Melvin Van Peebles
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!.
Identity Crisis
(The Inspector)
Taking Care of Terrific
(Hawk)
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
(Sweetback)
Fist of the North Star
(Asher)
O.C. and Stiggs
(Wino Bob)
BaadAsssss Cinema
(Self)
Peeples
(Grandpa Peeples)
Directors on Directing
(Self)
True Identity
(Taxi Driver)
Sweet Black Film: The Birth of the Black Hero in Hollywood
(Self)
Confessions of a Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha
(Melvin Van Peebles)
Calm at Sunset
(Mr. Bucket)
Gang in Blue
(Andre Speier)
René Vautier, le rebelle
(Self)
Hard Luck
(Hospital Prophet)
Watermelon Man
(Sign Painter (uncredited))
The Black List: Volume Two
(Self)
Blackout
(George)
SMUT
(Elmoore)
Unstoppable
(Self)
Making 'Do the Right Thing'
(Self)
Wattstax
(Self)
Classified X
(Self)
Midnight Blue, Vol. 3: Celebrities Edition
(Self (archive footage))
Panther
(Old Jail Bird)
Riot
(Vernon)
Love Kills
(Able)
American Swing
(Self)
The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975
(Self (voice))
Jaws: The Revenge
(Mr. Witherspoon)
How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It)
The Real Deal: What It Is
(Self)
Terminal Velocity
(Noble)
Salty Dog Blues
(Self (Interviewee))
Armed
(Grandpa V.)
America
(Man Interviewed)
The Hebrew Hammer
(Sweetback)
Sunlight
Posse
(Papa Joe)
Last Action Hero
(Self)
Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise and Fall of the Spook Who Sat by the Door
Farewell, Babylon!
(Self)
Boomerang
(Editor)
Redemption Road
(Elmo)
Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking
(Self)
Satchmo: The Life of Louis Armstrong
(Louis Armstrong (voice))
Girlfriends
(Kenneth Daly)
Living Single
Homicide: Life on the Street
Hallmark Hall of Fame
(Bucket)
Sonny Spoon
Sex: The Revolution
The Sophisticated Gents
(Walter 'Moon' Porter)
Dream On
(Norman Green)
The Shining
(Richard Hallorann)
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
(Editor)
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
(Producer)
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
(Director)
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
(Screenplay)
Baadasssss!
(Writer)
Watermelon Man
(Director)
500 Francs
(Director)
500 Francs
(Original Music Composer)
500 Francs
(Writer)
Confessions of a Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha
(Writer)
Confessions of a Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha
(Director)
The Story of a Three-Day Pass
(Director)
Vrooom Vrooom Vroooom
(Director)
Vrooom Vrooom Vroooom
(Writer)
Gang in Blue
(Producer)
Gang in Blue
(Director)
The Story of a Three-Day Pass
(Music)
The Story of a Three-Day Pass
(Writer)
Greased Lightning
(Screenplay)
The Real Deal: What It Is
(Director)
Bellyful
(Writer)
Bellyful
(Music)
Identity Crisis
(Editor)
Identity Crisis
(Producer)
Don't Play Us Cheap
(Director)
Classified X
(Writer)
Slogan
(Writer)
Panther
(Screenplay)
Identity Crisis
(Director)
Bellyful
(Director)
Greased Lightning
(Writer)
Watermelon Man
(Original Music Composer)
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
(Original Music Composer)
Sunlight
(Director)
Three Pick-Up Men for Herrick
(Director)
Three Pick-Up Men for Herrick
(Writer)
The Day They Came to Arrest the Book
(Writer)
Just an Old Sweet Song
(Writer)
Panther
(Producer)
Panther
(Novel)
Don't Play Us Cheap
(Editor)
Don't Play Us Cheap
(Theatre Play)
Don't Play Us Cheap
(Screenplay)
Don't Play Us Cheap
(Songs)
Vrooom Vrooom Vroooom
(Producer)
Vrooom Vrooom Vroooom
(Original Music Composer)
Vrooom Vrooom Vroooom
(Editor)
Tales of Erotica
(Director)
976-STUD
(Director)
Bellyful
(Producer)
Don't Play Us Cheap
(Original Music Composer)
Tales of Erotica
(Writer)
CBS Schoolbreak Special
(Writer)
The Outer Limits
(Director)
The Sophisticated Gents
(Teleplay)