You Find It (1938) as Joshua
*"Merrily We Live" (1938) as George W. Jones
*"Goodbye Broadway" (1938) as Jughead
*"Vivacious Lady" (1938) as Train Porter
*"Youth Takes a Fling" (1938) as George
*"Straight Place and Show" (1938) as Hannibal
*"Blondie" (1938) as Hotel Porter
*"The Saint Strikes Back" (1939) as Algernon
*"Mr. Moto in Danger Island" (1939) as Launch Pilot
*"Nancy Drew...Trouble Shooter" (1939) as Apollo Johnson
*"Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation" (1939) as Driver
*"Way Down South" (1939) as Chimney Sweep
*"Blackmail" (1939) as Bunny, the Janitor
*"At the Circus" (1939) as Redcap
*"The Covered Trailer" (1939) as Baltimore
*" Private Detective" (1939) as Norton's Valet
*"Miracle on Main Street" (1939) as Duke
*"The Ghost Breakers" (1940) with Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard, as Alex
*"Money and the Woman" (1940) as George Washington Jones
*"Who Killed Aunt Maggie?" (1940) as Andrew
*"High Sierra" (1941) with Humphrey Bogart, as Algernon
*"West of the Rockies" (1941)
*"Flight from Destiny" (1941) as George
*"Road Show" (1941) as Willie
*"Scattergood Baines" (1941) as Hipp
*"The Lady from Cheyenne" (1941) as George
*"Kisses for Breakfast" (1941) as Arnold
*"Smiling Ghost" (1941) as Clarence
*"Minstrel Days" (1941) as Singer
*"Nothing But the Truth" (1941) as Samuel
*"The Body Disappears" (1941) as Willie
*"Whispering Ghosts" (1942) as Euclid White Brown
*"Juke Girl" (1942) as Jo-Mo
*"Maisie Gets Her Man" (1942) as Sam
*"A Haunting We Will Go" (1942) with Laurel and Hardy, as Waiter
*"Buses Roar" (1942) as Sunshine
*"Scattergood Survives a Murder" (1942) as Hipp
*"The Powers Girl" (1943) as Waiter
*"Cinderella Swings It" (1943) as Hipp
*"Cabin in the Sky" (1943) as Second Idea Man
*"Dixie" (1943) as Steward
*"The Kansan" (1943) as Bones
*"Thank Your Lucky Stars" (1943) as Soldier
*"The Adventures of Mark Twain" (1944) as George
*"Home in Indiana" (1944) as Mo' Bum
*"The Girl Who Dared" (1944) as Woodrow
*"Music for Millions" (1944) as Red Cap
*"The Monster and the Ape" (1944) as Flash
*"Hold That Blonde" (1945) as Willie Shelley
*"Red Dragon" (1945) as Chattanooga Brown
*"The Face of Marble" (1946) as Shadrach
*"The Bride Wore Boots" (1946) as Joe
*"Dangerous Money" (1946) as Chattanooga Brown
*"Suddenly It's Spring" (1947) as Porter on Train
*"The Red Stallion" (1947) as Jackson
*"Half Past Midnight" (1948) as Andy Jones
*"Jiggs and Maggie in Jackpot Jitters" (1949) as Willie
*"High and Dizzy" (1950) as Wesley
*"South of Caliente" (1951) his final film

On TV he was a regular on
*"My Little Margie" (1952-55) as Charlie, the elevator operator
*"The Stu Erwin Show" (1950-55) as Willie
*"Waterfront" (1953-56) as Willie Slocum

External links

*imdb name|id=0079008