Acting
Willie Best
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.
Filmography
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
Film · 2004
Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel
Film · 2001
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Film · 1975
Harold Lloyd's World of Comedy
Film · 1962
Meet the O'Briens
Film · 1954
Waterfront
Series · 1954
Ellis in Freedomland
Film · 1952
My Little Margie
Series · 1952
South of Caliente
Film · 1951
Racket Squad
Series · 1951
The Stu Erwin Show
Series · 1950
The Shanghai Chest
Film · 1948
Half Past Midnight
Film · 1948
The Red Stallion
Film · 1947
Suddenly It's Spring
Film · 1947
Dangerous Money
Film · 1946
The Face of Marble
Film · 1946
The Bride Wore Boots
Film · 1946
The Red Dragon
Film · 1945
She Wouldn't Say Yes
Film · 1945
Pillow to Post
Film · 1945
The Monster and the Ape
Film · 1945
Hold That Blonde!
Film · 1945
The Girl Who Dared
Film · 1944
Home in Indiana
Film · 1944
Music for Millions
Film · 1944
The Mark of the Whistler
Film · 1944
The Adventures of Mark Twain
Film · 1944
Cinderella Swings It
Film · 1943
Cabin in the Sky
Film · 1943
The Powers Girl
Film · 1943
Dixie
Film · 1943
Thank Your Lucky Stars
Film · 1943
The Kansan
Film · 1943
Scattergood Survives a Murder
Film · 1942
A-Haunting We Will Go
Film · 1942
The Hidden Hand
Film · 1942
Whispering Ghosts
Film · 1942
Juke Girl
Film · 1942
Maisie Gets Her Man
Film · 1942
Busses Roar
Film · 1942
High Sierra
Film · 1941
Highway West
Film · 1941
The Smiling Ghost
Film · 1941
Nothing but the Truth
Film · 1941
Road Show
Film · 1941
The Lady from Cheyenne
Film · 1941
Kisses for Breakfast
Film · 1941
Breakdowns of 1941
Film · 1941
Flight from Destiny
Film · 1941
Scattergood Baines
Film · 1941
Minstrel Days
Film · 1941
The Body Disappears
Film · 1941
Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company "B"
Film · 1941
The Ghost Breakers
Film · 1940
Who Killed Aunt Maggie?
Film · 1940
Money and the Woman
Film · 1940
Blondie on a Budget
Film · 1940
I Take This Woman
Film · 1940
Blondie Brings Up Baby
Film · 1939
The Covered Trailer
Film · 1939
Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter
Film · 1939
At the Circus
Film · 1939
The Saint Strikes Back
Film · 1939
Mr. Moto in Danger Island
Film · 1939
Way Down South
Film · 1939
Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation
Film · 1939
Slightly Honorable
Film · 1939
Blackmail
Film · 1939
Private Detective
Film · 1939
Blondie
Film · 1938
Goodbye Broadway
Film · 1938
Merrily We Live
Film · 1938
Gold Is Where You Find It
Film · 1938
Youth Takes a Fling
Film · 1938
Everybody's Doing It
Film · 1938
Spring Madness
Film · 1938
Crashing Hollywood
Film · 1938
I'm from the City
Film · 1938
Vivacious Lady
Film · 1938
Straight, Place and Show
Film · 1938
Super-Sleuth
Film · 1937
Meet the Missus
Film · 1937
Saturday's Heroes
Film · 1937
Deep South
Film · 1937
The Lady Fights Back
Film · 1937
We Who Are About to Die
Film · 1937
Racing Lady
Film · 1937
You Can't Buy Luck
Film · 1937
Mississippi Moods
Film · 1937
Breezing Home
Film · 1937
Murder on a Bridle Path
Film · 1936
Down the Stretch
Film · 1936
Muss 'em Up
Film · 1936
Two in Revolt
Film · 1936
Mummy's Boys
Film · 1936
The Bride Walks Out
Film · 1936
Night Waitress
Film · 1936
The Green Pastures
Film · 1936
Thank You, Jeeves!
Film · 1936
General Spanky
Film · 1936
Silly Billies
Film · 1936
Hit and Rum
Film · 1935
The Littlest Rebel
Film · 1935
Murder on a Honeymoon
Film · 1935
Raised and Called
Film · 1935
To Beat the Band
Film · 1935
The Nitwits
Film · 1935
Horse Heir
Film · 1935
Jalna
Film · 1935
Hot Tip
Film · 1935
The Arizonian
Film · 1935
Little Miss Marker
Film · 1934
Kentucky Kernels
Film · 1934
West of the Pecos
Film · 1934
The Monster Walks
Film · 1932
Up Pops the Devil
Film · 1931
Virtuous Husband
Film · 1931
The Guilty Generation
Film · 1931
Feet First
Film · 1930
Ladies of Leisure
Film · 1930