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Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

119

Gender

Male

Birthday

1913-05-27

Day of Death

1962-11-27 (49 years old)

Place of Birth

Sunflower, Mississippi, USA

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.

Known For

Acting

Ellis in Freedomland

1952

Ellis in Freedomland

as

Male Model

Blondie

1938

Blondie

as

Porter

Blondie Brings Up Baby

1939

Blondie Brings Up Baby

as

Hotel Janitor (uncredited)

The Covered Trailer

1939

The Covered Trailer

as

Baltimore

High Sierra

1941

High Sierra

as

Algernon

Feet First

1930

Feet First

as

Janitor

Hit and Rum

1935

Hit and Rum

as

Shoe Shine Man (uncredited)

The Littlest Rebel

1935

The Littlest Rebel

as

James Henry

The Red Dragon

1945

The Red Dragon

as

Chattanooga Brown

Dangerous Money

1946

Dangerous Money

as

Chattanooga Brown

Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter

1939

Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter

as

Apollo Johnson

Murder on a Bridle Path

1936

Murder on a Bridle Path

as

'High-Pockets'

Highway West

1941

Highway West

as

Bub Wellington

The Smiling Ghost

1941

The Smiling Ghost

as

Clarence

The Hidden Hand

1942

The Hidden Hand

as

Eustis, the chauffeur

Little Miss Marker

1934

Little Miss Marker

as

Dizzy Memphis (uncredited)

Murder on a Honeymoon

1935

Murder on a Honeymoon

as

Willie (as Sleep 'n' Eat)

Cabin in the Sky

1943

Cabin in the Sky

as

Second Idea Man

The Face of Marble

1946

The Face of Marble

as

Shadrach

Whispering Ghosts

1942

Whispering Ghosts

as

Euclid White Brown

Juke Girl

1942

Juke Girl

as

Jo-Mo

Maisie Gets Her Man

1942

Maisie Gets Her Man

as

Sam (Uncredited)

Busses Roar

1942

Busses Roar

as

Sunshine

She Wouldn't Say Yes

1945

She Wouldn't Say Yes

as

Porter (uncredited)

Pillow to Post

1945

Pillow to Post

as

Lucille, Colonial Auto Court Porter

The Girl Who Dared

1944

The Girl Who Dared

as

Woodrow

Road Show

1941

Road Show

as

Willie

Super-Sleuth

1937

Super-Sleuth

as

Warts, Martin's manservant

Home in Indiana

1944

Home in Indiana

as

Mo' Rum (uncredited)

Goodbye Broadway

1938

Goodbye Broadway

as

Jughead

Money and the Woman

1940

Money and the Woman

as

George Washington Jones

Muss 'em Up

1936

Muss 'em Up

as

Janitor at Spivali's Bar (uncredited)

Merrily We Live

1938

Merrily We Live

as

George

Meet the Missus

1937

Meet the Missus

as

Bootblack

The Red Stallion

1947

The Red Stallion

as

Jackson

The Lady Fights Back

1937

The Lady Fights Back

as

McTavish

The Powers Girl

1943

The Powers Girl

as

Men's Room Attendant (uncredited)

We Who Are About to Die

1937

We Who Are About to Die

as

Airport Porter (uncredited)

Dixie

1943

Dixie

as

Steward (uncredited)

Hold That Blonde!

1945

Hold That Blonde!

as

Willie Shelley

To Beat the Band

1935

To Beat the Band

as

Elevator Operator

Up Pops the Devil

1931

Up Pops the Devil

as

Laundryman

Everybody's Doing It

1938

Everybody's Doing It

as

Jasper - Elevator Operator

At the Circus

1939

At the Circus

as

Redcap (uncredited)

Two in Revolt

1936

Two in Revolt

as

Eph

Mummy's Boys

1936

Mummy's Boys

as

Catfish

Spring Madness

1938

Spring Madness

as

Porter on Train

The Nitwits

1935

The Nitwits

as

Sleepy

Kentucky Kernels

1934

Kentucky Kernels

as

Buckshot (as Sleep 'n' Eat)

The Saint Strikes Back

1939

The Saint Strikes Back

as

Algernon, Simon's Butler (Uncredited)

Mr. Moto in Danger Island

1939

Mr. Moto in Danger Island

as

Launch Pilot

Way Down South

1939

Way Down South

as

Chimney Sweep

Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation

1939

Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation

as

Driver (uncredited)

South of Caliente

1951

South of Caliente

as

Willie, Stable Boy

Slightly Honorable

1939

Slightly Honorable

as

Art, Elevator Operator

Blackmail

1939

Blackmail

as

Bunny - the Janitor (uncredited)

Jalna

1935

Jalna

as

Sam

Racing Lady

1937

Racing Lady

as

Brass

You Can't Buy Luck

1937

You Can't Buy Luck

as

Airline Porter (uncredited)

Night Waitress

1936

Night Waitress

as

Black Pedestrian

Crashing Hollywood

1938

Crashing Hollywood

as

Train Porter (uncredited)

Music for Millions

1944

Music for Millions

as

Red Cap (uncredited)

Ladies of Leisure

1930

Ladies of Leisure

as

George (uncredited)

Blondie on a Budget

1940

Blondie on a Budget

as

Newsboy (uncredited)

Suddenly It's Spring

1947

Suddenly It's Spring

as

Porter on Train

The Green Pastures

1936

The Green Pastures

as

Henry - the Angel (uncredited)

West of the Pecos

1934

West of the Pecos

as

Jonah (as Sleep 'n' Eat)

Thank You, Jeeves!

1936

Thank You, Jeeves!

as

Drowsy

The Mark of the Whistler

1944

The Mark of the Whistler

as

Men's Room Attendant (uncredited)

Breakdowns of 1941

1941

Breakdowns of 1941

as

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Hot Tip

1935

Hot Tip

as

Apollo

I'm from the City

1938

I'm from the City

as

Train Porter

The Arizonian

1935

The Arizonian

as

Pompey

General Spanky

1936

General Spanky

as

Henry

Thank Your Lucky Stars

1943

Thank Your Lucky Stars

as

Soldier in "Ice Cold Katie" Number (uncredited)

Vivacious Lady

1938

Vivacious Lady

as

Porter

Silly Billies

1936

Silly Billies

as

Excitement

The Monster Walks

1932

The Monster Walks

as

Exodus (as Sleep n' Eat)

The Kansan

1943

The Kansan

as

Bones

Harold Lloyd's World of Comedy

1962

Harold Lloyd's World of Comedy

as

Charlie (archive footage)

TV in Black: The First Fifty Years

2004

TV in Black: The First Fifty Years

as

Self (archive footage)

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

1975

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

as

Self (archive footage)

The Shanghai Chest

1948

The Shanghai Chest

as

Willie Best

Breezing Home

1937

Breezing Home

as

Speed

Half Past Midnight

1948

Half Past Midnight

as

Andy Jones

Private Detective

1939

Private Detective

as

Norton's Valet

Minstrel Days

1941

Minstrel Days

as

Singer

Virtuous Husband

1931

Virtuous Husband

as

Luftus

The Guilty Generation

1931

The Guilty Generation

as

Club Merlin Doorman (uncredited)

Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company "B"

1941

Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company "B"

as

Hot-Breath Harry (voice) (uncredited)

Waterfront

Waterfront

as

Billy Slocum

Production

Crew

Directing