Discover
Clarence Muse was an American actor, screenwriter, director, and composer. He was the first African American to appear in a starring role in a film. He acted for fifty years, and appeared in more than 150 films. He was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1973.
Born
Monday, 14 October 1889
Died
Saturday, 13 October 1979
Actor Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| FRO Thizzle Reviews | Self | 2022 |
| That's Black Entertainment | Self | 1989 |
| The Black Stallion | Snoe | 1979 |
| Passing Through | Papa Harris | 1977 |
| Car Wash | Snapper | 1976 |
| Starry at the Christmas Joy | Donald Freeland | 1973 |
| The World's Greatest Athlete | Gazenga's Assistant | 1973 |
| Buck and the Preacher | Cudjo | 1972 |
| Daktari | Chief Warloo | 1966 |
| Porgy and Bess | Peter | 1959 |
Actor Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| FRO Thizzle Reviews | Self | 2022 |
| That's Black Entertainment | Self | 1989 |
| The Black Stallion | Snoe | 1979 |
| Passing Through | Papa Harris | 1977 |
| Car Wash | Snapper | 1976 |
| Starry at the Christmas Joy | Donald Freeland | 1973 |
| The World's Greatest Athlete | Gazenga's Assistant | 1973 |
| Buck and the Preacher | Cudjo | 1972 |
| Daktari | Chief Warloo | 1966 |
| Porgy and Bess | Peter | 1959 |
| Jungle Safari | Kyba | 1956 |
| The 20th Century-Fox Hour | Cousin Brown | 1955 |
| Casablanca | Sam | 1955 |
| Warner Brothers Presents | Sam | 1955 |
| The Magical World of Disney | Joseph / Gazenga's Assistant / Old Joseph | 1954 |
| She Couldn't Say No | Diaper Delivery Man | 1953 |
| Jamaica Run | Mose | 1953 |
| The Sun Shines Bright | Uncle Zack | 1953 |
| Four Star Playhouse | Phil | 1952 |
| Caribbean | Quashy | 1952 |
| The Las Vegas Story | Pullman Porter | 1952 |
| My Forbidden Past | Pompey | 1951 |
| Apache Drums | Jehu | 1951 |
| Katie Did It | Mose | 1950 |
| Lux Video Theatre | Albert | 1950 |
| County Fair | Romulus | 1950 |
| Riding High | Whitey | 1950 |
| The Great Dan Patch | Voodoo | 1949 |
| An Act of Murder | Mr. Pope | 1948 |
| Silver River | Servant | 1948 |
| King of the Gamblers | Tom the Porter | 1948 |
| Unconquered | Jason | 1947 |
| Joe Palooka in the Knockout | Smoky | 1947 |
| Welcome Stranger | Clarence, Train Waiter | 1947 |
| A Likely Story | Porter | 1947 |
| My Favorite Brunette | Second Man on Death Row | 1947 |
| The Peanut Man | Dr. George Washington Carver | 1947 |
| Affairs of Geraldine | Porter | 1946 |
| Night and Day | Porter | 1946 |
| Two Smart People | Porter / Train Porter | 1946 |
| Scarlet Street | Ben - Bank Janitor | 1945 |
| She Wouldn't Say Yes | Porter | 1945 |
| Boston Blackie's Rendezvous | Hotel Porter | 1945 |
| God Is My Co-Pilot | Frank | 1945 |
| Without Love | Train Porter / Porter | 1945 |
| Jungle Queen | Kyba | 1945 |
| The Thin Man Goes Home | Porter on Train | 1944 |
| San Diego I Love You | Porter | 1944 |
| In the Meantime, Darling | Henry / Henry - Hotel Porter | 1944 |
| The Soul of a Monster | Entertainer | 1944 |
| Stars on Parade | Carter | 1944 |
| Follow the Boys | Singer | 1944 |
| Double Indemnity | Man | 1944 |
| Jam Session | Henry | 1944 |
| The Racket Man | George the Butler / George | 1944 |
| Flesh and Fantasy | Jeff | 1943 |
| Johnny Come Lately | Butler | 1943 |
| Watch on the Rhine | Horace | 1943 |
| Heaven Can Wait | Jasper - Strabel's Butler | 1943 |
| Honeymoon Lodge | Porter | 1943 |
| The Sky's the Limit | Colonial Club Doorman | 1943 |
| Sherlock Holmes in Washington | George - Porter / George | 1943 |
| Shadow of a Doubt | Pullman Porter | 1943 |
| The Black Swan | Margaret's Servant | 1942 |
| Strictly in the Groove | Durham's Valet | 1942 |
| Sin Town | Train Porter | 1942 |
| The Talk of the Town | Supreme Court Doorkeeper | 1942 |
| Tales of Manhattan | Grandpa (Robeson sequence) | 1942 |
| Tough As They Come | Eddie | 1942 |
| Twin Beds | George | 1942 |
| Among the Living | Riverbottom Cafe Waiter | 1941 |
| Belle Starr | Bootblack in Saloon | 1941 |
| Gentleman from Dixie | Jupe | 1941 |
| Kisses for Breakfast | Old Jeff | 1941 |
| Love Crazy | Robert / Robert - Hat Check Man at Party | 1941 |
| Invisible Ghost | Evans / Evans the Butler | 1941 |
| The Flame of New Orleans | Samuel / Samuel, Carriage Driver | 1941 |
| Adam Had Four Sons | Sam | 1941 |
| Chad Hanna | Henry Prince | 1940 |
| Murder Over New York | Butler | 1940 |
| That Gang of Mine | Ben | 1940 |
| Maryland | Reverend Bitters / Rev. Bitters | 1940 |
| Sporting Blood | Jeff | 1940 |
| Zanzibar | Bino | 1940 |
| Alice in Movieland | Train Porter | 1940 |
| Broken Strings | Arthur Williams | 1940 |
| Way Down South | Uncle Caton | 1939 |
| Secrets of a Nurse | Tiger / 'Tiger', Lee's Handler | 1938 |
| Prison Train | Sam / Train Steward | 1938 |
| The Toy Wife | Brutus | 1938 |
| Spirit of Youth | Frankie Walburn | 1938 |
| Jungle Menace | Lightning - Street Singer / Lightning | 1937 |
| Deep South | 1937 | |
| High Hat | Congo MacRosenbloom | 1937 |
| Mysterious Crossing | Lincoln | 1936 |
| Daniel Boone | Pompey | 1936 |
| Follow Your Heart | Choir Leader | 1936 |
| Spendthrift | Restaurant Table Captain | 1936 |
| The Green Pastures | Angel | 1936 |
| Show Boat | Janitor / Sam | 1936 |
| Laughing Irish Eyes | Deacon | 1936 |
| Muss 'em Up | William | 1936 |
| East of Java | First Mate Johnson | 1935 |
| The Public Menace | Janitor | 1935 |
| O'Shaughnessy's Boy | Jeff | 1935 |
| Harmony Lane | Old Joe | 1935 |
| After the Dance | Cook | 1935 |
| So Red the Rose | Cato | 1935 |
| Alias Mary Dow | 'Rufe' | 1935 |
| Red Hot Tires | Bud's Truck Partner | 1935 |
| Broadway Bill | Whitey | 1934 |
| Kid Millions | Native | 1934 |
| The Count of Monte Cristo | Ali | 1934 |
| Black Moon | 'Lunch' McClaren | 1934 |
| Operator 13 | Slave at Medicine Show | 1934 |
| The Personality Kid | Shamrock | 1934 |
| A Very Honorable Guy | Black Man | 1934 |
| Massacre | Sam | 1934 |
| Flying Down to Rio | Caddy in Haiti | 1933 |
| Fury of the Jungle | Sunrise | 1933 |
| The Wrecker | Chauffeur | 1933 |
| Hollywood on Parade No. A-12 | Self | 1933 |
| Melody Cruise | Dock Worker | 1933 |
| The Life of Jimmy Dolan | Masseur | 1933 |
| The Circus Queen Murder | Roustabout - edited from 'Rain or Shine' | 1933 |
| The Mind Reader | Sam | 1933 |
| From Hell to Heaven | Sam - Bellhop / Sam | 1933 |
| Frisco Jenny | Voice of Singer | 1933 |
| Laughter in Hell | Abraham Jackson | 1933 |
| The Death Kiss | Shoeshine Man | 1933 |
| If I Had a Million | Death Row Singing Prisoner | 1932 |
| Man Against Woman | Smoke Johnson | 1932 |
| Washington Merry-Go-Round | Clarence | 1932 |
| The Cabin in the Cotton | A Blind Negro | 1932 |
| Blonde Venus | Charlie, the Bartender (unconfirmed) | 1932 |
| Hell's Highway | Rascal | 1932 |
| Big City Blues | Nightclub Singer | 1932 |
| White Zombie | Coach Driver | 1932 |
| Winner Take All | Rosebud -, the Trainer / Rosebud, the Trainer | 1932 |
| Is My Face Red? | Horatio | 1932 |
| Attorney for the Defense | Jeff / Jefferson Q. Leffingwell | 1932 |
| Night World | Tim Washington, the Doorman | 1932 |
| Lena Rivers | Curfew | 1932 |
| The Wet Parade | Taylor Tibbs | 1932 |
| The Woman from Monte Carlo | Tombeau | 1932 |
| Prestige | Nham | 1931 |
| X Marks the Spot | Eustace Brown | 1931 |
| The Secret Witness | Jeff - Building Janitor | 1931 |
| Safe in Hell | Newcastle - the Porter / Newcastle | 1931 |
| Secret Service | Jonas Polk | 1931 |
| Huckleberry Finn | Jim | 1931 |
| The Fighting Sheriff | Curfew | 1931 |
| Dirigible | Clarence | 1931 |
| The Last Parade | Alabam' / Singing Voice of Condemned Man | 1931 |
| Derelict | Driver | 1930 |
| Outside the Law | Party Guest | 1930 |
| Rain or Shine | Nero | 1930 |
| The Thoroughbred | Stablehand | 1930 |
| Swing High | Singer | 1930 |
| Honey | Black Revivalist | 1930 |
| A Royal Romance | Rusty | 1930 |
| Guilty? | Jefferson | 1930 |
| New York Nights | Cabaret Singer | 1929 |
| Hallelujah | Church Member | 1929 |
| Election Day | Farina's father | 1929 |
| Hearts in Dixie | Nappus | 1929 |
