1932-08-21 Chicago, Illinois, USA
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 Conte du ventre plein (2000) and the absurdist film Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha (2008). His son, filmmaker and actor Mario Van Peebles, appeared in several of his works and portrayed him in the 2003 biographical film Baadasssss!.
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Naissance d'un héros noir au cinéma : Sweet Sweetback | Self | 2022-03-16 |
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Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking | Self | 2021-07-10 |
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Armed | Grandpa V. | 2018-09-14 |
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Peeples | Grandpa Peeples | 2013-05-09 |
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Salty Dog Blues | Self (Interviewee) | 2012-01-01 |
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The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 | Self (voice) | 2011-04-01 |
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Redemption Road | Elmo | 2011-08-26 |
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Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise and Fall of the Spook Who Sat by the Door | 2011-01-01 | |
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American Swing | Self | 2009-10-17 |
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Directors on Directing | Self | 2009-09-24 |
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The Black List: Volume Two | Self | 2009-02-26 |
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Confessions of a Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha | Melvin Van Peebles | 2008-08-22 |
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Blackout | George | 2007-10-01 |
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Midnight Blue, Vol. 3: Celebrities Edition | Self (archive footage) | 2006-01-31 |
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Hard Luck | Hospital Prophet | 2006-10-17 |
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Unstoppable | Self | 2005-02-13 |
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How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It) | 2005-04-07 | |
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The Real Deal: What It Is | Self | 2003-01-14 |
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The Hebrew Hammer | Sweetback | 2003-12-05 |
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BaadAsssss Cinema | Self | 2002-08-14 |
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René Vautier, le rebelle | Self | 2000-04-29 |
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Love Kills | Able | 1999-10-04 |
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SMUT | Elmoore | 1999-01-01 |
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Classified X | Self | 1998-10-16 |
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Riot | Vernon | 1997-04-27 |
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Gang in Blue | Andre Speier | 1996-09-08 |
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Calm at Sunset | Mr. Bucket | 1996-12-01 |
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Panther | Old Jail Bird | 1995-05-03 |
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Fist of the North Star | Asher | 1995-04-22 |
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Terminal Velocity | Noble | 1994-09-23 |
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Posse | Papa Joe | 1993-05-14 |
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Adieu, Babylone! | Self | 1993-08-28 |
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Last Action Hero | Self | 1993-06-18 |
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Satchmo: The Life of Louis Armstrong | Louis Armstrong (voice) | 1992-01-01 |
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Boomerang | Editor | 1992-06-30 |
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True Identity | Taxi Driver | 1991-08-23 |
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Making 'Do the Right Thing' | Self | 1989-11-03 |
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Identity Crisis | The Inspector | 1989-09-15 |
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Taking Care of Terrific | Hawk | 1988-01-16 |
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O.C. and Stiggs | Wino Bob | 1987-07-10 |
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Jaws: The Revenge | Mr. Witherspoon | 1987-07-17 |
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America | Man Interviewed | 1986-10-01 |
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Wattstax | Self | 1973-02-04 |
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Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song | Sweetback | 1971-03-31 |
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Watermelon Man | Sign Painter (uncredited) | 1970-05-27 |
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Sunlight | 1957-01-01 |
