Acting

Madame Sul-Te-Wan

Born 1873-03-07 · Louisville, Kentucky, USA

Died 1959-02-01

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Madame Sul-Te-Wan (born Nellie Crawford; March 7, 1873 – February 1, 1959) was the first African-American actress to sign a film contract and be a featured performer. She was an American stage, film and television actress for over 50 years. The daughter of former slaves, she began her career in entertainment touring the East Coast with various theatrical companies and moved to California to become a member of the fledgling film community. She became known as a character actress, appeared in high-profile films such as The Birth of a Nation (1915) and Intolerance (1916), and easily navigated the transition to the sound films. In 1986, she was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame.

Credits

Newest first

Tarzan and the Trappers
as Witch Woman
1960
The Buccaneer
as Good Luck Charm Vendor
1958
Band of Angels
as Flower Vendor (Uncredited)
1957
Something of Value
as Midwife (Uncredited)
1957
Carmen Jones
as Hagar – Carmen's Grandmother (Uncredited)
1954
The Story of Seabiscuit
as Libby
1949
Mighty Joe Young
as Young Family Servant (Uncredited)
1949
Thank Your Lucky Stars
as Bit in "Ice Cold Katie" Number (uncredited)
1943
Revenge of the Zombies
as Beulah
1943
Mokey
as Miss Cully (uncredited)
1942
Sullivan's Travels
as Church Harmonium Player (Uncredited)
1941
King of the Zombies
as Tahama
1941
Love Thy Neighbor
as Lady McBeth
1940
Maryland
as Naomi
1940
Safari
as Native Woman
1940
Torchy Blane... Playing with Dynamite
as Ruby (uncredited)
1939
Tell No Tales
as Jim Alley's Mother (uncredited)
1939
Kentucky
as Lily
1938
The Affairs of Annabel
as Benzedrina (uncredited)
1938
The Toy Wife
as Eve, a Black Servant (Uncredited)
1938
In Old Chicago
as Hattie
1938
Island in the Sky
as Scrubwoman (Uncredited)
1938
Maid of Salem
as Tituba
1937
San Francisco
as Earthquake Survivor (Uncredited)
1936
So Red the Rose
as Slave (Uncredited)
1935
Imitation of Life
as Cook (uncredited)
1934
Black Moon
as Ruva
1934
Operator 13
as Slave at Medicine Show ( Uncredited)
1934
A Modern Hero
as Mme. Azais' Neighbor ( Uncredited)
1934
King Kong
as Native Handmaiden (uncredited)
1933
Ladies They Talk About
as Mustard (uncredited)
1933
Jungle Mystery
as Native Woman in Stockade (Uncredited)
1932
Heaven on Earth
as Voodoo Sue
1931
The Pagan Lady
as Carla the Servant
1931
The Thoroughbred
as Sacharine
1930
Sarah and Son
as Belloc's Maid (Uncredited)
1930
Queen Kelly
as Kali Sana - Aunt's Cook (uncredited)
1929
Thunderbolt
as Bit Role
1929
The Carnation Kid
as The Maid (Uncredited)
1929
Uncle Tom's Cabin
as Slave at Wedding (uncredited)
1927
College
as Cook (uncredited)
1927
The Golden Bed
as Boarding House Maid (Uncredited)
1925
The Narrow Street
as Easter
1925
The Lightning Rider
as Mammy
1924
Manslaughter
as Prison Inmate (uncredited)
1922
The Show
as Maid (uncredited)
1922
Why Change Your Wife?
as Sally's Maid (Uncredited)
1920
His Musical Sneeze
as Maid (uncredited)
1919
Who's Your Father?
as Black Mother (uncredited)
1918
Old Wives for New
as Viola's Maid (uncredited)
1918
Tarzan of the Apes
as Esmeralda - Jane's Maid (uncredited)
1918
Stage Struck
as Uncredited
1917
The Children Pay
as Uncredited
1916
Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages
as Girl at the Marriage Market (uncredited)
1916
Hoodoo Ann
as Black Cindy
1916
The Birth of a Nation
as Black Woman (uncredited)
1915
The Cause of It All
as Mary - The Hotel Cook
1915
Squirrel Food
as Flirt
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