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.
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!.
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0887708
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2531955
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Filmography (Movies)
Sweet Black Film: The Birth of the Black Hero in Hollywood
Character:Self
Release Date:16/03/2022
Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking
Character:Self
Release Date:10/07/2021
Armed
Character:Grandpa V.
Release Date:14/09/2018
Peeples
Character:Grandpa Peeples
Release Date:09/05/2013
Salty Dog Blues
Character:Self (Interviewee)
Release Date:01/01/2012
Redemption Road
Character:Elmo
Release Date:26/08/2011
The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975
Character:Self (voice)
Release Date:01/04/2011
Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise and Fall of the Spook Who Sat by the Door
Character:
Release Date:01/01/2011
American Swing
Character:Self
Release Date:17/10/2009
Directors on Directing
Character:Self
Release Date:24/09/2009
The Black List: Volume Two
Character:Self
Release Date:26/02/2009
Confessions of a Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha
Character:Melvin Van Peebles
Release Date:22/08/2008
Blackout
Character:George
Release Date:01/10/2007
Hard Luck
Character:Hospital Prophet
Release Date:17/10/2006
SMUT
Character:Elmoore
Release Date:30/05/2006
Midnight Blue, Vol. 3: Celebrities Edition
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:31/01/2006
How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It)
Character:
Release Date:07/04/2005
Unstoppable
Character:Self
Release Date:13/02/2005
The Hebrew Hammer
Character:Sweetback
Release Date:05/12/2003
The Real Deal: What It Is
Character:Self
Release Date:14/01/2003
BaadAsssss Cinema
Character:Self
Release Date:14/08/2002
René Vautier, le rebelle
Character:Self
Release Date:29/04/2000
Love Kills
Character:Able
Release Date:04/10/1999
Classified X
Character:Self
Release Date:16/10/1998
Riot
Character:Vernon
Release Date:27/04/1997
Calm at Sunset
Character:Mr. Bucket
Release Date:01/12/1996
Gang in Blue
Character:Andre Speier
Release Date:08/09/1996
Panther
Character:Old Jail Bird
Release Date:03/05/1995
Fist of the North Star
Character:Asher
Release Date:22/04/1995
Terminal Velocity
Character:Noble
Release Date:23/09/1994
Farewell, Babylon!
Character:Self
Release Date:28/08/1993
Last Action Hero
Character:Self
Release Date:18/06/1993
Posse
Character:Papa Joe
Release Date:14/05/1993
Boomerang
Character:Editor
Release Date:30/06/1992
Satchmo: The Life of Louis Armstrong
Character:Louis Armstrong (voice)
Release Date:01/01/1992
True Identity
Character:Taxi Driver
Release Date:23/08/1991
Making 'Do the Right Thing'
Character:Self
Release Date:03/11/1989
Identity Crisis
Character:The Inspector
Release Date:15/09/1989
Taking Care of Terrific
Character:Hawk
Release Date:16/01/1988
Jaws: The Revenge
Character:Mr. Witherspoon
Release Date:17/07/1987
O.C. and Stiggs
Character:Wino Bob
Release Date:10/07/1987
America
Character:Man Interviewed
Release Date:01/10/1986
Wattstax
Character:Self
Release Date:04/02/1973
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
Character:Sweetback
Release Date:31/03/1971
Watermelon Man
Character:Sign Painter (uncredited)
Release Date:27/05/1970
Sunlight
Character:
Release Date:01/01/1957
Television Appearances
Sex: The Revolution
Character:
Girlfriends
Character:Kenneth Daly
The Shining
Character:Richard Hallorann
Living Single
Character:
Homicide: Life on the Street
Character:Bennett Jackson
Dream On
Character:Norman Green
Sonny Spoon
Character:
The Sophisticated Gents
Character:Walter 'Moon' Porter
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Character:Bucket
Images
