Clarence Muse
Known for Acting · 155 credits
- Born
- 1889-10-13
- Died
- 1979-10-13
- Place of birth
- Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Also known as
- Clarence Muese
Biography
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.
Known For
TV Shows (4)
Movies (151)
Hallelujah
1929
as Church Member (uncredited)
Double Indemnity
1944
as Man (uncredited)
Unconquered
1947
as Jason
Shadow of a Doubt
1943
as Pullman Porter
The Black Stallion
1979
as Snoe
The Black Swan
1942
as Margaret's Servant (uncredited)
Dirigible
1931
as Clarence
Belle Starr
1941
as Bootblack in Saloon (uncredited)
God Is My Co-Pilot
1945
as Frank (uncredited)
Welcome Stranger
1947
as Clarence, Train Waiter (uncredited)
Flesh and Fantasy
1943
as Jeff (uncredited)
Twin Beds
1942
as George
Scarlet Street
1945
as Ben - Bank Janitor (uncredited)
The Wet Parade
1932
as Taylor Tibbs
So Red the Rose
1935
as Cato
Heaven Can Wait
1943
as Jasper (uncredited)
Prestige
1932
as Nham
Car Wash
1976
as Snapper
Silver River
1948
as Servant (uncredited)
The Toy Wife
1938
as Brutus
Tales of Manhattan
1942
as Grandpa
If I Had a Million
1932
as Death Row Singing Prisoner (uncredited)
That Gang of Mine
1940
as Ben
Riding High
1950
as Whitey
Rain or Shine
1930
as Nero
Buck and the Preacher
1972
as Cudjo
My Favorite Brunette
1947
as Second Man on Death Row (uncredited)
The Thin Man Goes Home
1944
as Porter on Train (uncredited)
Flying Down to Rio
1933
as Caddy in Haiti (uncredited)
The Sun Shines Bright
1953
as Uncle Zack
She Couldn't Say No
1954
as Diaper Delivery Man
Follow the Boys
1944
as Singer (uncredited)
Way Down South
1939
as Uncle Caton
The Life of Jimmy Dolan
1933
as Masseur
Jungle Queen
1945
as Kyba
My Forbidden Past
1951
as Pompey
Safe in Hell
1931
as Newcastle
White Zombie
1932
as Coach Driver
Tough as They Come
1942
as Eddie
The Las Vegas Story
1952
as Train Porter (uncredited)
The Flame of New Orleans
1941
as Samuel, Carriage Driver
Apache Drums
1951
as Jehu
The Talk of the Town
1942
as Supreme Court Doorkeeper (uncredited)
Sherlock Holmes in Washington
1943
as George
Kisses for Breakfast
1941
as Old Jeff
Daniel Boone
1936
as Pompey
Without Love
1945
as Train Porter (uncredited)
Secrets of a Nurse
1938
as 'Tiger', Lee's Handler
Broadway Bill
1934
as Whitey
Katie Did It
1950
as Mose
Johnny Come Lately
1943
as Butler
Porgy and Bess
1959
as Peter
Adam Had Four Sons
1941
as Sam (uncredited)
O'Shaughnessy's Boy
1935
as Jeff
Show Boat
1936
as Sam
Chad Hanna
1940
as Henry Prince
The Woman from Monte Carlo
1932
as Tombeau
Hell's Highway
1932
as Rascal
The Sky's the Limit
1943
as Colonial Club Doorman (uncredited)
Watch on the Rhine
1943
as Horace
The Racket Man
1944
as George the Butler
Two Smart People
1946
as Train Porter
Frisco Jenny
1933
as Voice of Singer (uncredited)
The Cabin in the Cotton
1932
as A Blind Negro
Attorney for the Defense
1932
as Jefferson Q. Leffingwell
Jam Session
1944
as Henry
A Dream for Christmas
1973
as Donald Freeland
The Secret Witness
1931
as Jeff - Building Janitor
Invisible Ghost
1941
as Evans the Butler
Alias Mary Dow
1935
as 'Rufe'
East of Java
1935
as First Mate Johnson
The Soul of a Monster
1944
as Entertainer (uncredited)
Big City Blues
1932
as Nightclub Singer (uncredited)
Passing Through
1977
as Papa Harris
The Death Kiss
1932
as Shoeshine Man
Winner Take All
1932
as Rosebud, the Trainer
The Great Dan Patch
1949
as Voodoo
Massacre
1934
as Sam
The Wrecker
1933
as Chauffeur
The Green Pastures
1936
as Angel (uncredited)
Love Crazy
1941
as Robert - Hat Check Man at Party
An Act of Murder
1948
as Mr. Pope
Honeymoon Lodge
1943
as Porter
Alice in Movieland
1940
as Train Porter
She Wouldn't Say Yes
1945
as Porter (uncredited)
Jamaica Run
1953
as Mose
Outside the Law
1930
as Party Guest (uncredited)
The World's Greatest Athlete
1973
as Gazenga's Assistant
Kid Millions
1934
as Native (uncredited)
In the Meantime, Darling
1944
as Henry
Jungle Safari
1956
as Kyba
Harmony Lane
1935
as Old Joe
Is My Face Red?
1932
as Horatio
Muss 'em Up
1936
as William
Prison Train
1938
as Train Steward / Sam
Jungle Menace
1937
as Lightning
Murder Over New York
1940
as Party Server
Maryland
1940
as Reverend Bitters
Lena Rivers
1932
as Curfew
Night World
1932
as Tim Washington, the Doorman
A Likely Story
1947
as Porter (uncredited)
Mysterious Crossing
1936
as Lincoln
The Personality Kid
1934
as Shamrock
Black Moon
1934
as 'Lunch' McClaren
The Mind Reader
1933
as Sam
The Fighting Sheriff
1931
as Curfew
Hollywood on Parade No. A-12
1933
as Self
From Hell to Heaven
1933
as Sam
Derelict
1930
as Driver (uncredited)
Black Shadows on a Silver Screen
1975
as Self (archive footage)
Red Hot Tires
1935
as Bud's Truck Partner
Huckleberry Finn
1931
as Jim
Among the Living
1941
Sporting Blood
1940
as Jeff
Secret Service
1931
as Jonas Polk
A Very Honorable Guy
1934
as Black Man
Laughter in Hell
1933
as Abraham Jackson
Caribbean
1952
as Quashy
The Last Parade
1931
as Alabam' / Singing Voice of Condemned Man (uncredited)
High Hat
1937
as Congo MacRosenbloom
About 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,… With 155 credits spanning from 1921 to 1979, Clarence Muse has appeared in 151 films and 4 TV shows.
Fans searching for Clarence Muse movies, Clarence Muse filmography, or the latest projects starring Clarence Muse can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Clarence Muse Movies
- Hallelujah (1929) — as Church Member (uncredited)
- Double Indemnity (1944) — as Man (uncredited)
- Unconquered (1947) — as Jason
- Shadow of a Doubt (1943) — as Pullman Porter
- The Black Stallion (1979) — as Snoe
Where to Watch Clarence Muse Films
Most Clarence Muse movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Clarence Muse, check our movies catalogue and browse page.