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Willie Best

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 le

Born

May 27, 1913

Sunflower, Mississippi, USA

Died

Nov 27, 1962

Known For

Acting

Movies

117 acting

0 crew

Popularity

0.6

Known For

High Sierra
High Sierra
1941 as Algernon
★ 7.1
The Ghost Breakers
The Ghost Breakers
1940 as Alex
★ 6.5
Vivacious Lady
Vivacious Lady
1938 as Porter
★ 7.0
Blackmail
Blackmail
1939 as Bunny - the Janitor (uncredited)
★ 6.4
Super-Sleuth
Super-Sleuth
1937 as Warts, Martin's manservant
★ 5.0
Cabin in the Sky
Cabin in the Sky
1943 as Second Idea Man
★ 6.5
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
2004 as Self (archive footage)
★ 4.0
At the Circus
At the Circus
1939 as Redcap (uncredited)
★ 6.4
Thank Your Lucky Stars
Thank Your Lucky Stars
1943 as Soldier in "Ice Cold Katie" Number (uncredited)
★ 6.1
Highway West
Highway West
1941 as Bub Wellington
★ 5.8
Nothing but the Truth
Nothing but the Truth
1941 as Samuel
★ 7.1
Dixie
Dixie
1943 as Steward (uncredited)
★ 3.0
Juke Girl
Juke Girl
1942 as Jo-Mo
★ 6.5
Blondie
Blondie
1938 as Porter
★ 7.1
I Take This Woman
I Take This Woman
1940 as Sambo
★ 5.6
Hold That Blonde!
Hold That Blonde!
1945 as Willie Shelley
★ 6.0
Spring Madness
Spring Madness
1938 as Porter on Train
★ 3.9
Slightly Honorable
Slightly Honorable
1939 as Art, Elevator Operator
★ 4.7
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
1975 as Self (archive footage)
★ 6.1
Ladies of Leisure
Ladies of Leisure
1930 as George (uncredited)
★ 6.1
Little Miss Marker
Little Miss Marker
1934 as Dizzy Memphis (uncredited)
★ 6.4
Mr. Moto in Danger Island
Mr. Moto in Danger Island
1939 as Launch Pilot
★ 6.7
The Kansan
The Kansan
1943 as Bones
★ 5.4
Maisie Gets Her Man
Maisie Gets Her Man
1942 as Sam (Uncredited)
★ 6.5
The Littlest Rebel
The Littlest Rebel
1935 as James Henry
★ 6.3
Merrily We Live
Merrily We Live
1938 as George
★ 6.9
Blondie on a Budget
Blondie on a Budget
1940 as Newsboy (uncredited)
★ 6.0
The Green Pastures
The Green Pastures
1936 as Henry - the Angel (uncredited)
★ 6.3
Murder on a Bridle Path
Murder on a Bridle Path
1936 as 'High-Pockets'
★ 5.0
Flight from Destiny
Flight from Destiny
1941 as George
★ 5.4
Road Show
Road Show
1941 as Willie
★ 5.3
Busses Roar
Busses Roar
1942 as Sunshine
★ 6.6
Feet First
Feet First
1930 as Janitor
★ 6.6
Suddenly It's Spring
Suddenly It's Spring
1947 as Porter on Train
★ 3.9
Gold Is Where You Find It
Gold Is Where You Find It
1938 as Joshua
★ 6.9
The Lady from Cheyenne
The Lady from Cheyenne
1941 as George
★ 4.6
Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation
Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation
1939 as Driver (uncredited)
★ 6.6
The Saint Strikes Back
The Saint Strikes Back
1939 as Algernon, Simon's Butler (Uncredited)
★ 5.6
Night Waitress
Night Waitress
1936 as Black Pedestrian
★ 5.8
A-Haunting We Will Go
A-Haunting We Will Go
1942 as Waiter
★ 6.0
The Smiling Ghost
The Smiling Ghost
1941 as Clarence
★ 6.5
You Can't Buy Luck
You Can't Buy Luck
1937 as Airline Porter (uncredited)
★ 4.0
The Monster Walks
The Monster Walks
1932 as Exodus (as Sleep n' Eat)
★ 4.1
The Red Dragon
The Red Dragon
1945 as Chattanooga Brown
★ 6.6
The Bride Wore Boots
The Bride Wore Boots
1946 as Joe
★ 5.9
Racing Lady
Racing Lady
1937 as Brass
★ 5.3
movie
Bob Hope's World of Comedy
1976 as Self - Tribute Montage (archive footage)
Meet the Missus
Meet the Missus
1937 as Bootblack
★ 4.0
Pillow to Post
Pillow to Post
1945 as Lucille, Colonial Auto Court Porter
★ 5.3
The Nitwits
The Nitwits
1935 as Sleepy
★ 6.6
Music for Millions
Music for Millions
1944 as Red Cap (uncredited)
★ 6.0
Breezing Home
Breezing Home
1937 as Speed
★ 5.0
Dangerous Money
Dangerous Money
1946 as Chattanooga Brown
★ 5.7
The Bride Walks Out
The Bride Walks Out
1936 as Smokie
★ 5.1
Blondie Brings Up Baby
Blondie Brings Up Baby
1939 as Hotel Janitor (uncredited)
★ 6.5
Saturday's Heroes
Saturday's Heroes
1937 as Sam
★ 7.0
Mummy's Boys
Mummy's Boys
1936 as Catfish
★ 4.7
Breakdowns of 1941
Breakdowns of 1941
1941 as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
★ 7.0
The Face of Marble
The Face of Marble
1946 as Shadrach
★ 4.4
Private Detective
Private Detective
1939 as Norton's Valet
★ 6.0
Murder on a Honeymoon
Murder on a Honeymoon
1935 as Willie (as Sleep 'n' Eat)
★ 6.4
Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter
Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter
1939 as Apollo Johnson
★ 6.0
The Body Disappears
The Body Disappears
1941 as Willie
★ 5.7
Two in Revolt
Two in Revolt
1936 as Eph
★ 6.0
We Who Are About to Die
We Who Are About to Die
1937 as Airport Porter (uncredited)
★ 6.8
Jalna
Jalna
1935 as Sam
★ 4.0
Crashing Hollywood
Crashing Hollywood
1938 as Train Porter (uncredited)
★ 5.8
Home in Indiana
Home in Indiana
1944 as Mo' Rum (uncredited)
★ 5.5
The Arizonian
The Arizonian
1935 as Pompey
The Powers Girl
The Powers Girl
1943 as Men's Room Attendant (uncredited)
★ 6.5
The Mark of the Whistler
The Mark of the Whistler
1944 as Men's Room Attendant (uncredited)
★ 6.0
Silly Billies
Silly Billies
1936 as Excitement
★ 8.0
The Shanghai Chest
The Shanghai Chest
1948 as Willie Best
★ 6.1
South of Caliente
South of Caliente
1951 as Willie, Stable Boy
★ 8.0
General Spanky
General Spanky
1936 as Henry
★ 5.5
The Hidden Hand
The Hidden Hand
1942 as Eustis, the chauffeur
★ 6.5
movie
The Lady Fights Back
1937 as McTavish
★ 6.0
The Monster and the Ape
The Monster and the Ape
1945 as Flash
★ 6.3
To Beat the Band
To Beat the Band
1935 as Elevator Operator
Straight, Place and Show
Straight, Place and Show
1938 as Hannibal
★ 6.0
Cinderella Swings It
Cinderella Swings It
1943 as Hipp
The Red Stallion
The Red Stallion
1947 as Jackson
Thank You, Jeeves!
Thank You, Jeeves!
1936 as Drowsy
★ 6.0
She Wouldn't Say Yes
She Wouldn't Say Yes
1945 as Porter (uncredited)
★ 5.9
Youth Takes a Fling
Youth Takes a Fling
1938 as George
★ 1.0
Kisses for Breakfast
Kisses for Breakfast
1941 as Arnold
★ 5.5
Hot Tip
Hot Tip
1935 as Apollo
★ 5.0
The Girl Who Dared
The Girl Who Dared
1944 as Woodrow
★ 5.7
Money and the Woman
Money and the Woman
1940 as George Washington Jones
★ 3.5
Whispering Ghosts
Whispering Ghosts
1942 as Euclid White Brown
★ 6.4
Everybody's Doing It
Everybody's Doing It
1938 as Jasper - Elevator Operator
★ 4.5
Ellis in Freedomland
Ellis in Freedomland
1952 as Male Model
Half Past Midnight
Half Past Midnight
1948 as Andy Jones
★ 6.0
The Adventures of Mark Twain
★ 6.6
Who Killed Aunt Maggie?
Who Killed Aunt Maggie?
1940 as Andrew
★ 4.3
Goodbye Broadway
Goodbye Broadway
1938 as Jughead
Up Pops the Devil
Up Pops the Devil
1931 as Laundryman
★ 4.4
Kentucky Kernels
Kentucky Kernels
1934 as Buckshot (as Sleep 'n' Eat)
★ 6.3
Scattergood Survives a Murder
★ 4.5
Down the Stretch
Down the Stretch
1936 as Noah
★ 5.5
Muss 'em Up
Muss 'em Up
1936 as Janitor at Spivali's Bar (uncredited)
★ 5.5
Scattergood Baines
Scattergood Baines
1941 as Hipp
★ 6.0
West of the Pecos
West of the Pecos
1934 as Jonah (as Sleep 'n' Eat)
I'm from the City
I'm from the City
1938 as Train Porter
★ 5.0
Deep South
★ 6.0
Harold Lloyd's World of Comedy
Harold Lloyd's World of Comedy
1962 as Charlie (archive footage)
★ 7.3
Way Down South
Way Down South
1939 as Chimney Sweep
★ 5.8
movie
Minstrel Days
1941 as Singer
The Guilty Generation
The Guilty Generation
1931 as Club Merlin Doorman (uncredited)
★ 6.1
Virtuous Husband
Virtuous Husband
1931 as Luftus
The Covered Trailer
The Covered Trailer
1939 as Baltimore
Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company "B"
Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company "B"
1941 as Hot-Breath Harry (voice) (uncredited)
★ 6.3
movie
Meet the O'Briens
Meet the O'Briens
1954 as Willie
movie
Hit and Rum
1935 as Shoe Shine Man (uncredited)