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Willie Best‌

Gender

Male

Birthday

calendar1913-05-27

Popularity

star1.8

Willie Best

Sunflower, Mississippi, USA

Willie Best

Sunflower, Mississippi, USA

Gender

Male

Birthday

calendar1913-05-27

Popularity

star1.8

Biography

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 Lloyd's 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 CBS's 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.

Movie Credits

Ellis in Freedomland

Ellis in Freedomland‌
star0.0
calendar 1952

Blondie

Blondie‌
star7.1
calendar 1938

Blondie Brings Up Baby

Blondie Brings Up Baby‌
star6.5
calendar 1939

Scattergood Survives a Murder

Scattergood Survives a Murder‌
star4.5
calendar 1942

Cinderella Swings It

Cinderella Swings It‌
star0.0
calendar 1943

The Covered Trailer

The Covered Trailer‌
star0.0
calendar 1939

High Sierra

High Sierra‌
star7.0
calendar 1941

Feet First

Feet First‌
star6.6
calendar 1930

The Ghost Breakers

The Ghost Breakers‌
star6.5
calendar 1940

Hit and Rum

Hit and Rum‌
star0.0
calendar 1935

A-Haunting We Will Go

A-Haunting We Will Go‌
star6.0
calendar 1942

The Littlest Rebel

The Littlest Rebel‌
star6.3
calendar 1935

The Red Dragon

The Red Dragon‌
star6.1
calendar 1945

Dangerous Money

Dangerous Money‌
star5.7
calendar 1946

Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter

Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter‌
star6.0
calendar 1939

Murder on a Bridle Path

Murder on a Bridle Path‌
star5.0
calendar 1936

Highway West

Highway West‌
star5.8
calendar 1941

The Smiling Ghost

The Smiling Ghost‌
star6.5
calendar 1941

The Hidden Hand

The Hidden Hand‌
star6.2
calendar 1942

Little Miss Marker

Little Miss Marker‌
star6.4
calendar 1934

Murder on a Honeymoon

Murder on a Honeymoon‌
star5.8
calendar 1935

Cabin in the Sky

Cabin in the Sky‌
star6.3
calendar 1943

The Face of Marble

The Face of Marble‌
star4.4
calendar 1946

Nothing But the Truth

Nothing But the Truth‌
star7.1
calendar 1941

Whispering Ghosts

Whispering Ghosts‌
star6.9
calendar 1942

Juke Girl

Juke Girl‌
star6.5
calendar 1942

Maisie Gets Her Man

Maisie Gets Her Man‌
star6.5
calendar 1942

Busses Roar

Busses Roar‌
star6.7
calendar 1942

She Wouldn't Say Yes

She Wouldn't Say Yes‌
star5.9
calendar 1945

Pillow to Post

Pillow to Post‌
star5.3
calendar 1945

The Girl Who Dared

The Girl Who Dared‌
star5.7
calendar 1944

Road Show

Road Show‌
star5.8
calendar 1941

The Lady from Cheyenne

The Lady from Cheyenne‌
star5.2
calendar 1941

Super-Sleuth

Super-Sleuth‌
star5.0
calendar 1937

Down the Stretch

Down the Stretch‌
star5.5
calendar 1936

Kisses for Breakfast

Kisses for Breakfast‌
star5.5
calendar 1941

The Bride Wore Boots

The Bride Wore Boots‌
star5.9
calendar 1946

The Monster and the Ape

The Monster and the Ape‌
star6.3
calendar 1945

Raised and Called

Raised and Called‌
star0.0
calendar 1935

Who Killed Aunt Maggie?

Who Killed Aunt Maggie?‌
star4.3
calendar 1940

Home in Indiana

Home in Indiana‌
star5.6
calendar 1944

Goodbye Broadway

Goodbye Broadway‌
star0.0
calendar 1938

Money and the Woman

Money and the Woman‌
star4.3
calendar 1940

Muss 'em Up

Muss 'em Up‌
star5.5
calendar 1936

Merrily We Live

Merrily We Live‌
star7.2
calendar 1938

Gold Is Where You Find It

Gold Is Where You Find It‌
star6.9
calendar 1938

Meet the Missus

Meet the Missus‌
star4.0
calendar 1937

Saturday's Heroes

Saturday's Heroes‌
star7.0
calendar 1937

The Red Stallion

The Red Stallion‌
star0.0
calendar 1947

Deep South

Deep South‌
star0.0
calendar 1937

The Lady Fights Back

The Lady Fights Back‌
star6.0
calendar 1937

The Powers Girl

The Powers Girl‌
star6.5
calendar 1943

Youth Takes a Fling

Youth Takes a Fling‌
star1.0
calendar 1938

We Who Are About to Die

We Who Are About to Die‌
star6.8
calendar 1937

Dixie

Dixie‌
star3.0
calendar 1943

Hold That Blonde!

Hold That Blonde!‌
star7.0
calendar 1945

To Beat the Band

To Beat the Band‌
star0.0
calendar 1935

Up Pops the Devil

Up Pops the Devil‌
star4.2
calendar 1931

Everybody's Doing It

Everybody's Doing It‌
star5.0
calendar 1938

At the Circus

At the Circus‌
star6.3
calendar 1939

Two in Revolt

Two in Revolt‌
star6.0
calendar 1936

Mummy's Boys

Mummy's Boys‌
star4.7
calendar 1936

Spring Madness

Spring Madness‌
star3.9
calendar 1938

The Nitwits

The Nitwits‌
star6.1
calendar 1935

Kentucky Kernels

Kentucky Kernels‌
star5.9
calendar 1934

Horse Heir

Horse Heir‌
star0.0
calendar 1935

The Saint Strikes Back

The Saint Strikes Back‌
star5.6
calendar 1939

Mr. Moto in Danger Island

Mr. Moto in Danger Island‌
star7.0
calendar 1939

Way Down South

Way Down South‌
star5.4
calendar 1939

Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation

Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation‌
star6.9
calendar 1939

South of Caliente

South of Caliente‌
star0.0
calendar 1951

Slightly Honorable

Slightly Honorable‌
star5.7
calendar 1939

The Bride Walks Out

The Bride Walks Out‌
star5.3
calendar 1936

Blackmail

Blackmail‌
star6.4
calendar 1939

Jalna

Jalna‌
star4.8
calendar 1935

Racing Lady

Racing Lady‌
star5.3
calendar 1937

You Can't Buy Luck

You Can't Buy Luck‌
star4.5
calendar 1937

Night Waitress

Night Waitress‌
star5.8
calendar 1936

Crashing Hollywood

Crashing Hollywood‌
star5.8
calendar 1938

Music for Millions

Music for Millions‌
star6.0
calendar 1944

Ladies of Leisure

Ladies of Leisure‌
star6.0
calendar 1930

Blondie on a Budget

Blondie on a Budget‌
star6.0
calendar 1940

I Take This Woman

I Take This Woman‌
star6.2
calendar 1940

Suddenly It's Spring

Suddenly It's Spring‌
star3.8
calendar 1947

The Green Pastures

The Green Pastures‌
star6.3
calendar 1936

West of the Pecos

West of the Pecos‌
star0.0
calendar 1934

Thank You, Jeeves!

Thank You, Jeeves!‌
star6.0
calendar 1936

The Mark of the Whistler

The Mark of the Whistler‌
star5.9
calendar 1944

Breakdowns of 1941

Breakdowns of 1941‌
star7.0
calendar 1941

Hot Tip

Hot Tip‌
star5.0
calendar 1935

I'm from the City

I'm from the City‌
star5.0
calendar 1938

The Arizonian

The Arizonian‌
star0.0
calendar 1935

General Spanky

General Spanky‌
star5.0
calendar 1936

Mississippi Moods

Mississippi Moods‌
star0.0
calendar 1937

Thank Your Lucky Stars

Thank Your Lucky Stars‌
star6.1
calendar 1943

Vivacious Lady

Vivacious Lady‌
star6.8
calendar 1938

Silly Billies

Silly Billies‌
star8.0
calendar 1936

The Monster Walks

The Monster Walks‌
star4.3
calendar 1932

The Kansan

The Kansan‌
star5.2
calendar 1943

Harold Lloyd's World of Comedy

Harold Lloyd's World of Comedy‌
star7.3
calendar 1962

TV in Black: The First Fifty Years

TV in Black: The First Fifty Years‌
star4.0
calendar 2004

Straight, Place and Show

Straight, Place and Show‌
star6.0
calendar 1938

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?‌
star5.7
calendar 1975

Shanghai Chest

Shanghai Chest‌
star6.1
calendar 1948

Breezing Home

Breezing Home‌
star0.0
calendar 1937

Half Past Midnight

Half Past Midnight‌
star6.0
calendar 1948

Flight from Destiny

Flight from Destiny‌
star5.2
calendar 1941

The Adventures of Mark Twain

The Adventures of Mark Twain‌
star6.6
calendar 1944

Scattergood Baines

Scattergood Baines‌
star6.0
calendar 1941

Private Detective

Private Detective‌
star6.0
calendar 1939

Minstrel Days

Minstrel Days‌
star0.0
calendar 1941

Virtuous Husband

Virtuous Husband‌
star0.0
calendar 1931

The Guilty Generation

The Guilty Generation‌
star6.0
calendar 1931

The Body Disappears

The Body Disappears‌
star5.2
calendar 1941

Tv Credits

My Little Margie

My Little Margie‌
star3.0
calendar 1952

Racket Squad

Racket Squad‌
star6.0
calendar 1951

The Stu Erwin Show

The Stu Erwin Show‌
star6.0
calendar 1950

Waterfront

Waterfront‌
star7.0
calendar 1954