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