Melvin Van Peebles

Biography

Melvin Van Peebles (born Melvin Peebles; August 21, 1932 – September 21, 2021) was an American actor, filmmaker, writer, and composer. His feature film debut, The Story of a Three-Day Pass (1967), was based on his own French-language novel La Permission and was shot in France, as it was difficult for a black American director to get work at the time. The film won an award at the San Francisco International Film Festival which gained him the interest of Hollywood studios, leading to his American feature debut Watermelon Man, in 1970. Eschewing further overtures from Hollywood, he used the successes he had so far to bankroll his work as an independent filmmaker. In 1971, he released his best-known work, creating and starring in the film Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, which led to the creation of the blaxploitation genre. although critic Roger Ebert did not consider this example of Van Peebles' work to be an exploitation film. He followed this up with the musical, Don't Play Us Cheap, based on his own stage play, and continued to make films, write novels and stage plays in English and in French through the next several decades; his final films include the French-language film Le …

Movies & TV Shows

1. Last Action Hero (1993) — Self
2. Jaws: The Revenge (1987) — Mr. Witherspoon
3. Boomerang (1992) — Editor
4. The Shining (1997) — Richard Hallorann
5. Terminal Velocity (1994) — Noble
6. Homicide: Life on the Street (1993) — Bennett Jackson
7. Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971) — Sweetback
8. Posse (1993) — Papa Joe
9. Fist of the North Star (1995) — Asher
10. Hard Luck (2006) — Hospital Prophet
11. Peeples (2013) — Grandpa Peeples
12. The Hebrew Hammer (2003) — Sweetback
13. Watermelon Man (1970) — Sign Painter (uncredited)
14. Living Single (1993)
15. Panther (1995) — Old Jail Bird
16. Girlfriends (2000) — Kenneth Daly
17. Dream On (1990) — Norman Green
18. The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 (2011) — Self (voice)
19. True Identity (1991) — Taxi Driver
20. BaadAsssss Cinema (2002) — Self
21. Armed (2018) — Grandpa V.
22. O.C. and Stiggs (1987) — Wino Bob
23. Wattstax (1973) — Self
24. American Swing (2009) — Self
25. Gang in Blue (1996) — Andre Speier
26. Riot (1997) — Vernon
27. Redemption Road (2011) — Elmo
28. Blackout (2007) — George
29. Identity Crisis (1989) — The Inspector
30. Calm at Sunset (1996) — Mr. Bucket
31. Making 'Do the Right Thing' (1989) — Self
32. Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951) — Bucket
33. Classified X (1998) — Self
34. How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It) (2005)
35. America (1986) — Man Interviewed
36. Love Kills (1999) — Able
37. Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking (2021) — Self
38. Hollywood Black (2024) — Self (archive footage)
39. Sweet Black Film: The Birth of the Black Hero in Hollywood (2022) — Self
40. Taking Care of Terrific (1988) — Hawk

Directed

1. The Outer Limits (1995) — Director
2. Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971) — Director
3. Watermelon Man (1970) — Director
4. The Story of a Three-Day Pass (1968) — Director
5. Gang in Blue (1996) — Director
6. Tales of Erotica (1996) — Director
7. Identity Crisis (1989) — Director
8. Don't Play Us Cheap (1973) — Director
9. Vrooom Vrooom Vroooom (1995) — Director
10. Three Pick-Up Men for Herrick (1957) — Director
11. 500 Francs (1961) — Director
12. Confessions of a Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha (2008) — Director
13. Bellyful (2000) — Director
14. Sunlight (1957) — Director
15. 976-STUD (1989) — Director
16. The Real Deal: What It Is (2003) — Director