Melvin Van Peebles

ActorDirectorWriterProducerSound Aug 21 (died age 89) Chicago, Illinois, USA 1951–2022 (71 year career)

5.4 avg rating

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 …

Known For

Film

Last Action Hero

Self

Film

The Outer Limits

Director

Film

Boomerang

Editor

Film

Terminal Velocity

Noble

Film

Jaws: The Revenge

Mr. Witherspoon

Film

The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975

Self (voice)

Film

Baadasssss!

Book

Film

Watermelon Man

Sign Painter (uncredited)

Filmography

Acting (55)

Movies (46)

Sweet Black Film: The Birth of the Black Hero in Hollywood

2022

as Self

8.0

Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking

as Self

Armed

as Grandpa V.

Peeples

as Grandpa Peeples

Salty Dog Blues

as Self (Interviewee)

Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise and Fall of the Spook Who Sat by the Door

2011

Redemption Road

2011

as Elmo

5.0

The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975

2011

as Self (voice)

7.6

Directors on Directing

2009

as Self

American Swing

2009

as Self

4.9

The Black List: Volume Two

2009

as Self

6.0

Confessions of a Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha

2008

as Melvin Van Peebles

6.5

Blackout

2007

as George

5.6

Midnight Blue, Vol. 3: Celebrities Edition

2006

as Self (archive footage)

SMUT

2006

as Elmoore

Hard Luck

2006

as Hospital Prophet

5.5

Unstoppable

2005

as Self

How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It)

The Hebrew Hammer

as Sweetback

The Real Deal: What It Is

2003

as Self

BaadAsssss Cinema

2002

as Self

5.9

René Vautier, le rebelle

as Self

Love Kills

as Able

Classified X

as Self

Riot

as Vernon

Calm at Sunset

as Mr. Bucket

Gang in Blue

as Andre Speier

Panther

as Old Jail Bird

Fist of the North Star

as Asher

Terminal Velocity

as Noble

Last Action Hero

as Self

Posse

as Papa Joe

Farewell, Babylon!

as Self

Boomerang

1992

as Editor

5.7

Satchmo: The Life of Louis Armstrong

1992

as Louis Armstrong (voice)

7.0

True Identity

1991

as Taxi Driver

5.5

Making 'Do the Right Thing'

as Self

Identity Crisis

as The Inspector

Taking Care of Terrific

1988

as Hawk

Jaws: The Revenge

as Mr. Witherspoon

O.C. and Stiggs

as Wino Bob

America

as Man Interviewed

Wattstax

as Self

Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song

1971

as Sweetback

5.1

Watermelon Man

1970

as Sign Painter (uncredited)

6.3

Sunlight

1957

Television (9)

Sex: The Revolution

Girlfriends

as Kenneth Daly

The Shining

as Richard Hallorann

Living Single

Homicide: Life on the Street

as Bennett Jackson

Dream On

as Norman Green

Sonny Spoon

The Sophisticated Gents

1981

as Walter 'Moon' Porter

7.0

Hallmark Hall of Fame

1951

as Bucket

8.6

Crew (58)

Movies (55)

Confessions of a Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha

2008

Director

6.5

Confessions of a Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha

Writer

Baadasssss!

Book

Baadasssss!

Writer

The Real Deal: What It Is

2003

Director

Bellyful

2000

Director

Bellyful

2000

Executive Producer

Bellyful

2000

Music

Bellyful

2000

Novel

Bellyful

2000

Original Music Composer

Bellyful

2000

Producer

Bellyful

2000

Writer

Classified X

Writer

Gang in Blue

Director

Gang in Blue

Producer

Tales of Erotica

Director

Tales of Erotica

Writer

Panther

Novel

Panther

Producer

Panther

Screenplay

Vrooom Vrooom Vroooom

1995

Director

1.7

Vrooom Vrooom Vroooom

1995

Editor

1.7

Vrooom Vrooom Vroooom

1995

Original Music Composer

1.7

Vrooom Vrooom Vroooom

1995

Producer

1.7

Vrooom Vrooom Vroooom

Writer

Identity Crisis

Director

Identity Crisis

Editor

Identity Crisis

Producer

The Day They Came to Arrest the Book

1987

Writer

Greased Lightning

Screenplay

Greased Lightning

Writer

Just an Old Sweet Song

Writer

Don't Play Us Cheap

Director

Don't Play Us Cheap

Editor

Don't Play Us Cheap

Original Music Composer

Don't Play Us Cheap

Screenplay

Don't Play Us Cheap

Songs

Don't Play Us Cheap

Theatre Play

Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song

1971

Director

5.1

Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song

1971

Editor

5.1

Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song

1971

Original Music Composer

5.1

Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song

1971

Producer

5.1

Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song

Screenplay

Watermelon Man

Director

Watermelon Man

Original Music Composer

6.3

Slogan

1969

Writer

5.6

The Story of a Three-Day Pass

1968

Director

6.3

The Story of a Three-Day Pass

1968

Music

6.3

The Story of a Three-Day Pass

1968

Writer

6.3

500 Francs

1961

Director

500 Francs

1961

Original Music Composer

500 Francs

1961

Writer

Three Pick-Up Men for Herrick

1957

Director

5.0

Three Pick-Up Men for Herrick

1957

Writer

5.0

Sunlight

1957

Director

Television (3)

The Outer Limits

1995

Director

7.7

CBS Schoolbreak Special

1984

Writer

5.5

The Sophisticated Gents

1981

Teleplay

7.0