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).
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The Black Stallion | Snoe | 1979-10-13 |
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Passing Through | Papa Harris | 1977-08-06 |
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Car Wash | Snapper | 1976-10-22 |
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Black Shadows on a Silver Screen | Self (archive footage) | 1975-04-19 |
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A Dream for Christmas | Donald Freeland | 1973-12-24 |
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The World's Greatest Athlete | Gazenga's Assistant | 1973-02-14 |
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Buck and the Preacher | Cudjo | 1972-03-17 |
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Porgy and Bess | Peter | 1959-06-24 |
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Jungle Safari | Kyba | 1956-01-01 |
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She Couldn't Say No | Diaper Delivery Man | 1954-02-15 |
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The Sun Shines Bright | Uncle Zack | 1953-05-02 |
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Jamaica Run | Mose | 1953-04-21 |
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The Las Vegas Story | Train Porter (uncredited) | 1952-01-30 |
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Caribbean | Quashy | 1952-09-01 |
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My Forbidden Past | Pompey | 1951-04-25 |
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Apache Drums | Jehu | 1951-04-01 |
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Katie Did It | Mose | 1950-11-26 |
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Riding High | Whitey | 1950-04-12 |
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The Great Dan Patch | Voodoo | 1949-07-22 |
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An Act of Murder | Mr. Pope | 1948-12-05 |
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Unconquered | Jason | 1947-10-10 |
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Joe Palooka in the Knockout | Smoky | 1947-09-20 |
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Welcome Stranger | Clarence, Train Waiter (uncredited) | 1947-06-13 |
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A Likely Story | Porter (uncredited) | 1947-04-18 |
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My Favorite Brunette | Second Man on Death Row (uncredited) | 1947-03-19 |
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The Peanut Man | Dr. George Washington Carver | 1947-06-01 |
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Two Smart People | Train Porter | 1946-06-04 |
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Jungle Terror | Lightin' | 1946-06-01 |
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Without Love | Train Porter | 1945-03-22 |
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Scarlet Street | Ben - Bank Janitor (uncredited) | 1945-12-25 |
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God Is My Co-Pilot | Frank (uncredited) | 1945-04-07 |
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She Wouldn't Say Yes | Porter (uncredited) | 1945-11-29 |
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Jungle Queen | Kyba | 1945-01-22 |
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San Diego I Love You | Porter (uncredited) | 1944-09-29 |
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Jam Session | Henry | 1944-04-13 |
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The Thin Man Goes Home | Porter on Train (uncredited) | 1944-12-24 |
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The Racket Man | George the Butler | 1944-01-18 |
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The Soul of a Monster | Entertainer (uncredited) | 1944-08-17 |
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In the Meantime, Darling | Henry | 1944-09-22 |
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Stars on Parade | Carter (uncredited) | 1944-05-25 |
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Double Indemnity | Man (uncredited) | 1944-07-06 |
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Shadow of a Doubt | Pullman Porter | 1943-01-15 |
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Heaven Can Wait | Jasper (uncredited) | 1943-08-05 |
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Over the Wall | Sam | 1943-12-25 |
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Honeymoon Lodge | Porter | 1943-07-23 |
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Sherlock Holmes in Washington | George | 1943-03-24 |
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Johnny Come Lately | Butler | 1943-09-03 |
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The Sky's the Limit | Colonial Club Doorman (uncredited) | 1943-07-13 |
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Flesh and Fantasy | Jeff (uncredited) | 1943-10-29 |
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Watch on the Rhine | Horace | 1943-08-27 |
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Twin Beds | George | 1942-04-30 |
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Tough as They Come | Eddie | 1942-06-05 |
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The Black Swan | Margaret's Servant (uncredited) | 1942-12-04 |
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Strictly in the Groove | Durham's Valet (uncredited) | 1942-11-20 |
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The Talk of the Town | Supreme Court Doorkeeper (uncredited) | 1942-08-20 |
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Tales of Manhattan | Grandpa (Robeson sequence) | 1942-08-05 |
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Invisible Ghost | Evans the Butler | 1941-04-25 |
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Among the Living | 1941-12-12 | |
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Kisses for Breakfast | Old Jeff | 1941-07-05 |
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Gentleman from Dixie | Jupe | 1941-09-02 |
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Adam Had Four Sons | Sam (uncredited) | 1941-03-27 |
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Love Crazy | Robert - Hat Check Man at Party | 1941-05-23 |
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The Flame of New Orleans | Samuel, Carriage Driver | 1941-07-07 |
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Belle Starr | Bootblack in Saloon (uncredited) | 1941-09-12 |
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Sporting Blood | Jeff | 1940-07-11 |
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Chad Hanna | Henry Prince | 1940-12-25 |
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Zanzibar | Bino | 1940-03-08 |
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Maryland | Reverend Bitters | 1940-07-19 |
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Murder Over New York | Party Server | 1940-12-13 |
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That Gang of Mine | Ben | 1940-09-23 |
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Alice in Movieland | Train Porter | 1940-03-03 |
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Broken Strings | Arthur Williams | 1940-01-01 |
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Way Down South | Uncle Caton | 1939-07-21 |
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The Toy Wife | Brutus | 1938-06-10 |
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Spirit of Youth | Frankie Walburn | 1938-04-01 |
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Secrets of a Nurse | 'Tiger', Lee's Handler | 1938-12-02 |
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Prison Train | Train Steward / Sam | 1938-10-17 |
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Deep South | 1937-01-01 | |
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Jungle Menace | Lightning | 1937-09-01 |
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High Hat | Congo MacRosenbloom | 1937-01-01 |
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Mysterious Crossing | Lincoln | 1936-12-27 |
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The Green Pastures | Angel (uncredited) | 1936-08-01 |
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Spendthrift | Restaurant Table Captain | 1936-07-22 |
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Show Boat | Sam | 1936-05-17 |
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Laughing Irish Eyes | Deacon | 1936-03-04 |
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The Broken Earth | The Farmer | 1936-04-16 |
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Muss 'em Up | William | 1936-02-13 |
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Daniel Boone | Pompey | 1936-10-16 |
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Alias Mary Dow | 'Rufe' | 1935-05-01 |
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So Red the Rose | Cato | 1935-12-20 |
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Red Hot Tires | Bud's Truck Partner | 1935-02-02 |
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After the Dance | Cook | 1935-06-25 |
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Harmony Lane | Old Joe | 1935-10-22 |
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O'Shaughnessy's Boy | Jeff | 1935-09-27 |
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East of Java | First Mate Johnson | 1935-12-01 |
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Beautiful Dreamer | 1935-12-12 | |
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Kid Millions | Native (uncredited) | 1934-11-10 |
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Black Moon | 'Lunch' McClaren | 1934-06-15 |
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The Personality Kid | Shamrock | 1934-06-06 |
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A Very Honorable Guy | Black Man | 1934-04-18 |
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Massacre | Sam | 1934-01-20 |
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Broadway Bill | Whitey | 1934-11-30 |
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Hollywood on Parade No. A-12 | Self | 1933-06-29 |
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The Mind Reader | Sam | 1933-04-01 |
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The Life of Jimmy Dolan | Masseur | 1933-06-03 |
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Frisco Jenny | Voice of Singer (uncredited) | 1933-01-14 |
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From Hell to Heaven | Sam | 1933-02-24 |
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Fury of the Jungle | Sunrise | 1933-10-23 |
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Flying Down to Rio | Caddy in Haiti (uncredited) | 1933-12-22 |
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Laughter in Hell | Abraham Jackson | 1933-01-12 |
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The Wrecker | Chauffeur | 1933-07-10 |
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Washington Merry-Go-Round | Clarence | 1932-10-15 |
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Man Against Woman | Smoke Johnson | 1932-11-15 |
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Hell's Highway | Rascal | 1932-09-23 |
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The Death Kiss | Shoeshine Man | 1932-12-05 |
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Prestige | Nham | 1932-01-22 |
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Night World | Tim Washington, the Doorman | 1932-05-04 |
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Is My Face Red? | Horatio | 1932-06-17 |
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The Wet Parade | Taylor Tibbs | 1932-03-26 |
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Attorney for the Defense | Jefferson Q. Leffingwell | 1932-05-21 |
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Lena Rivers | Curfew | 1932-03-27 |
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White Zombie | Coach driver | 1932-07-28 |
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The Cabin in the Cotton | A Blind Negro | 1932-09-26 |
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Big City Blues | Nightclub Singer (uncredited) | 1932-09-18 |
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The Woman from Monte Carlo | Tombeau | 1932-01-09 |
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Winner Take All | Rosebud, the Trainer | 1932-07-16 |
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If I Had a Million | Death Row Singing Prisoner (uncredited) | 1932-11-18 |
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Dirigible | Clarence | 1931-02-01 |
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The Secret Witness | Jeff - Building Janitor | 1931-12-12 |
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Safe in Hell | Newcastle | 1931-12-12 |
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Huckleberry Finn | Jim | 1931-08-07 |
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Secret Service | Jonas Polk | 1931-11-14 |
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X Marks the Spot | Eustace Brown | 1931-12-13 |
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The Fighting Sheriff | Curfew | 1931-05-15 |
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The Last Parade | Alabam' / Singing Voice of Condemned Man (uncredited) | 1931-01-31 |
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Outside the Law | Party Guest (uncredited) | 1930-09-18 |
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The Thoroughbred | Stablehand | 1930-08-09 |
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Honey | Black Revivalist | 1930-03-29 |
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Derelict | Driver (uncredited) | 1930-11-22 |
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Swing High | Singer | 1930-05-18 |
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Rain or Shine | Nero | 1930-08-15 |
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A Royal Romance | Rusty | 1930-03-17 |
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Guilty? | Jefferson | 1930-03-03 |
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Election Day | Farina's father | 1929-01-12 |
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Hearts in Dixie | Nappus | 1929-01-02 |
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Hallelujah | Church Member (uncredited) | 1929-08-20 |
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New York Nights | Cabaret Singer (uncredited) | 1929-12-28 |
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The Custard Nine | 1921-11-06 |
