1889-10-13 Baltimore, Maryland, USA
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Clarence Muse (October 14, 1889 – October 13, 1979) was an American actor, screenwriter, director, composer, and lawyer. He was inducted in the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1973. Muse was the first Negro to "star" in a film. He acted for more than sixty years appearing in more than 150 movies. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Alexander and Mary Muse, he studied at Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and received an international law degree in 1911. He was acting in New York by the 1920s, during the Harlem Renaissance with two Harlem theatres, Lincoln Players and Lafayette Players. Muse moved to Chicago for a while, and then moved to Hollywood and performed in Hearts in Dixie (1929), the first all-black movie. For the next fifty years, he worked regularly in minor and major roles. While with the Lafayette Players, Muse worked under the management of producer Robert Levy on productions that helped black actors to gain prominence and respect. In regards to the Lafayette Theatre's staging of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Muse said the play was relevant to black actors and audiences "because, in a way, it was every black man's story. Black men too have been split creatures inhabiting one body.". Muse appeared as an opera singer, minstrel show performer, vaudeville and Broadway actor; he also wrote songs, plays, and sketches. In 1943, he became the first African American Broadway director with Run Little Chillun. Muse was also the co-writer of several notable songs. In 1931, with Leon René and Otis René, Muse wrote "When It's Sleepy Time Down South", also known as "Sleepy Time Down South". The song was sung by Nina Mae McKinney in the movie Safe in Hell (1931), and later became a signature song of Louis Armstrong. He was the major star in Broken Earth (1936), which related the story of a black sharecropper whose son miraculously recovers from fever through the father's fervent prayer. Shot on a farm in the South with nonprofessional actors (except for Muse), the film's early scenes focused in a highly realistic manner on the incredible hardship of black farmers, with plowing scenes. In 1938, Muse co-starred with boxer Joe Louis in Spirit of Youth, the fictional story of a champion boxer which featured an all black cast. Muse and Langston Hughes wrote the script for Way Down South (1939). Muse performed in Broken Strings (1940), as a concert violinist who opposes the desire of his son to play "swing". From 1955-56, Muse was a regular on the weekly TV version of Casablanca, playing Sam the pianist (a part he was under consideration for in the original Warner Brothers film), and in 1959, he played Peter, the Honey Man, in Porgy and Bess. He appeared on Disney's TV miniseries The Swamp Fox. Other film credits include Buck and the Preacher (1972), The World's Greatest Athlete (1973) and as Gazenga's Assistant, "Snapper" in Car Wash (1976). His last acting role was in The Black Stallion (1979).
 |
The Black Stallion | Snoe | 1979-10-13 |
 |
Passing Through | Papa Harris | 1977-08-06 |
 |
Car Wash | Snapper | 1976-10-22 |
 |
Black Shadows on a Silver Screen | Self (archive footage) | 1975-04-19 |
 |
The World's Greatest Athlete | Gazenga's Assistant | 1973-02-14 |
 |
A Dream for Christmas | Donald Freeland | 1973-12-24 |
 |
Buck and the Preacher | Cudjo | 1972-03-17 |
 |
Porgy and Bess | Peter | 1959-06-24 |
 |
Jungle Safari | Kyba | 1956-01-01 |
 |
She Couldn't Say No | Diaper Delivery Man | 1954-02-15 |
 |
The Sun Shines Bright | Uncle Zack | 1953-05-02 |
 |
Jamaica Run | Mose | 1953-04-21 |
 |
Caribbean | Quashy | 1952-09-01 |
 |
The Las Vegas Story | Train Porter (uncredited) | 1952-01-30 |
 |
Apache Drums | Jehu | 1951-04-01 |
 |
My Forbidden Past | Pompey | 1951-04-25 |
 |
Katie Did It | Mose | 1950-11-26 |
 |
Riding High | Whitey | 1950-04-12 |
 |
The Great Dan Patch | Voodoo | 1949-07-22 |
 |
Silver River | Servant (uncredited) | 1948-05-20 |
 |
An Act of Murder | Mr. Pope | 1948-12-05 |
 |
My Favorite Brunette | Second Man on Death Row (uncredited) | 1947-03-19 |
 |
Welcome Stranger | Clarence, Train Waiter (uncredited) | 1947-06-13 |
 |
A Likely Story | Porter (uncredited) | 1947-04-18 |
 |
The Peanut Man | Dr. George Washington Carver | 1947-06-01 |
 |
Joe Palooka in the Knockout | Smoky | 1947-09-20 |
 |
Unconquered | Jason | 1947-10-10 |
 |
Jungle Terror | Lightin' | 1946-06-01 |
 |
Two Smart People | Train Porter | 1946-06-04 |
 |
God Is My Co-Pilot | Frank (uncredited) | 1945-04-07 |
 |
Jungle Queen | Kyba | 1945-01-22 |
 |
She Wouldn't Say Yes | Porter (uncredited) | 1945-11-29 |
 |
Without Love | Train Porter | 1945-03-22 |
 |
Scarlet Street | Ben - Bank Janitor (uncredited) | 1945-12-25 |
 |
The Racket Man | George the Butler | 1944-01-18 |
 |
Jam Session | Henry | 1944-04-13 |
 |
The Thin Man Goes Home | Porter on Train (uncredited) | 1944-12-24 |
 |
In the Meantime, Darling | Henry | 1944-09-22 |
 |
San Diego I Love You | Porter (uncredited) | 1944-09-29 |
 |
Double Indemnity | Man (uncredited) | 1944-07-06 |
 |
The Soul of a Monster | Entertainer (uncredited) | 1944-08-17 |
 |
Stars on Parade | Carter (uncredited) | 1944-05-25 |
 |
Flesh and Fantasy | Jeff (uncredited) | 1943-10-29 |
 |
Honeymoon Lodge | Porter | 1943-07-23 |
 |
Over the Wall | Sam | 1943-12-25 |
 |
Shadow of a Doubt | Pullman Porter | 1943-01-15 |
 |
Watch on the Rhine | Horace | 1943-08-27 |
 |
Heaven Can Wait | Jasper (uncredited) | 1943-08-05 |
 |
Sherlock Holmes in Washington | George | 1943-03-24 |
 |
Johnny Come Lately | Butler | 1943-09-03 |
 |
The Sky's the Limit | Colonial Club Doorman (uncredited) | 1943-07-13 |
 |
Tales of Manhattan | Grandpa (Robeson sequence) | 1942-08-05 |
 |
Strictly in the Groove | Durham's Valet (uncredited) | 1942-11-20 |
 |
The Black Swan | Margaret's Servant (uncredited) | 1942-12-04 |
 |
Tough as They Come | Eddie | 1942-06-05 |
 |
Twin Beds | George | 1942-04-30 |
 |
The Talk of the Town | Supreme Court Doorkeeper (uncredited) | 1942-08-20 |
 |
Adam Had Four Sons | Sam (uncredited) | 1941-03-27 |
 |
Kisses for Breakfast | Old Jeff | 1941-07-05 |
 |
Love Crazy | Robert - Hat Check Man at Party | 1941-05-23 |
 |
The Flame of New Orleans | Samuel, Carriage Driver | 1941-07-07 |
 |
Belle Starr | Bootblack in Saloon (uncredited) | 1941-09-12 |
 |
Among the Living | 1941-12-12 | |
 |
Gentleman from Dixie | Jupe | 1941-09-02 |
 |
Invisible Ghost | Evans the Butler | 1941-04-25 |
 |
Murder Over New York | Party Server | 1940-12-13 |
 |
Sporting Blood | Jeff | 1940-07-11 |
 |
Chad Hanna | Henry Prince | 1940-12-25 |
 |
Broken Strings | Arthur Williams | 1940-01-01 |
 |
Zanzibar | Bino | 1940-03-08 |
 |
Maryland | Reverend Bitters | 1940-07-19 |
 |
That Gang of Mine | Ben | 1940-09-23 |
 |
Alice in Movieland | Train Porter | 1940-03-03 |
 |
Way Down South | Uncle Caton | 1939-07-21 |
 |
Secrets of a Nurse | 'Tiger', Lee's Handler | 1938-12-02 |
 |
The Toy Wife | Brutus | 1938-06-10 |
 |
Prison Train | Train Steward / Sam | 1938-10-17 |
 |
Spirit of Youth | Frankie Walburn | 1938-04-01 |
 |
Jungle Menace | Lightning | 1937-09-01 |
 |
High Hat | Congo MacRosenbloom | 1937-01-01 |
 |
Deep South | 1937-01-01 | |
 |
The Green Pastures | Angel (uncredited) | 1936-08-01 |
 |
The Broken Earth | The Farmer | 1936-04-16 |
 |
Muss 'em Up | William | 1936-02-13 |
 |
Show Boat | Sam | 1936-05-17 |
 |
Spendthrift | Restaurant Table Captain | 1936-07-22 |
 |
Daniel Boone | Pompey | 1936-10-16 |
 |
Laughing Irish Eyes | Deacon | 1936-03-04 |
 |
Mysterious Crossing | Lincoln | 1936-12-27 |
 |
Harmony Lane | Old Joe | 1935-10-22 |
 |
So Red the Rose | Cato | 1935-12-20 |
 |
O'Shaughnessy's Boy | Jeff | 1935-09-27 |
 |
East of Java | First Mate Johnson | 1935-12-01 |
 |
Red Hot Tires | Bud's Truck Partner | 1935-02-02 |
|
Beautiful Dreamer | 1935-12-12 | |
 |
Alias Mary Dow | 'Rufe' | 1935-05-01 |
 |
After the Dance | Cook | 1935-06-25 |
 |
Kid Millions | Native (uncredited) | 1934-11-10 |
 |
Black Moon | 'Lunch' McClaren | 1934-06-15 |
 |
Broadway Bill | Whitey | 1934-11-30 |
 |
A Very Honorable Guy | Black Man | 1934-04-18 |
 |
Massacre | Sam | 1934-01-20 |
 |
The Personality Kid | Shamrock | 1934-06-06 |
 |
The Mind Reader | Sam | 1933-04-01 |
 |
From Hell to Heaven | Sam | 1933-02-24 |
 |
Laughter in Hell | Abraham Jackson | 1933-01-12 |
 |
The Wrecker | Chauffeur | 1933-07-10 |
 |
Hollywood on Parade No. A-12 | Self | 1933-06-29 |
 |
Fury of the Jungle | Sunrise | 1933-10-23 |
 |
The Life of Jimmy Dolan | Masseur | 1933-06-03 |
 |
Frisco Jenny | Voice of Singer (uncredited) | 1933-01-14 |
 |
Flying Down to Rio | Caddy in Haiti (uncredited) | 1933-12-22 |
 |
If I Had a Million | Death Row Singing Prisoner (uncredited) | 1932-11-18 |
 |
White Zombie | Coach driver | 1932-07-28 |
 |
Is My Face Red? | Horatio | 1932-06-17 |
 |
Winner Take All | Rosebud, the Trainer | 1932-07-16 |
 |
The Death Kiss | Shoeshine Man | 1932-12-05 |
 |
Attorney for the Defense | Jefferson Q. Leffingwell | 1932-05-21 |
 |
Lena Rivers | Curfew | 1932-03-27 |
 |
The Woman from Monte Carlo | Tombeau | 1932-01-09 |
 |
Hell's Highway | Rascal | 1932-09-23 |
 |
The Cabin in the Cotton | A Blind Negro | 1932-09-26 |
 |
Prestige | Nham | 1932-01-22 |
 |
Man Against Woman | Smoke Johnson | 1932-11-15 |
 |
The Wet Parade | Taylor Tibbs | 1932-03-26 |
 |
Washington Merry-Go-Round | Clarence | 1932-10-15 |
 |
Big City Blues | Nightclub Singer (uncredited) | 1932-09-18 |
 |
Night World | Tim Washington, the Doorman | 1932-05-04 |
 |
X Marks the Spot | Eustace Brown | 1931-12-13 |
 |
Dirigible | Clarence | 1931-02-01 |
 |
The Last Parade | Alabam' / Singing Voice of Condemned Man (uncredited) | 1931-01-31 |
 |
Safe in Hell | Newcastle | 1931-12-12 |
 |
The Secret Witness | Jeff - Building Janitor | 1931-12-12 |
 |
The Fighting Sheriff | Curfew | 1931-05-15 |
 |
Secret Service | Jonas Polk | 1931-11-14 |
 |
Huckleberry Finn | Jim | 1931-08-07 |
 |
Rain or Shine | Nero | 1930-08-15 |
 |
A Royal Romance | Rusty | 1930-03-17 |
 |
Derelict | Driver (uncredited) | 1930-11-22 |
 |
Guilty? | Jefferson | 1930-03-03 |
 |
Outside the Law | Party Guest (uncredited) | 1930-09-18 |
 |
Honey | Black Revivalist | 1930-03-29 |
 |
The Thoroughbred | Stablehand | 1930-08-09 |
 |
Swing High | Singer | 1930-05-18 |
 |
Hearts in Dixie | Nappus | 1929-01-02 |
 |
Hallelujah | Church Member (uncredited) | 1929-08-20 |
 |
New York Nights | Cabaret Singer (uncredited) | 1929-12-28 |
 |
Election Day | Farina's father | 1929-01-12 |
|
The Custard Nine | 1921-11-06 |
