Willie Best: movies and TV shows
Willie Best has 122 credits in the archive: 118 films and 4 TV series, from 1930 to 2004. Highest rated: The Stu Erwin Show (7.7/10).
Career timeline
1930 – 2004 · busiest year: 1941 (13 credits)
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Full filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Type | Rating | Age then |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | TV in Black: The First Fifty Years | Self (archive footage) | Film | 5.3 | 91 |
| 2001 | Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel | Self (archive footage) | Film | — | 88 |
| 1976 | Bob Hope's World of Comedy | Self - Tribute Montage (archive footage) | Film | — | 63 |
| 1975 | Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? | Self (archive footage) | Film | 6.3 | 62 |
| 1962 | Harold Lloyd's World of Comedy | Charlie (archive footage) | Film | 7.3 | 49 |
| 1954 | Waterfront | Billy Slocum | TV | 7.5 | 41 |
| 1954 | Meet the O'Briens | Willie | Film | — | 41 |
| 1952 | My Little Margie | TV | 5.0 | 39 | |
| 1952 | Ellis in Freedomland | Male Model | Film | — | 39 |
| 1951 | Racket Squad | TV | 6.5 | 38 | |
| 1951 | South of Caliente | Willie, Stable Boy | Film | 9.0 | 38 |
| 1950 | The Stu Erwin Show | Willie | TV | 7.7 | 37 |
| 1948 | The Shanghai Chest | Willie Best | Film | 6.6 | 35 |
| 1948 | Half Past Midnight | Andy Jones | Film | 7.0 | 35 |
| 1947 | The Red Stallion | Jackson | Film | 10.0 | 34 |
| 1947 | Suddenly It's Spring | Porter on Train | Film | 4.3 | 34 |
| 1946 | The Bride Wore Boots | Joe | Film | 6.1 | 33 |
| 1946 | The Face of Marble | Shadrach | Film | 4.6 | 33 |
| 1946 | Dangerous Money | Chattanooga Brown | Film | 5.9 | 33 |
| 1945 | Hold That Blonde! | Willie Shelley | Film | 6.3 | 32 |
| 1945 | The Monster and the Ape | Flash | Film | 6.8 | 32 |
| 1945 | She Wouldn't Say Yes | Porter (uncredited) | Film | 6.4 | 32 |
| 1945 | The Red Dragon | Chattanooga Brown | Film | 6.6 | 32 |
| 1945 | Pillow to Post | Lucille, Colonial Auto Court Porter | Film | 5.5 | 32 |
| 1944 | The Adventures of Mark Twain | Butler | Film | 7.0 | 31 |
| 1944 | The Girl Who Dared | Woodrow | Film | 6.1 | 31 |
| 1944 | Music for Millions | Red Cap (uncredited) | Film | 6.7 | 31 |
| 1944 | The Mark of the Whistler | Men's Room Attendant (uncredited) | Film | 6.2 | 31 |
| 1944 | Home in Indiana | Mo' Rum (uncredited) | Film | 5.9 | 31 |
| 1943 | Dixie | Steward (uncredited) | Film | 5.0 | 30 |
| 1943 | The Kansan | Bones | Film | 6.0 | 30 |
| 1943 | Thank Your Lucky Stars | Soldier in "Ice Cold Katie" Number (uncredited) | Film | 6.2 | 30 |
| 1943 | Cabin in the Sky | Second Idea Man | Film | 6.5 | 30 |
| 1943 | Cinderella Swings It | Hipp | Film | 9.0 | 30 |
| 1943 | The Powers Girl | Men's Room Attendant (uncredited) | Film | 7.0 | 30 |
| 1942 | Juke Girl | Jo-Mo | Film | 7.2 | 29 |
| 1942 | A-Haunting We Will Go | Waiter | Film | 6.2 | 29 |
| 1942 | The Hidden Hand | Eustis, the chauffeur | Film | 6.7 | 29 |
| 1942 | Scattergood Survives a Murder | Hipp | Film | 5.9 | 29 |
| 1942 | Busses Roar | Sunshine | Film | 6.6 | 29 |
| 1942 | Maisie Gets Her Man | Sam (Uncredited) | Film | 6.7 | 29 |
| 1942 | Whispering Ghosts | Euclid White Brown | Film | 6.8 | 29 |
| 1941 | High Sierra | Algernon | Film | 7.1 | 28 |
| 1941 | Breakdowns of 1941 | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | Film | 7.0 | 28 |
| 1941 | Nothing but the Truth | Samuel | Film | 7.3 | 28 |
| 1941 | Flight from Destiny | George | Film | 5.8 | 28 |
| 1941 | The Lady from Cheyenne | George | Film | 5.7 | 28 |
| 1941 | Kisses for Breakfast | Arnold | Film | 6.3 | 28 |
| 1941 | Road Show | Willie | Film | 5.6 | 28 |
| 1941 | Highway West | Bub Wellington | Film | 6.6 | 28 |
| 1941 | The Smiling Ghost | Clarence | Film | 6.7 | 28 |
| 1941 | The Body Disappears | Willie | Film | 6.1 | 28 |
| 1941 | Scattergood Baines | Hipp | Film | 7.0 | 28 |
| 1941 | Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company "B" | Hot-Breath Harry (voice) (uncredited) | Film | 6.6 | 28 |
| 1941 | Minstrel Days | Singer | Film | 7.0 | 28 |
| 1940 | The Ghost Breakers | Alex | Film | 6.5 | 27 |
| 1940 | Money and the Woman | George Washington Jones | Film | 4.4 | 27 |
| 1940 | I Take This Woman | Sambo | Film | 5.9 | 27 |
| 1940 | Blondie on a Budget | Newsboy (uncredited) | Film | 6.2 | 27 |
| 1940 | Who Killed Aunt Maggie? | Andrew | Film | 5.5 | 27 |
| 1939 | At the Circus | Redcap (uncredited) | Film | 6.4 | 26 |
| 1939 | Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation | Driver (uncredited) | Film | 6.6 | 26 |
| 1939 | Way Down South | Chimney Sweep | Film | 6.4 | 26 |
| 1939 | Slightly Honorable | Art, Elevator Operator | Film | 5.1 | 26 |
| 1939 | Mr. Moto in Danger Island | Launch Pilot | Film | 6.7 | 26 |
| 1939 | Private Detective | Norton's Valet | Film | 6.8 | 26 |
| 1939 | Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter | Apollo Johnson | Film | 6.2 | 26 |
| 1939 | The Saint Strikes Back | Algernon, Simon's Butler (Uncredited) | Film | 5.8 | 26 |
| 1939 | Blackmail | Bunny - the Janitor (uncredited) | Film | 6.9 | 26 |
| 1939 | Blondie Brings Up Baby | Hotel Janitor (uncredited) | Film | 6.9 | 26 |
| 1939 | The Covered Trailer | Baltimore | Film | 7.0 | 26 |
| 1938 | Vivacious Lady | Porter | Film | 7.0 | 25 |
| 1938 | Blondie | Porter | Film | 7.0 | 25 |
| 1938 | Merrily We Live | George | Film | 6.9 | 25 |
| 1938 | Gold Is Where You Find It | Joshua | Film | 7.0 | 25 |
| 1938 | Everybody's Doing It | Jasper - Elevator Operator | Film | 6.0 | 25 |
| 1938 | Crashing Hollywood | Train Porter (uncredited) | Film | 6.0 | 25 |
| 1938 | Goodbye Broadway | Jughead | Film | 10.0 | 25 |
| 1938 | Spring Madness | Porter on Train | Film | 4.9 | 25 |
| 1938 | Straight, Place and Show | Hannibal | Film | 7.0 | 25 |
| 1938 | Youth Takes a Fling | George | Film | 5.5 | 25 |
| 1938 | I'm from the City | Train Porter | Film | 7.0 | 25 |
| 1937 | Racing Lady | Brass | Film | 6.0 | 24 |
| 1937 | Super-Sleuth | Warts, Martin's manservant | Film | 5.6 | 24 |
| 1937 | You Can't Buy Luck | Airline Porter (uncredited) | Film | 4.7 | 24 |
| 1937 | We Who Are About to Die | Airport Porter (uncredited) | Film | 7.0 | 24 |
| 1937 | Deep South | Film | 7.3 | 24 | |
| 1937 | Mississippi Moods | Film | 10.0 | 24 | |
| 1937 | Saturday's Heroes | Sam | Film | 8.0 | 24 |
| 1937 | Breezing Home | Speed | Film | 6.0 | 24 |
| 1937 | Meet the Missus | Bootblack | Film | 6.5 | 24 |
| 1937 | The Lady Fights Back | McTavish | Film | 7.0 | 24 |
| 1936 | Night Waitress | Black Pedestrian | Film | 6.4 | 23 |
| 1936 | Thank You, Jeeves! | Drowsy | Film | 6.4 | 23 |
| 1936 | Murder on a Bridle Path | 'High-Pockets' | Film | 5.4 | 23 |
| 1936 | The Bride Walks Out | Smokie | Film | 5.4 | 23 |
| 1936 | Mummy's Boys | Catfish | Film | 5.0 | 23 |
| 1936 | General Spanky | Henry | Film | 5.7 | 23 |
| 1936 | The Green Pastures | Henry - the Angel (uncredited) | Film | 6.3 | 23 |
| 1936 | Down the Stretch | Noah | Film | 6.0 | 23 |
| 1936 | Silly Billies | Excitement | Film | 8.5 | 23 |
| 1936 | Muss 'em Up | Janitor at Spivali's Bar (uncredited) | Film | 6.2 | 23 |
| 1936 | Two in Revolt | Eph | Film | 7.0 | 23 |
| 1935 | Hot Tip | Apollo | Film | 7.0 | 22 |
| 1935 | The Littlest Rebel | James Henry | Film | 6.4 | 22 |
| 1935 | The Arizonian | Pompey | Film | 8.0 | 22 |
| 1935 | Horse Heir | Film | — | 22 | |
| 1935 | Murder on a Honeymoon | Willie (as Sleep 'n' Eat) | Film | 6.5 | 22 |
| 1935 | The Nitwits | Sleepy | Film | 6.7 | 22 |
| 1935 | Jalna | Sam | Film | 5.1 | 22 |
| 1935 | To Beat the Band | Elevator Operator | Film | 10.0 | 22 |
| 1935 | Hit and Rum | Shoe Shine Man (uncredited) | Film | 7.0 | 22 |
| 1935 | Raised and Called | Film | — | 22 | |
| 1934 | Little Miss Marker | Dizzy Memphis (uncredited) | Film | 6.5 | 21 |
| 1934 | West of the Pecos | Jonah (as Sleep 'n' Eat) | Film | 7.0 | 21 |
| 1934 | Kentucky Kernels | Buckshot (as Sleep 'n' Eat) | Film | 6.4 | 21 |
| 1932 | The Monster Walks | Exodus (as Sleep n' Eat) | Film | 4.2 | 19 |
| 1931 | Virtuous Husband | Luftus | Film | 8.0 | 18 |
| 1931 | Up Pops the Devil | Laundryman | Film | 5.0 | 18 |
| 1931 | The Guilty Generation | Club Merlin Doorman (uncredited) | Film | 6.2 | 18 |
| 1930 | Ladies of Leisure | George (uncredited) | Film | 6.2 | 17 |
| 1930 | Feet First | Janitor | Film | 6.7 | 17 |