Clarence Muse
Known for Acting · 154 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 (150)
Double Indemnity
1944
as Man (uncredited)
Shadow of a Doubt
1943
as Pullman Porter
Car Wash
1976
as Snapper
Unconquered
1947
as Jason
The Black Stallion
1979
as Snoe
Prestige
1932
as Nham
Black Moon
1934
as 'Lunch' McClaren
Belle Starr
1941
as Bootblack in Saloon (uncredited)
The Black Swan
1942
as Margaret's Servant (uncredited)
Derelict
1930
as Driver (uncredited)
Scarlet Street
1945
as Ben - Bank Janitor (uncredited)
Maryland
1940
as Reverend Bitters
Jamaica Run
1953
as Mose
The Thoroughbred
1930
as Stablehand
Heaven Can Wait
1943
as Jasper (uncredited)
Buck and the Preacher
1972
as Cudjo
Dirigible
1931
as Clarence
Frisco Jenny
1933
as Voice of Singer (uncredited)
White Zombie
1932
as Coach Driver
Silver River
1948
as Servant (uncredited)
Caribbean
1952
as Quashy
Honeymoon Lodge
1943
as Porter
God Is My Co-Pilot
1945
as Frank (uncredited)
The Talk of the Town
1942
as Supreme Court Doorkeeper (uncredited)
The World's Greatest Athlete
1973
as Gazenga's Assistant
Jungle Menace
1937
as Lightning
Jam Session
1944
as Henry
The Wrecker
1933
as Chauffeur
The Thin Man Goes Home
1944
as Porter on Train (uncredited)
Kisses for Breakfast
1941
as Old Jeff
Riding High
1950
as Whitey
Follow the Boys
1944
as Singer (uncredited)
Porgy and Bess
1959
as Peter
Flying Down to Rio
1933
as Caddy in Haiti (uncredited)
Murder Over New York
1940
as Party Server
Without Love
1945
as Train Porter
Watch on the Rhine
1943
as Horace
If I Had a Million
1932
as Death Row Singing Prisoner (uncredited)
Jungle Queen
1945
as Kyba
Love Crazy
1941
as Robert - Hat Check Man at Party
The Flame of New Orleans
1941
as Samuel, Carriage Driver
Jungle Safari
1956
as Kyba
An Act of Murder
1948
as Mr. Pope
She Wouldn't Say Yes
1945
as Porter (uncredited)
Show Boat
1936
as Sam
Tales of Manhattan
1942
as Grandpa
The Las Vegas Story
1952
as Train Porter (uncredited)
So Red the Rose
1935
as Cato
A Likely Story
1947
as Porter (uncredited)
Flesh and Fantasy
1943
as Jeff (uncredited)
Welcome Stranger
1947
as Clarence, Train Waiter (uncredited)
Among the Living
1941
Joe Palooka in the Knockout
1947
as Smoky
San Diego I Love You
1944
as Porter (uncredited)
High Hat
1937
as Congo MacRosenbloom
Apache Drums
1951
as Jehu
The Cabin in the Cotton
1932
as A Blind Negro
Invisible Ghost
1941
as Evans the Butler
Hallelujah
1929
as Church Member (uncredited)
The Sun Shines Bright
1953
as Uncle Zack
My Favorite Brunette
1947
as Second Man on Death Row (uncredited)
Huckleberry Finn
1931
as Jim
A Very Honorable Guy
1934
as Black Man
Hell's Highway
1932
as Rascal
The Wet Parade
1932
as Taylor Tibbs
Adam Had Four Sons
1941
as Sam (uncredited)
Night World
1932
as Tim Washington, the Doorman
The Toy Wife
1938
as Brutus
Jungle Terror
1946
as Lightin'
Big City Blues
1932
as Nightclub Singer (uncredited)
Johnny Come Lately
1943
as Butler
Broadway Bill
1934
as Whitey
Black Shadows on a Silver Screen
1975
as Self (archive footage)
Sporting Blood
1940
as Jeff
Muss 'em Up
1936
as William
Daniel Boone
1936
as Pompey
Sherlock Holmes in Washington
1943
as George
Alice in Movieland
1940
as Train Porter
The Death Kiss
1932
as Shoeshine Man
Safe in Hell
1931
as Newcastle
The Life of Jimmy Dolan
1933
as Masseur
Spendthrift
1936
as Restaurant Table Captain
Over the Wall
1943
as Sam
Kid Millions
1934
as Native (uncredited)
Zanzibar
1940
as Bino
Massacre
1934
as Sam
Rain or Shine
1930
as Nero
Fury of the Jungle
1933
as Sunrise
Chad Hanna
1940
as Henry Prince
O'Shaughnessy's Boy
1935
as Jeff
My Forbidden Past
1951
as Pompey
Lena Rivers
1932
as Curfew
The Mind Reader
1933
as Sam
From Hell to Heaven
1933
as Sam
Is My Face Red?
1932
as Horatio
Swing High
1930
as Singer
Harmony Lane
1935
as Old Joe
The Racket Man
1944
as George the Butler
Attorney for the Defense
1932
as Jefferson Q. Leffingwell
That Gang of Mine
1940
as Ben
Mysterious Crossing
1936
as Lincoln
Secret Service
1931
as Jonas Polk
Alias Mary Dow
1935
as 'Rufe'
Two Smart People
1946
as Train Porter
Winner Take All
1932
as Rosebud, the Trainer
Stars on Parade
1944
as Carter (uncredited)
East of Java
1935
as First Mate Johnson
Red Hot Tires
1935
as Bud's Truck Partner
The Sky's the Limit
1943
as Colonial Club Doorman (uncredited)
Washington Merry-Go-Round
1932
as Clarence
Outside the Law
1930
as Party Guest (uncredited)
Secrets of a Nurse
1938
as 'Tiger', Lee's Handler
The Last Parade
1931
as Alabam' / Singing Voice of Condemned Man (uncredited)
A Dream for Christmas
1973
as Donald Freeland
The Green Pastures
1936
as Angel (uncredited)
The Woman from Monte Carlo
1932
as Tombeau
After the Dance
1935
as Cook
Katie Did It
1950
as Mose
The Peanut Man
1947
as Dr. George Washington Carver
The Soul of a Monster
1944
as Entertainer (uncredited)
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 154 credits spanning from 1921 to 1979, Clarence Muse has appeared in 150 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
- Double Indemnity (1944) — as Man (uncredited)
- Shadow of a Doubt (1943) — as Pullman Porter
- Car Wash (1976) — as Snapper
- Unconquered (1947) — as Jason
- 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.