About

Known credits:
116
Birthday:
1913-05-27
Place of birth:
Sunflower, Mississippi, USA
Website:
N/A

Willie Best

Overview

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.

Known for

Acting

2004 TV in Black: The First Fifty Years Actor Self (archive footage) 59
Average
1975 Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? Actor Self (archive footage) 59
Average
1962 Harold Lloyd's World of Comedy Actor Charlie (archive footage) 58
Average
1954 Waterfront Actor Billy Slocum 69
Fair
1952 Ellis in Freedomland Actor Male Model N/A
N/A
1951 South of Caliente Actor Willie, Stable Boy N/A
N/A
1950 The Stu Erwin Show Actor Willie 69
Fair
1948 The Shanghai Chest Actor Willie Best 58
Average
1948 Half Past Midnight Actor Andy Jones 59
Average
1947 The Red Stallion Actor Jackson N/A
N/A
1947 Suddenly It's Spring Actor Porter on Train 58
Average
1946 Dangerous Money Actor Chattanooga Brown 58
Average
1946 The Bride Wore Boots Actor Joe 59
Average
1946 The Face of Marble Actor Shadrach 58
Average
1945 She Wouldn't Say Yes Actor Porter 58
Average
1945 Hold That Blonde! Actor Willie Shelley 58
Average
1945 The Red Dragon Actor Chattanooga Brown 59
Average
1945 Pillow to Post Actor Lucille, Colonial Auto Court Porter 58
Average
1945 The Monster and the Ape Actor Flash 59
Average
1944 Music for Millions Actor Red Cap (uncredited) 59
Average
1944 The Mark of the Whistler Actor Men's Room Attendant (uncredited) 58
Average
1944 The Girl Who Dared Actor Woodrow 59
Average
1944 The Adventures of Mark Twain Actor Butler 58
Average
1944 Home in Indiana Actor Mo' Rum (uncredited) 58
Average
1943 Thank Your Lucky Stars Actor Soldier in "Ice Cold Katie" Number (uncredited) 59
Average
1943 The Kansan Actor Bones 58
Average
1943 Dixie Actor Stewart 58
Average
1943 Cabin in the Sky Actor Second Idea Man 59
Average
1943 Cinderella Swings It Actor Hipp N/A
N/A
1943 The Powers Girl Actor Men's Room Attendant (uncredited) 59
Average
1942 The Hidden Hand Actor Eustis, the chauffeur 59
Average
1942 Scattergood Survives a Murder Actor Hipp 58
Average
1942 Busses Roar Actor Sunshine 59
Average
1942 A-Haunting We Will Go Actor Waiter 58
Average
1942 Maisie Gets Her Man Actor Sam (Uncredited) 59
Average
1942 Juke Girl Actor Jo-Mo 59
Average
1942 Whispering Ghosts Actor Euclid White Brown 59
Average
1941 The Body Disappears Actor Willie 58
Average
1941 Breakdowns of 1941 Actor Self (archive footage) (uncredited) 58
Average
1941 Nothing But the Truth Actor Samuel 59
Average
1941 Minstrel Days Actor Singer N/A
N/A
1941 The Smiling Ghost Actor Clarence 59
Average
1941 Highway West Actor Bub Wellington 59
Average
1941 Kisses for Breakfast Actor Arnold 59
Average
1941 The Lady from Cheyenne Actor George 58
Average
1941 Scattergood Baines Actor Hipp 58
Average
1941 Road Show Actor Willie 59
Average
1941 Flight from Destiny Actor George 58
Average
1941 High Sierra Actor Algernon 63
Fair
1940 Who Killed Aunt Maggie? Actor Andrew 58
Average
1940 Money and the Woman Actor George Washington Jones 58
Average
1940 The Ghost Breakers Actor Alex 59
Average
1940 Blondie on a Budget Actor Newsboy (uncredited) 59
Average
1940 I Take This Woman Actor Sambo 59
Average
1939 Slightly Honorable Actor Art, Elevator Operator 59
Average
1939 Private Detective Actor Norton's Valet 59
Average
1939 The Covered Trailer Actor Baltimore N/A
N/A
1939 Blondie Brings Up Baby Actor Hotel Janitor (uncredited) 59
Average
1939 At the Circus Actor Redcap (uncredited) 59
Average
1939 Blackmail Actor Bunny - the Janitor (uncredited) 58
Average
1939 Way Down South Actor Chimney Sweep 58
Average
1939 Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation Actor Driver (uncredited) 59
Average
1939 Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter Actor Apollo Johnson 59
Average
1939 Mr. Moto in Danger Island Actor Launch Pilot 59
Average
1939 The Saint Strikes Back Actor Algernon, Simon's Butler (Uncredited) 58
Average
1938 Blondie Actor Porter 59
Average
1938 Spring Madness Actor Porter on Train 58
Average
1938 Straight, Place and Show Actor Hannibal 59
Average
1938 Youth Takes a Fling Actor George 58
Average
1938 I'm from the City Actor Train Porter 58
Average
1938 Vivacious Lady Actor Porter 59
Average
1938 Goodbye Broadway Actor Jughead N/A
N/A
1938 Merrily We Live Actor George 59
Average
1938 Gold Is Where You Find It Actor Joshua 59
Average
1938 Everybody's Doing It Actor Jasper - Elevator Operator 59
Average
1938 Crashing Hollywood Actor Train Porter (uncredited) 59
Average
1937 Saturday's Heroes Actor Sam 59
Average
1937 The Lady Fights Back Actor McTavish 59
Average
1937 Mississippi Moods Actor N/A
N/A
1937 Super-Sleuth Actor Warts, Martin's manservant 58
Average
1937 Meet the Missus Actor Bootblack 58
Average
1937 You Can't Buy Luck Actor Airline Porter (uncredited) 58
Average
1937 Breezing Home Actor Speed N/A
N/A
1937 Racing Lady Actor Brass 59
Average
1937 We Who Are About to Die Actor Airport Porter (uncredited) 59
Average
1937 Deep South Actor 58
Average
1936 Night Waitress Actor Black Pedestrian 58
Average
1936 General Spanky Actor Henry 58
Average
1936 Thank You, Jeeves! Actor Drowsy 59
Average
1936 Mummy's Boys Actor Catfish 58
Average
1936 Down the Stretch Actor Noah 59
Average
1936 The Green Pastures Actor Henry - the Angel (uncredited) 59
Average
1936 The Bride Walks Out Actor Smokie 58
Average
1936 Murder on a Bridle Path Actor 'High-Pockets' 58
Average
1936 Two in Revolt Actor Eph 59
Average
1936 Silly Billies Actor Excitement 59
Average
1936 Muss 'em Up Actor Janitor at Spivali's Bar (uncredited) 59
Average
1935 The Littlest Rebel Actor James Henry 59
Average
1935 To Beat the Band Actor Elevator Operator N/A
N/A
1935 Hot Tip Actor Apollo 58
Average
1935 Jalna Actor Sam 58
Average
1935 The Arizonian Actor Pompey N/A
N/A
1935 The Nitwits Actor Sleepy 58
Average
1935 Hit and Rum Actor Shoe Shine Man (uncredited) N/A
N/A
1935 Raised and Called Actor N/A
N/A
1935 Murder on a Honeymoon Actor Willie (as Sleep 'n' Eat) 58
Average
1935 Horse Heir Actor N/A
N/A
1934 West of the Pecos Actor Jonah (as Sleep 'n' Eat) N/A
N/A
1934 Kentucky Kernels Actor Buckshot (as Sleep 'n' Eat) 58
Average
1934 Little Miss Marker Actor Dizzy Memphis (uncredited) 59
Average
1932 The Monster Walks Actor Exodus 58
Average
1931 The Guilty Generation Actor Club Merlin Doorman (uncredited) 59
Average
1931 Up Pops the Devil Actor Laundryman 58
Average
1931 Virtuous Husband Actor Luftus N/A
N/A
1930 Feet First Actor Janitor 59
Average
1930 Ladies of Leisure Actor George (uncredited) 58
Average