Directed credits
11
Active
Regular directing credits.
Director
Melvin Van Peebles
Acting
Career Snapshot
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TMDB popularity
0.4
Low visibility
TMDB internal trend index. Higher usually means more searches and page activity now.
Directed movies: 10Directed series: 1All crew credits: 23
TMDB ID: 135650
IMDb ID: nm0887708
Known for: Acting
Born: August 21, 1932
Died: September 21, 2021
Age: 89
Place of birth: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Gender: Male
Adult content flag: No
Career span: 1951 - 2022
Years active: 72
Average TMDB rating: 6.06
Wikidata: Q2531955
Frequent jobs
Director (11)Writer (6)Editor (2)Screenplay (2)Producer (1)Teleplay (1)
Biography
Melvin Van Peebles (born Melvin Peebles; August 21, 1932 – September 21, 2021) was an American actor, filmmaker, writer, and composer. His feature film debut, The Story of a Three-Day Pass (1967), was based on his own French-language novel La Permission and was shot in France, as it was difficult for a black American director to get work at the time. The film won an award at the San Francisco International Film Festival which gained him the interest of Hollywood studios, leading to his American feature debut Watermelon Man, in 1970. Eschewing further overtures from Hollywood, he used the successes he had so far to bankroll his work as an independent filmmaker. In 1971, he released his best-known work, creating and starring in the film Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, which led to the creation of the blaxploitation genre. although critic Roger Ebert did not consider this example of Van Peebles' work to be an exploitation film. He followed this up with the musical, Don't Play Us Cheap, based on his own stage play, and continued to make films, write novels and stage plays in English and in French through the next several decades; his final films include the French-language film Le Conte du ventre plein (2000) and the absurdist film Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha (2008). His son, filmmaker and actor Mario Van Peebles, appeared in several of his works and portrayed him in the 2003 biographical film Baadasssss!.
Photos
Movies
Directed Movies
Movies directed by Melvin Van Peebles.
The Real Deal: What It Is
Director
2003 Movie
3.4
Tales of Erotica
Director
1996 Movie
1.7
Vrooom Vrooom Vroooom
Director
1995 Movie
976-STUD
Director
1989 Movie
5.8
Don't Play Us Cheap
Director
1973 Movie
6.3
Watermelon Man
Director
1970 Movie
6.3
The Story of a Three-Day Pass
Director
1968 Movie
500 Francs
Director
1961 Movie
5.0
Three Pick-Up Men for Herrick
Director
1957 Movie
Sunlight
Director
1957 Movie
Series
Directed Series
Series directed by Melvin Van Peebles.
Movies
Top Rated Movies
Highest rated movies linked with Melvin Van Peebles.
Series
Top Rated Series
Highest rated series linked with Melvin Van Peebles.
Movies
Most Popular Movies
Most viewed movie titles linked with Melvin Van Peebles.
6.5
Last Action Hero
as Self
1993 Movie
6.2
Panther
Screenplay
1995 Movie
4.1
Jaws: The Revenge
as Mr. Witherspoon
1987 Movie
5.3
Posse
as Papa Joe
1993 Movie
5.6
Slogan
Writer
1969 Movie
5.6
Peeples
as Grandpa Peeples
2013 Movie
5.7
Boomerang
as Editor
1992 Movie
4.9
American Swing
as Self
2009 Movie
5.6
Blackout
as George
2007 Movie
5.9
Calm at Sunset
as Mr. Bucket
1996 Movie
5.3
Terminal Velocity
as Noble
1994 Movie
6.3
Greased Lightning
Screenplay
1977 Movie
Series
Most Popular Series
Most viewed series linked with Melvin Van Peebles.
7.7
The Outer Limits
Director • 1 eps
1995 Series
8.1
Homicide: Life on the Street
as Bennett Jackson • 1 eps
1993 Series
7.4
Girlfriends
as Kenneth Daly • 2 eps
2000 Series
8.3
Living Single
1 eps
1993 Series
6.3
The Shining
as Richard Hallorann • 2 eps
1997 Series
6.9
Dream On
as Norman Green • 1 eps
1990 Series
5.5
CBS Schoolbreak Special
Writer • 36 eps
1984 Series
8.6
Hallmark Hall of Fame
as Bucket • 1 eps
1951 Series
7.0
The Sophisticated Gents
Teleplay • 3 eps
1981 Series
5.5
Sonny Spoon
15 eps
1988 Series
Movies
Other Crew Work in Movies
Additional movie credits for Melvin Van Peebles.
6.5
Baadasssss!
Writer
2004 Movie
Bellyful
Writer
2000 Movie
4.5
Classified X
Writer
1998 Movie
5.0
Gang in Blue
Producer
1996 Movie
6.2
Panther
Screenplay
1995 Movie
1.3
Identity Crisis
Editor
1989 Movie
6.3
Greased Lightning
Screenplay
1977 Movie
7.0
Just an Old Sweet Song
Writer
1976 Movie
5.1
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
Editor
1971 Movie
5.6
Slogan
Writer
1969 Movie
Series
Other Crew Work in Series
Additional series credits for Melvin Van Peebles.
Movies
Acting Appearances in Movies
Movie cast credits for Melvin Van Peebles.
8.0
Sweet Black Film: The Birth of the Black Hero in Hollywood
as Self
2022 Movie
6.2
Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking
as Self
2021 Movie
4.3
Armed
as Grandpa V.
2018 Movie
5.6
Peeples
as Grandpa Peeples
2013 Movie
Salty Dog Blues
as Self (Interviewee)
2012 Movie
5.0
Redemption Road
as Elmo
2011 Movie
7.6
The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975
as Self (voice)
2011 Movie
Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise and Fall of the Spook Who Sat by the Door
2011 Movie
4.9
American Swing
as Self
2009 Movie
Directors on Directing
as Self
2009 Movie
6.0
The Black List: Volume Two
as Self
2009 Movie
5.6
Blackout
as George
2007 Movie
Series
Acting Appearances in Series
Series cast credits for Melvin Van Peebles.
7.4
Girlfriends
as Kenneth Daly • 2 eps
2000 Series
6.3
The Shining
as Richard Hallorann • 2 eps
1997 Series
8.3
Living Single
1 eps
1993 Series
8.1
Homicide: Life on the Street
as Bennett Jackson • 1 eps
1993 Series
6.9
Dream On
as Norman Green • 1 eps
1990 Series
5.5
Sonny Spoon
15 eps
1988 Series
7.0
The Sophisticated Gents
as Walter 'Moon' Porter • 3 eps
1981 Series
8.6
Hallmark Hall of Fame
as Bucket • 1 eps
1951 Series