Willie Best facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Willie Best
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Best in Dangerous Money (1946)
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William Best
May 27, 1913 Sunflower, Mississippi, U.S.
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| Died | February 27, 1962 (aged 48) |
| Resting place | Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery |
| Other names | Sleep 'n' Eat |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1930–1955 |
William Best (born May 27, 1913 – died February 27, 1962) was an American actor. He was known by his stage names Willie Best or Sleep n' Eat.
Willie Best was one of the first African American actors and comedians to become famous in movies. He appeared in 124 films. He was given screen credit in at least 77 of these films, which was very unusual for a Black actor at that time.
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Willie Best's Early Life and Stage Career
Willie Best was born in Sunflower, Mississippi. He first came to Hollywood as a chauffeur for a couple on vacation. He decided to stay in California and started his acting career with a traveling show. A talent scout saw him perform and soon he began getting roles in Hollywood films.
Willie Best in Motion Pictures
Willie Best acted in over 100 movies during the 1930s and 1940s. For a short time, he was sometimes called "Sleep n' Eat" in movie credits. This name was used in six of his early films, like Feet First (1930) and Murder on a Honeymoon (1935). After that, he was usually credited as "Willie Best" or "William Best".
In his first movies, Willie Best sometimes acted like another famous Black actor, Stepin Fetchit. He would speak slowly and seem surprised or confused. Later, Best changed his acting style. He kept his funny reactions and way of speaking but stopped copying others. He knew that he was often asked to play characters who seemed lazy or not very smart. He once said, "I often think about these roles I have to play. Most of them are pretty broad. Sometimes I tell the director and he cuts out the bad parts... But what's an actor going to do? Either you do it or get out."
Willie Best was a truly talented actor. Director Mitchell Leisen called him "the most natural actor I've ever seen." The famous comedian Bob Hope also praised him as "the best actor I know" when they worked together on The Ghost Breakers in 1940.
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Like many Black actors of his time, Best often played roles as a domestic worker or someone in a service job. He was often seen as a hotel, airline, or train porter. He also played elevator operators, custodians, butlers, valets, waiters, and deliverymen. He even played a boat pilot in the 1939 movie Mr. Moto in Danger Island.
It was unusual for actors in small roles to get screen credit, but Willie Best usually did. He was given a character name in over 80 of his movies. This was a big deal, as many Black actors were not credited even for larger roles.
He also played a character named "Hipp" in three films with Guy Kibbee: Scattergood Baines (1941), Scattergood Survives a Murder (1942), and Cinderella Swings It (1943).
Willie Best also took over a role from his friend Mantan Moreland. Moreland played "Birmingham Brown" in the Charlie Chan movies. When Moreland was away, Willie Best played a similar character, "Chattanooga Brown," in The Red Dragon (1945) and Dangerous Money (1946).
Willie Best's Television Career
After his film career slowed down, Willie Best found new success in television. Producer Hal Roach believed Best was a great talent. Best worked mostly for Roach in the 1950s.
He played Willie, the house servant and friend, in the Stu Erwin sitcom The Trouble with Father. This show ran from 1950 to 1955. He also became well-known to early TV audiences as Charlie, the elevator operator on CBS's My Little Margie, from 1953 to 1955. He also appeared in the drama Waterfront (1954). In one episode of Racket Squad, he played a serious character without any comedy, which was a surprise for viewers.
Willie Best's Later Life and Death
Willie Best passed away on February 27, 1962, at the Motion Picture Country Home in Woodland Hills, California. He was 48 years old and died from cancer. He was buried at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery.
Willie Best's Legacy
Willie Best's stage name "Sleep n' Eat" was used again in the 2000 movie Bamboozled, directed by Spike Lee. In this film, a modern "minstrel show" features two Black performers, one of whom is named "Sleep n' Eat." The other character is named "Mantan," as a tribute to Willie Best's friend, Mantan Moreland.
Willie Best's Film and TV Appearances
Willie Best appeared in many films and television shows. Here are a few examples:
- 1930: Feet First as Charcoal - Janitor
- 1932: The Monster Walks as Exodus
- 1934: Little Miss Marker as Dizzy Memphis
- 1935: Murder on a Honeymoon as Willie, the Porter
- 1940: The Ghost Breakers as Alex
- 1941: High Sierra as Algernon
- 1942: Whispering Ghosts as Euclid White Brown
- 1943: Cabin in the Sky as Second Idea Man
- 1945: The Red Dragon as Chattanooga Brown
- 1950-1955: The Stu Erwin Show as Willie, The Handyman (30 episodes)
- 1952-1955: My Little Margie as Charlie (21 episodes)
Images for kids
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Willie Best in Dangerous Money (1946)
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Willie Best in a photo from Film Star Who's Who (1938)
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Dudley Dickerson (left) and Willie Best in Dangerous Money (1946)
See also
