Willie Best

William “Willie” Best (May 27, 1916 - February 27, 1962), sometimes known as “Sleep n' Eat,” was an American television and film actor. Best was one of the first African-American film actors and comedians to become well known. In the 21st century, his work, like that of Stepin Fetchit, is sometimes reviled because he was often called upon to play stereotypically lazy, illiterate, and/or simple-minded characters in films. Of the 124 films he appeared in, he received screen credit in at least 77, an unusual feat for an African-American bit player. Willie Best appeared in more than one hundred films of the 1930s and 1940s. Although several sources state that for years he was billed only as “Sleep n' Eat,” Best received credit under this moniker instead of his real name in only six movies: his first film as a bit player (Harold Lloyd's Feet First) and in Up Pops the Devil (1931), The Monster Walks (1932), Kentucky Kernels and West of the Pecos (both 1934), and Murder on a Honeymoon (1935). Best was first loved as a great clown, then later in the 20th century reviled and pitied, before being forgotten in the history of film. Hal Roach called him one of the greatest talents he had ever met. Comedian Bob Hope similarly acclaimed him as “the best actor I know,” while the two were working together in 1940 on The Ghost Breakers. As a supporting actor, Best, like many black actors of his era, was regularly cast in domestic worker or service-oriented roles (though a few times he played the role echoing his previous occupation as a private chauffeur). He was often seen making a brief comic turn as a hotel, airline or train porter, as well as an elevator operator, custodian, butler, valet, waiter, deliveryman, and at least once as a launch pilot (in the 1939 movie Mr. Moto in Danger Island). Willie Best received screen credit most of the time, which was unusual for “bit players,” most in the 1930s and '40s were not accorded due credit. This also happened to white actors in small roles, but black actors were not credited even when their roles were larger. In more than 80 of his movies, he was given a proper character name (as opposed to simple descriptions such as “room service waiter” or “shoe-shine boy”), beginning with his second film. Best played “Chattanooga Brown” in two Charlie Chan films —The Red Dragon in 1945 and Dangerous Money in 1946. He also played the character of “Hipp” in three of RKO’s six Scattergood Baines films with Guy Kibbee: Scattergood Baines (1941), Scattergood Survives a Murder (1942), and Cinderella Swings It in 1943. (Actor Paul White, who played a young version of Best’s “Hipp” in the first film, went on to play “Hipp” in the next three films. Best returned to the role in the last two.) After a drug arrest ended his film career, he worked in television for a while and became known to early TV audiences as “Charlie the Elevator Operator” on CBS's My Little Margie, from 1953 to 1955. He also played Willie, the house servant, handyman and close friend of the title character of ABC’s The Trouble with Father, for its entire run from 1950 to 1955.

Known For	Acting
Most Rating	0.8009
Birthday	1913-05-27
Place of Birth	Sunflower, Mississippi, USA
Also Known As	Sleep 'n' Eat, Sleep 'n Eat, Sleep n' Eat,

Ellis in Freedomland

Blondie

Blondie Brings Up Baby

Scattergood Survives a Murder

Cinderella Swings It

The Covered Trailer

High Sierra

Feet First

The Ghost Breakers

Hit and Rum

A-Haunting We Will Go

The Littlest Rebel

Dangerous Money

The Red Dragon

Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter

Murder on a Bridle Path

Highway West

The Smiling Ghost

The Hidden Hand

Little Miss Marker

Murder on a Honeymoon

Cabin in the Sky

The Face of Marble

Nothing but the Truth

Whispering Ghosts

Juke Girl

Maisie Gets Her Man

Busses Roar

She Wouldn't Say Yes

Pillow to Post

The Girl Who Dared

Road Show

The Lady from Cheyenne

Super-Sleuth

Down the Stretch

Kisses for Breakfast

The Bride Wore Boots

The Monster and the Ape

Raised and Called

Who Killed Aunt Maggie?

Home in Indiana

Goodbye Broadway

Money and the Woman

Muss 'em Up

Merrily We Live

Gold Is Where You Find It

Meet the Missus

Saturday's Heroes

The Red Stallion

Deep South

The Lady Fights Back

The Powers Girl

Youth Takes a Fling

We Who Are About to Die

Dixie

Hold That Blonde!

To Beat the Band

Up Pops the Devil

Everybody's Doing It

At the Circus

Two in Revolt

Mummy's Boys

Spring Madness

The Nitwits

Kentucky Kernels

Horse Heir

The Saint Strikes Back

Mr. Moto in Danger Island

Way Down South

Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation

South of Caliente

Slightly Honorable

The Bride Walks Out

Blackmail

Jalna

Racing Lady

You Can't Buy Luck

Night Waitress

Crashing Hollywood

Music for Millions