1873-03-07 Louisville, Kentucky, USA
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Madame Sul-Te-Wan (born Nellie Crawford; March 7, 1873 – February 1, 1959) was the first African-American actress to sign a film contract and be a featured performer. She was an American stage, film and television actress for over 50 years. The daughter of former slaves, she began her career in entertainment touring the East Coast with various theatrical companies and moved to California to become a member of the fledgling film community. She became known as a character actress, appeared in high-profile films such as The Birth of a Nation (1915) and Intolerance (1916), and easily navigated the transition to the sound films. In 1986, she was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame.
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Tarzan and the Trappers | Witch Woman | 1958-01-01 |
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The Buccaneer | Good Luck Charm Vendor | 1958-12-11 |
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Something of Value | Midwife (Uncredited) | 1957-05-08 |
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Band of Angels | Flower Vendor (Uncredited) | 1957-08-03 |
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Carmen Jones | Hagar – Carmen's Grandmother (Uncredited) | 1954-10-28 |
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Mighty Joe Young | Young Family Servant (Uncredited) | 1949-07-13 |
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The Story of Seabiscuit | Libby | 1949-11-12 |
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Thank Your Lucky Stars | Bit in "Ice Cold Katie" Number (uncredited) | 1943-09-25 |
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Revenge of the Zombies | Beulah | 1943-09-17 |
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Mokey | Miss Cully (uncredited) | 1942-04-01 |
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Sullivan's Travels | Church Harmonium Player (Uncredited) | 1941-11-30 |
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King of the Zombies | Tahama | 1941-05-14 |
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Maryland | Naomi | 1940-07-19 |
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Love Thy Neighbor | Lady McBeth | 1940-12-27 |
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Safari | Native Woman | 1940-06-14 |
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Torchy Blane... Playing with Dynamite | Ruby (uncredited) | 1939-08-12 |
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Tell No Tales | Jim Alley's Mother (uncredited) | 1939-06-12 |
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Island in the Sky | Scrubwoman (Uncredited) | 1938-04-01 |
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In Old Chicago | Hattie | 1938-04-15 |
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The Affairs of Annabel | Benzedrina (uncredited) | 1938-09-09 |
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Kentucky | Lily | 1938-12-30 |
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The Toy Wife | Eve, a Black Servant (Uncredited) | 1938-06-10 |
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Maid of Salem | Tituba | 1937-02-12 |
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San Francisco | Earthquake Survivor (Uncredited) | 1936-06-26 |
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So Red the Rose | Slave (Uncredited) | 1935-12-20 |
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Imitation of Life | Cook (uncredited) | 1934-11-23 |
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Black Moon | Ruva | 1934-06-15 |
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Operator 13 | Slave at Medicine Show ( Uncredited) | 1934-06-08 |
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A Modern Hero | Mme. Azais' Neighbor ( Uncredited) | 1934-04-21 |
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King Kong | Native Handmaiden (uncredited) | 1933-04-07 |
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Ladies They Talk About | Mustard (uncredited) | 1933-02-04 |
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Jungle Mystery | Native Woman in Stockade (Uncredited) | 1932-09-12 |
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The Pagan Lady | Carla the Servant | 1931-09-07 |
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Heaven on Earth | Voodoo Sue | 1931-11-27 |
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The Thoroughbred | Sacharine | 1930-08-09 |
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Sarah and Son | Belloc's Maid (Uncredited) | 1930-03-14 |
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Thunderbolt | Bit Role | 1929-06-20 |
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Queen Kelly | Kali Sana - Aunt's Cook (uncredited) | 1929-12-31 |
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The Carnation Kid | The Maid (Uncredited) | 1929-03-02 |
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College | Cook (uncredited) | 1927-09-10 |
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Uncle Tom's Cabin | Slave at Wedding (uncredited) | 1927-11-04 |
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The Narrow Street | Easter | 1925-01-04 |
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The Golden Bed | Boarding House Maid (Uncredited) | 1925-01-25 |
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The Lightning Rider | Mammy | 1924-05-18 |
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Manslaughter | Prison Inmate (uncredited) | 1922-09-24 |
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The Show | Maid (uncredited) | 1922-03-19 |
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Why Change Your Wife? | Sally's Maid (Uncredited) | 1920-05-21 |
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His Musical Sneeze | Maid (uncredited) | 1919-02-22 |
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Old Wives for New | Viola's Maid (uncredited) | 1918-05-18 |
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Who's Your Father? | Black Mother (uncredited) | 1918-06-30 |
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Tarzan of the Apes | Esmeralda - Jane's Maid (uncredited) | 1918-01-27 |
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Stage Struck | Uncredited | 1917-02-25 |
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Hoodoo Ann | Black Cindy | 1916-03-26 |
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Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages | Girl at the Marriage Market (uncredited) | 1916-09-04 |
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The Children Pay | Uncredited | 1916-11-26 |
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The Cause of It All | Mary - The Hotel Cook | 1915-01-29 |
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The Birth of a Nation | Black Woman (uncredited) | 1915-03-08 |
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Squirrel Food | Flirt |
