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Clarence Muse

Clarence Muse

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Clarence Muse (October 14, 1889 – October 13, 1979) was an American actor, screenwriter, director, composer, and lawyer. He was inducted in the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1973. Muse was the first Negro to "star" in a film. He acted for more than sixty years appearing in more than 150 movies. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Alexander and Mary Muse, he studied at Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and received an international law degree in 1911. He was acting in New York by the 1920s, during the Harlem Renaissance with two Harlem theatres, Lincoln Players and Lafayette Players. Muse moved to Chicago for a while, and then moved to Hollywood and performed in Hearts in Dixie (1929), the first all-black movie. For the next fifty years, he worked regularly in minor and major roles. While with the Lafayette Players, Muse worked under the management of producer Robert Levy on productions that helped black actors to gain prominence and respect. In regards to the Lafayette Theatre's staging of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Muse said the play was relevant to black actors and audiences "because, in a way, it was every black man's story. Black men too have been split creatures inhabiting one body.". Muse appeared as an opera singer, minstrel show performer, vaudeville and Broadway actor; he also wrote songs, plays, and sketches. In 1943, he became the first African American Broadway director with Run Little Chillun. Muse was also the co-writer of several notable songs. In 1931, with Leon René and Otis René, Muse wrote "When It's Sleepy Time Down South", also known as "Sleepy Time Down South". The song was sung by Nina Mae McKinney in the movie Safe in Hell (1931), and later became a signature song of Louis Armstrong. He was the major star in Broken Earth (1936), which related the story of a black sharecropper whose son miraculously recovers from fever through the father's fervent prayer. Shot on a farm in the South with nonprofessional actors (except for Muse), the film's early scenes focused in a highly realistic manner on the incredible hardship of black farmers, with plowing scenes. In 1938, Muse co-starred with boxer Joe Louis in Spirit of Youth, the fictional story of a champion boxer which featured an all black cast. Muse and Langston Hughes wrote the script for Way Down South (1939). Muse performed in Broken Strings (1940), as a concert violinist who opposes the desire of his son to play "swing". From 1955-56, Muse was a regular on the weekly TV version of Casablanca, playing Sam the pianist (a part he was under consideration for in the original Warner Brothers film), and in 1959, he played Peter, the Honey Man, in Porgy and Bess. He appeared on Disney's TV miniseries The Swamp Fox. Other film credits include Buck and the Preacher (1972), The World's Greatest Athlete (1973) and as Gazenga's Assistant, "Snapper" in Car Wash (1976). His last acting role was in The Black Stallion (1979).

Personal information

Birthday

1889-10-13

Birth Place

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Movies and TV shows :

A Dream for Christmas

A Dream for Christmas

1973

6.0

Movie
A Likely Story

A Likely Story

1947

4.2

Movie
A Royal Romance

A Royal Romance

1930

0.0

Movie
A Very Honorable Guy

A Very Honorable Guy

1934

2.0

Movie
Adam Had Four Sons

Adam Had Four Sons

1941

6.0

Movie
After the Dance

After the Dance

1935

6.0

Movie
Alias Mary Dow

Alias Mary Dow

1935

6.2

Movie
Alice in Movieland

Alice in Movieland

1940

6.3

Movie
Among the Living

Among the Living

1941

6.1

Movie
An Act of Murder

An Act of Murder

1948

6.8

Movie
Apache Drums

Apache Drums

1951

6.2

Movie
Attorney for the Defense

Attorney for the Defense

1932

6.0

Movie
Belle Starr

Belle Starr

1941

5.6

Movie
Big City Blues

Big City Blues

1932

5.3

Movie
Black Moon

Black Moon

1934

5.1

Movie
Black Shadows on a Silver Screen

Black Shadows on a Silver Screen

1975

0.0

Movie
Broadway Bill

Broadway Bill

1934

6.1

Movie
Broken Strings

Broken Strings

1940

4.5

Movie
Buck and the Preacher

Buck and the Preacher

1972

6.2

Movie
Car Wash

Car Wash

1976

6.0

Movie
Caribbean

Caribbean

1952

5.8

Movie
poster

Casablanca

1955

10.0

TV
Chad Hanna

Chad Hanna

1940

6.0

Movie
Daniel Boone

Daniel Boone

1936

4.8

Movie
Deep South

Deep South

1937

6.0

Movie
Derelict

Derelict

1930

10.0

Movie
Dirigible

Dirigible

1931

5.2

Movie
Double Indemnity

Double Indemnity

1944

8.1

Movie
East of Java

East of Java

1935

6.0

Movie
Election Day

Election Day

1929

7.0

Movie
Flesh and Fantasy

Flesh and Fantasy

1943

6.7

Movie
Flying Down to Rio

Flying Down to Rio

1933

6.2

Movie
poster

Four Star Playhouse

1952

6.1

TV
Frisco Jenny

Frisco Jenny

1933

6.3

Movie
From Hell to Heaven

From Hell to Heaven

1933

7.2

Movie
Fury of the Jungle

Fury of the Jungle

1933

0.0

Movie
Gentleman from Dixie

Gentleman from Dixie

1941

6.0

Movie
God Is My Co-Pilot

God Is My Co-Pilot

1945

7.0

Movie
Guilty?

Guilty?

1930

0.0

Movie
Hallelujah

Hallelujah

1929

6.6

Movie
Harmony Lane

Harmony Lane

1935

3.5

Movie
Hearts in Dixie

Hearts in Dixie

1929

3.0

Movie
Heaven Can Wait

Heaven Can Wait

1943

6.9

Movie
Hell's Highway

Hell's Highway

1932

6.1

Movie
High Hat

High Hat

1937

5.0

Movie
Hollywood on Parade No. A-12

Hollywood on Parade No. A-12

1933

0.0

Movie
Honey

Honey

1930

5.0

Movie
Honeymoon Lodge

Honeymoon Lodge

1943

0.0

Movie
Huckleberry Finn

Huckleberry Finn

1931

8.0

Movie
If I Had a Million

If I Had a Million

1932

6.6

Movie
In the Meantime, Darling

In the Meantime, Darling

1944

5.0

Movie
Invisible Ghost

Invisible Ghost

1941

5.2

Movie
Is My Face Red?

Is My Face Red?

1932

5.0

Movie
Jam Session

Jam Session

1944

6.0

Movie
Jamaica Run

Jamaica Run

1953

5.0

Movie
Joe Palooka in the Knockout

Joe Palooka in the Knockout

1947

6.0

Movie
Johnny Come Lately

Johnny Come Lately

1943

6.7

Movie
Jungle Menace

Jungle Menace

1937

5.0

Movie
Jungle Queen

Jungle Queen

1945

5.0

Movie
Jungle Safari

Jungle Safari

1956

4.0

Movie
Jungle Terror

Jungle Terror

1946

0.0

Movie
Katie Did It

Katie Did It

1950

6.0

Movie
Kid Millions

Kid Millions

1934

6.5

Movie
Kisses for Breakfast

Kisses for Breakfast

1941

5.5

Movie
Laughing Irish Eyes

Laughing Irish Eyes

1936

0.0

Movie
Laughter in Hell

Laughter in Hell

1933

1.0

Movie
Lena Rivers

Lena Rivers

1932

5.5

Movie
Love Crazy

Love Crazy

1941

7.1

Movie
poster

Lux Video Theatre

1950

6.0

TV
Man Against Woman

Man Against Woman

1932

3.5

Movie
Maryland

Maryland

1940

6.2

Movie
Massacre

Massacre

1934

5.8

Movie
Murder Over New York

Murder Over New York

1940

6.1

Movie
Muss 'em Up

Muss 'em Up

1936

5.5

Movie
My Favorite Brunette

My Favorite Brunette

1947

6.7

Movie
My Forbidden Past

My Forbidden Past

1951

5.7

Movie
Mysterious Crossing

Mysterious Crossing

1936

0.0

Movie
New York Nights

New York Nights

1929

4.8

Movie
Night World

Night World

1932

6.7

Movie
O'Shaughnessy's Boy

O'Shaughnessy's Boy

1935

6.0

Movie
Outside the Law

Outside the Law

1930

4.7

Movie
Over the Wall

Over the Wall

1943

0.0

Movie
Passing Through

Passing Through

1977

5.0

Movie
Porgy and Bess

Porgy and Bess

1959

6.1

Movie
Prestige

Prestige

1931

5.5

Movie
Prison Train

Prison Train

1938

6.0

Movie
Rain or Shine

Rain or Shine

1930

5.7

Movie
Red Hot Tires

Red Hot Tires

1935

5.8

Movie
Riding High

Riding High

1950

5.8

Movie
Safe in Hell

Safe in Hell

1931

6.7

Movie
San Diego I Love You

San Diego I Love You

1944

6.3

Movie
Scarlet Street

Scarlet Street

1945

7.6

Movie
Secret Service

Secret Service

1931

6.0

Movie
Secrets of a Nurse

Secrets of a Nurse

1938

3.0

Movie
Shadow of a Doubt

Shadow of a Doubt

1943

7.5

Movie
She Couldn't Say No

She Couldn't Say No

1954

5.5

Movie
She Wouldn't Say Yes

She Wouldn't Say Yes

1945

5.9

Movie
Sherlock Holmes in Washington

Sherlock Holmes in Washington

1943

6.7

Movie
Show Boat

Show Boat

1936

6.8

Movie
So Red the Rose

So Red the Rose

1935

6.0

Movie
Spendthrift

Spendthrift

1936

5.0

Movie
Spirit of Youth

Spirit of Youth

1938

5.5

Movie
Sporting Blood

Sporting Blood

1940

4.3

Movie
Stars on Parade

Stars on Parade

1944

0.0

Movie
Strictly in the Groove

Strictly in the Groove

1942

0.0

Movie
Swing High

Swing High

1930

6.5

Movie
Tales of Manhattan

Tales of Manhattan

1942

6.2

Movie
That Gang of Mine

That Gang of Mine

1940

5.6

Movie
poster

The 20th Century Fox Hour

1955

5.2

TV
The Black Stallion

The Black Stallion

1979

7.0

Movie
The Black Swan

The Black Swan

1942

6.4

Movie
The Broken Earth

The Broken Earth

1936

1.0

Movie
The Cabin in the Cotton

The Cabin in the Cotton

1932

6.3

Movie
The Custard Nine

The Custard Nine

1921

0.0

Movie
The Death Kiss

The Death Kiss

1932

5.3

Movie
The Fighting Sheriff

The Fighting Sheriff

1931

0.0

Movie
The Flame of New Orleans

The Flame of New Orleans

1941

6.0

Movie
The Great Dan Patch

The Great Dan Patch

1949

5.0

Movie
The Green Pastures

The Green Pastures

1936

6.3

Movie
The Las Vegas Story

The Las Vegas Story

1952

5.8

Movie
The Last Parade

The Last Parade

1931

0.0

Movie
The Life of Jimmy Dolan

The Life of Jimmy Dolan

1933

6.1

Movie
The Mind Reader

The Mind Reader

1933

6.3

Movie
The Peanut Man

The Peanut Man

1947

0.0

Movie
The Personality Kid

The Personality Kid

1934

4.2

Movie
The Racket Man

The Racket Man

1944

6.0

Movie
The Secret Witness

The Secret Witness

1931

3.0

Movie
The Sky's the Limit

The Sky's the Limit

1943

6.1

Movie
The Soul of a Monster

The Soul of a Monster

1944

4.8

Movie
The Sun Shines Bright

The Sun Shines Bright

1953

6.4

Movie
The Talk of the Town

The Talk of the Town

1942

7.3

Movie
The Thoroughbred

The Thoroughbred

1930

4.6

Movie
The Toy Wife

The Toy Wife

1938

4.8

Movie
The Wet Parade

The Wet Parade

1932

5.8

Movie
The Woman from Monte Carlo

The Woman from Monte Carlo

1932

5.0

Movie
The World's Greatest Athlete

The World's Greatest Athlete

1973

5.3

Movie
The Wrecker

The Wrecker

1933

1.0

Movie
Tough as They Come

Tough as They Come

1942

0.0

Movie
Twin Beds

Twin Beds

1942

2.7

Movie
Two Smart People

Two Smart People

1946

6.4

Movie
Unconquered

Unconquered

1947

6.2

Movie
Washington Merry-Go-Round

Washington Merry-Go-Round

1932

6.7

Movie
Watch on the Rhine

Watch on the Rhine

1943

6.8

Movie
Way Down South

Way Down South

1939

5.4

Movie
Welcome Stranger

Welcome Stranger

1947

6.6

Movie
White Zombie

White Zombie

1932

5.9

Movie
Winner Take All

Winner Take All

1932

5.3

Movie
Without Love

Without Love

1945

6.8

Movie
X Marks the Spot

X Marks the Spot

1931

6.0

Movie
Zanzibar

Zanzibar

1940

0.0

Movie