Known For
Acting
Born
Aug 21, 1932
Died
Sep 21, 2021
Place of Birth
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Credits
73 titles
Melvin Van Peebles
Biography
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!.
Known For
Filmography
Hollywood Black
Self (archive footage)
Sweet Black Film: The Birth of the Black Hero in Hollywood
Self
Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking
Self
Armed
Grandpa V.
Peeples
Grandpa Peeples
Salty Dog Blues
Self (Interviewee)
Redemption Road
Elmo
The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975
Self (voice)
Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise and Fall of the Spook Who Sat by the Door
American Swing
Self
Directors on Directing
Self
The Black List: Volume Two
Self
Confessions of a Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha
Melvin Van Peebles
Sex: The Revolution
Blackout
George
Hard Luck
Hospital Prophet
SMUT
Elmoore
Midnight Blue, Vol. 3: Celebrities Edition
Self (archive footage)
How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It)
Unstoppable
Self
Baadasssss!
Book
The Hebrew Hammer
Sweetback
The Real Deal: What It Is
Self
BaadAsssss Cinema
Self
Girlfriends
Kenneth Daly
Bellyful
Writer
René Vautier, le rebelle
Self
Love Kills
Able
Classified X
Self
The Shining
Richard Hallorann
Riot
Vernon
Calm at Sunset
Mr. Bucket
Gang in Blue
Andre Speier
Tales of Erotica
Director
Panther
Old Jail Bird
Fist of the North Star
Asher
The Outer Limits
Director
Vrooom Vrooom Vroooom
Director
Terminal Velocity
Noble
Living Single
Farewell, Babylon!
Self
Last Action Hero
Self
Posse
Papa Joe
Homicide: Life on the Street
Bennett Jackson
Boomerang
Editor
Satchmo: The Life of Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong (voice)
True Identity
Taxi Driver
Dream On
Norman Green
Making 'Do the Right Thing'
Self
Identity Crisis
The Inspector