Willie Best

Willie Best

Personal Info

  • Name:

    Willie Best

  • Birthday:

    1913-05-27

  • Place of Birth: Sunflower, Mississippi, USA
  • Gender:

    Male

  • Know For:

    Acting

  • Popularity: 0.2249
  • Also Known As

    Sleep 'n' Eat

    Sleep 'n Eat

    Sleep n' Eat

Willie Best

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.

Top Movie Cast

Ellis in Freedomland
Ellis in Freedomlandtrue- Male Model

1952-06-15

0.0
Blondie
Blondietrue- Porter

1938-11-30

7.1
Blondie Brings Up Baby
Blondie Brings Up Babytrue- Hotel Janitor (uncredited)

1939-11-08

6.5
Scattergood Survives a Murder
Scattergood Survives a Murdertrue- Hipp

1942-10-01

4.5
Cinderella Swings It
Cinderella Swings Ittrue- Hipp

1943-01-22

0.0
The Covered Trailer
The Covered Trailertrue- Baltimore

1939-11-10

0.0
High Sierra
High Sierratrue- Algernon

1941-01-23

7.1
Feet First
Feet Firsttrue- Janitor

1930-10-30

6.6
The Ghost Breakers
The Ghost Breakerstrue- Alex

1940-06-21

6.5
A-Haunting We Will Go
A-Haunting We Will Gotrue- Waiter

1942-08-07

6.0
The Littlest Rebel
The Littlest Rebeltrue- James Henry

1935-12-27

6.2
Dangerous Money
Dangerous Moneytrue- Chattanooga Brown

1946-10-12

5.7
The Red Dragon
The Red Dragontrue- Chattanooga Brown

1945-08-01

6.1
Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter
Nancy Drew... Trouble Shootertrue- Apollo Johnson

1939-06-17

6.0
Murder on a Bridle Path
Murder on a Bridle Pathtrue- 'High-Pockets'

1936-04-17

5.0
Highway West
Highway Westtrue- Bub Wellington

1941-08-07

5.8
The Smiling Ghost
The Smiling Ghosttrue- Clarence

1941-09-06

6.5
The Hidden Hand
The Hidden Handtrue- Eustis, the chauffeur

1942-11-07

6.3
Little Miss Marker
Little Miss Markertrue- Dizzy Memphis (uncredited)

1934-06-01

6.4
Murder on a Honeymoon
Murder on a Honeymoontrue- Willie (as Sleep 'n' Eat)

1935-02-22

6.2
Cabin in the Sky
Cabin in the Skytrue- Second Idea Man

1943-03-24

6.5
The Face of Marble
The Face of Marbletrue- Shadrach

1946-01-19

4.4
Nothing But the Truth
Nothing But the Truthtrue- Samuel

1941-10-10

7.1
Whispering Ghosts
Whispering Ghoststrue- Euclid White Brown

1942-05-17

6.9
Juke Girl
Juke Girltrue- Jo-Mo

1942-05-30

6.5
Maisie Gets Her Man
Maisie Gets Her Mantrue- Sam (Uncredited)

1942-06-01

6.5
Busses Roar
Busses Roartrue- Sunshine

1942-09-19

6.6
She Wouldn't Say Yes
She Wouldn't Say Yestrue- Porter (uncredited)

1945-11-29

5.9
Pillow to Post
Pillow to Posttrue- Lucille, Colonial Auto Court Porter

1945-06-09

5.5
The Girl Who Dared
The Girl Who Daredtrue- Woodrow

1944-08-05

5.7
Road Show
Road Showtrue- Willie

1941-02-18

5.8
The Lady from Cheyenne
The Lady from Cheyennetrue- George

1941-04-11

5.2
Super-Sleuth
Super-Sleuthtrue- Warts, Martin's manservant

1937-07-16

5.0
Down the Stretch
Down the Stretchtrue- Noah

1936-09-18

5.5
Kisses for Breakfast
Kisses for Breakfasttrue- Arnold

1941-07-05

5.5
The Bride Wore Boots
The Bride Wore Bootstrue- Joe

1946-06-05

5.9
The Monster and the Ape
The Monster and the Apetrue- Flash

1945-04-20

6.1
Who Killed Aunt Maggie?
Who Killed Aunt Maggie?true- Andrew

1940-11-01

4.3
Home in Indiana
Home in Indianatrue- Mo' Rum (uncredited)

1944-06-15

5.6
Goodbye Broadway
Goodbye Broadwaytrue- Jughead

1938-04-01

0.0
Money and the Woman
Money and the Womantrue- George Washington Jones

1940-08-17

4.3
Muss 'em Up
Muss 'em Uptrue- Janitor at Spivali's Bar (uncredited)

1936-02-13

5.5
Merrily We Live
Merrily We Livetrue- George

1938-03-04

7.1
Gold Is Where You Find It
Gold Is Where You Find Ittrue- Joshua

1938-02-12

6.9
Meet the Missus
Meet the Missustrue- Bootblack

1937-06-04

4.0
Saturday's Heroes
Saturday's Heroestrue- Sam

1937-10-08

7.0
The Red Stallion
The Red Stalliontrue- Jackson

1947-08-16

0.0
Deep South
Deep Southtrue

1937-01-01

6.0
The Powers Girl
The Powers Girltrue- Men's Room Attendant (uncredited)

1943-01-15

6.5
Youth Takes a Fling
Youth Takes a Flingtrue- George

1938-09-22

1.0
We Who Are About to Die
We Who Are About to Dietrue- Airport Porter (uncredited)

1937-01-08

6.8
Dixie
Dixietrue- Steward (uncredited)

1943-06-23

3.0
Hold That Blonde!
Hold That Blonde!true- Willie Shelley

1945-11-23

6.4
To Beat the Band
To Beat the Bandtrue- Elevator Operator

1935-11-23

0.0
Up Pops the Devil
Up Pops the Deviltrue- Laundryman

1931-05-19

4.2
Everybody's Doing It
Everybody's Doing Ittrue- Jasper - Elevator Operator

1938-01-14

5.0
At the Circus
At the Circustrue- Redcap (uncredited)

1939-10-20

6.3
Two in Revolt
Two in Revolttrue- Eph

1936-04-03

6.0
Mummy's Boys
Mummy's Boystrue- Catfish

1936-10-02

4.7
Spring Madness
Spring Madnesstrue- Porter on Train

1938-11-11

3.9
The Nitwits
The Nitwitstrue- Sleepy

1935-06-07

6.1
Kentucky Kernels
Kentucky Kernelstrue- Buckshot (as Sleep 'n' Eat)

1934-11-02

6.1
The Saint Strikes Back
The Saint Strikes Backtrue- Algernon, Simon's Butler (Uncredited)

1939-03-08

5.6
Mr. Moto in Danger Island
Mr. Moto in Danger Islandtrue- Launch Pilot

1939-04-07

6.7
Way Down South
Way Down Southtrue- Chimney Sweep

1939-07-21

5.4
Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation
Mr. Moto Takes a Vacationtrue- Driver (uncredited)

1939-07-07

6.6
South of Caliente
South of Calientetrue- Willie, Stable Boy

1951-10-15

0.0
Slightly Honorable
Slightly Honorabletrue- Art, Elevator Operator

1939-12-22

5.1
The Bride Walks Out
The Bride Walks Outtrue- Smokie

1936-07-10

5.3
Blackmail
Blackmailtrue- Bunny - the Janitor (uncredited)

1939-09-08

6.4
Jalna
Jalnatrue- Sam

1935-08-09

4.8
Racing Lady
Racing Ladytrue- Brass

1937-01-12

5.3
You Can't Buy Luck
You Can't Buy Lucktrue- Airline Porter (uncredited)

1937-04-30

4.5
Night Waitress
Night Waitresstrue- Black Pedestrian

1936-12-18

5.8
Crashing Hollywood
Crashing Hollywoodtrue- Train Porter (uncredited)

1938-01-07

5.8
Music for Millions
Music for Millionstrue- Red Cap (uncredited)

1944-12-18

6.0
Ladies of Leisure
Ladies of Leisuretrue- George (uncredited)

1930-04-05

6.1
Blondie on a Budget
Blondie on a Budgettrue- Newsboy (uncredited)

1940-02-29

6.0
I Take This Woman
I Take This Womantrue- Sambo

1940-02-02

6.2
Suddenly It's Spring
Suddenly It's Springtrue- Porter on Train

1947-02-13

4.3
The Green Pastures
The Green Pasturestrue- Henry - the Angel (uncredited)

1936-08-01

6.3
West of the Pecos
West of the Pecostrue- Jonah (as Sleep 'n' Eat)

1934-12-27

0.0
Thank You, Jeeves!
Thank You, Jeeves!true- Drowsy

1936-10-04

6.0
The Mark of the Whistler
The Mark of the Whistlertrue- Men's Room Attendant (uncredited)

1944-10-09

5.9
Breakdowns of 1941
Breakdowns of 1941true- Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

1941-11-14

7.0
Hot Tip
Hot Tiptrue- Apollo

1935-08-20

5.0
I'm from the City
I'm from the Citytrue- Train Porter

1938-08-05

5.0
The Arizonian
The Arizoniantrue- Pompey

1935-06-27

0.0
General Spanky
General Spankytrue- Henry

1936-12-11

5.3
Thank Your Lucky Stars
Thank Your Lucky Starstrue- Soldier in "Ice Cold Katie" Number (uncredited)

1943-09-25

6.1
Vivacious Lady
Vivacious Ladytrue- Porter

1938-05-13

6.9
Silly Billies
Silly Billiestrue- Excitement

1936-03-20

8.0
The Monster Walks
The Monster Walkstrue- Exodus

1932-02-07

4.2
The Kansan
The Kansantrue- Bones

1943-09-10

5.2
Harold Lloyd's World of Comedy
Harold Lloyd's World of Comedytrue- Charlie (archive footage)

1962-12-04

7.3
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
TV in Black: The First Fifty Yearstrue- Self (archive footage)

2004-01-01

4.0
Straight, Place and Show
Straight, Place and Showtrue- Hannibal

1938-09-30

6.0
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?true- Self (archive footage)

1975-08-06

5.7
The Shanghai Chest
The Shanghai Chesttrue- Willie Best

1948-07-11

6.1
Breezing Home
Breezing Hometrue- Speed

1937-02-01

0.0
Half Past Midnight
Half Past Midnighttrue- Andy Jones

1948-03-01

6.0
Flight from Destiny
Flight from Destinytrue- George

1941-02-08

5.2
The Adventures of Mark Twain
The Adventures of Mark Twaintrue- Butler

1944-07-20

6.6
Scattergood Baines
Scattergood Bainestrue- Hipp

1941-02-21

6.0
Private Detective
Private Detectivetrue- Norton's Valet

1939-12-09

6.0
Virtuous Husband
Virtuous Husbandtrue- Luftus

1931-04-12

0.0
The Guilty Generation
The Guilty Generationtrue- Club Merlin Doorman (uncredited)

1931-11-19

6.0
The Body Disappears
The Body Disappearstrue- Willie

1941-11-22

5.2

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