WILLIE BEST BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Willie Best was born on May 22nd, 1913 in Sunflower, Mississippi.  His career in the industry began when he was hired to work as a chauffer in Los Angeles, California and ended up finding acting work with a traveling show.
 
When a talent scout took notice of him during one of his stage performances he was given a chance to work in Hollywood.  Some of his early film roles were in, "Deep South" (1930), "Ladies of Leisure" (1930), "Feet First" (1930), "Up Pops the Devil" (1931), "Little Miss Marker" (1934), "West of the Pecos" (1934) and "The Nitwits" (1935).
 
Throughout his career, he would appear in over 100 films between 1930 and 1940.  In five of his films he was billed as, 'Sleep n' Eat' and for all the other films he appeared in, if he received credit, it was under the name Willie Best.
 
Like many African American actors during this era, he was mostly cast as a bit player and normally portrayed domestic characters or service oriented characters.  Some of his more well known roles were in two of Charlie Chaplin's films, "The Red Dragon" (1945) and "Dangerous Money" (1946).
 
Throughout his time as an actor he starred alongside some of the most famous actors of the Golden era such as, Bob Hope, Laurel and Hardy and the Marx Brothers. 
 
In addition to his numerous film roles he also graced the television screen becoming most known to many for his role as Charlie, the elevator operator, on the series, "My Little Margie" (1953-1955) starring Gale Storm, which aired on CBS.
 
Other television roles he added to his resume were on, "The Trouble with Father" (1950-1955) also known as "The Stu Erwin Show", "Racket Squad" (1951-1952) starring Reed Hadley and "Mark Saber" (1951). 
 
For the most part, his film career came to an end after he was arrested for drugs.  He tried to maintain a career as an actor working in television, however his final roles were on the television series, "Waterfront" (1954-1955) and "The Stu Erwin Show" (1950-1955). 
 
Willie Best passed away at the age of forty eight on February 27th, 1962 at the Motion Picture Country Home in Woodland Hills, California after suffering from cancer.  His remains are buried at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery.      

 
Filmography

1950-1955  The Stu Erwin Show

1952-1955  My Little Margie

1954-1955  Waterfront

1951-1952  Racket Squad 

1951   Mark Saber 

1951   South of Caliente

1950   High and Dizzy 

1949   Jiggs and Maggie in Jackpot Jitters

1948   Smart Woman 

1948   Half Past Midnight 

1947   The Red Stallion 

1947   Suddenly It's Spring 

1946   Dangerous Money

1946   No Leave, No Love

1946  The Bride Wore Boots

1946   The Face of Marble 

1945   The Red Dragon 

1945   She Wouldn't Say Yes

1945   Hold That Blonde 

1945   Pillow to Post 

1945   The Monster and the Ape

1944   Music for Millions 

1944   The Mark of the Whistler 

1944   The Girl Who Dared 

1944   Home in Indiana 

1944   The Adventures of Mark Twain 

1943   Thank Your Lucky Stars

1943   The Kansan 

1943   Dixie

1943   Cabin in the Sky

1943   Cinderella Swings It 

1943   The Powers Girl 

1942   The Hidden Hand

1942   Scattergood Survives a Murder

1942   Busses Roar

1942   A-Haunting We Will Go 

1942   Maisie Gets Her Man

1942   Juke Girl

1942   Whispering Ghosts

1941   The Body Disappears

1941   Nothing But the Truth 

1941   Minstrel Days

1941   'The Smiling Ghost' 

1941   Highway West 

1941   Kisses for Breakfast 

1941   The Lady from Cheyenne

1941   Scattergood Baines 

1941   Road Show

1941   Flight from Destiny

1941   West of the Rockies

1941   High Sierra 

1940   Who Killed Aunt Maggie? 

1940   Money and the Woman

1940   The Ghost Breakers

1940   Blondie on a Budget 

1940   I Take This Woman

1939   Slightly Honorable

1939   Miracle on Main Street

1939   Private Detective

1939   The Covered Trailer

1939   At the Circus

1939   Blackmail 

1939   Way Down South 

1939   Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation 

1939   Mr. Moto in Danger Island 

1939   The Saint Strikes Back 

1938   Prairie Papas

1938   Spring Madness

1938   Blondie 

1938   Straight Place and Show

1938   Youth Takes a Fling

1938   A Western Welcome 

1938   I'm from the City

1938   Vivacious Lady

1938   Goodbye Broadway 

1938   Merrily We Live

1938   Gold Is Where You Find It

1938   Everybody's Doing It

1938   Crashing Hollywood

1937   Saturday's Heroes 

1937   The Lady Fights Back

1937   Super-Sleuth

1937   Meet the Missus

1937   You Can't Buy Luck

1937   Breezing Home

1937   Criminal Lawyer

1937   All Scarlet

1937   Mississippi Moods 

1937   Deep South

1937   We Who Are About to Die 

1936   Night Waitress 

1936   General Spanky

1936   Make Way for a Lady 

1936   Thank You, Jeeves! 

1936   Mummy's Boys 

1936   Down the Stretch 

1936   The Green Pastures 

1936   The Bride Walks Out 

1936   Murder on a Bridle Path 

1936   Two in Revolt 

1936   Silly Billies 

1936   The Lady Consents

1936   Muss 'em Up

1936   Dog Blight 

1935   The Littlest Rebel

1935   To Beat the Band

1935   Annie Oakley

1935   Hot Tip 

1935   Jalna

1935   The Arizonian 

1935   The Nitwits

1935   Murder on a Honeymoon 

1934   West of the Pecos

1934   Kentucky Kernels

1934   Little Miss Marker

1932   The Monster Walks

1931   Up Pops the Devil

1931   The Virtuous Husband

1930   Feet First

1930   Ladies of Leisure

1930   Deep South