Date of birth (location)
27 May 1913
Sunflower, Mississippi
Date of death
27 February 1962
Hollywood, California, USA. (cancer)
Mini biography
Actor whose 30's and 40's roles as shuffling, illiterate, superstitious porter...
Sometimes Credited As:
William Best
Sleep 'n' Eat
Filmography as: Actor, Composer, Himself, Archive Footage, Notable TV Guest Appearances
Actor - filmography
(1950s) (1940s) (1930s)
1. "Waterfront" (1954) TV Series .... Willie Slocum
2. "My Little Margie" (1952) TV Series .... Charlie
3. South of Caliente (1951) .... Willie
4. "Stu Erwin Show, The" (1950) TV Series .... Willie, The Handyman
... aka "Trouble with Father" (1950) (USA)
5. High and Dizzy (1950)
6. Jiggs and Maggie in Jackpot Jitters (1949) .... Willie
... aka Jackpot Jitters (1949) (USA)
7. Smart Woman (1948) (uncredited) .... Porter
8. Half Past Midnight (1948) .... Andy Jones, nightclub janitor
9. Red Stallion, The (1947) .... Jackson
10. Suddenly, It's Spring (1947) .... Porter on train
11. Dangerous Money (1946) .... Chattanooga Brown
... aka Charlie Chan in Dangerous Money (1946)
12. No Leave, No Love (1946) (uncredited) .... Piano Delivery Man
13. Bride Wore Boots, The (1946) .... Joe
14. Face of Marble, The (1946) .... Shadrach
15. Red Dragon (1945) .... Chattanooga Brown
16. She Wouldn't Say Yes (1945) (uncredited) .... Porter
17. Hold That Blonde (1945) .... Willie Shelley
18. Pillow to Post (1945) .... Lucille, Colonial Auto Court Porter
19. Monster and the Ape, The (1945) .... Flash
20. Music for Millions (1944) (uncredited) .... Red Cap
21. Mark of the Whistler, The (1944) .... Men's-room attendant
... aka Marked Man, The (1944) (UK)
22. Girl Who Dared, The (1944) .... Woodrow
23. Home in Indiana (1944) .... Mo' Bum
24. Adventures of Mark Twain, The (1944) (uncredited) .... George, Twain's Butler
25. Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943) (uncredited) .... Soldier
26. Kansan, The (1943) .... Bones
... aka Wagon Wheels (1943) (UK)
27. Dixie (1943) (uncredited) .... Steward
28. Cabin in the Sky (1943) .... Second Idea Man
29. Cinderella Swings It (1943) .... Hipp
30. Powers Girl, The (1943) .... Waiter
... aka Hello Beautiful (1943)
31. Scattergood Survives a Murder (1942) .... Hipp
32. Whispering Ghosts (1942) .... Euclid White
33. Hidden Hand, The (1942) .... Eustis the Chauffeur
34. Busses Roar (1942) .... Sunshine
35. A-Haunting We Will Go (1942) .... Waiter
36. Maisie Gets Her Man (1942) (uncredited) .... Sam, Room Service Waiter
... aka She Got Her Man (1942) (UK)
37. Juke Girl (1942) .... Jo-Mo
38. Body Disappears, The (1941) .... William 'Willie'
39. Nothing But the Truth (1941) .... Samuel
40. Minstrel Days (1941)
41. Smiling Ghost, The (1941) .... Clarence
42. Highway West (1941) .... Bub Wellington
43. Kisses for Breakfast (1941) .... Arnold
44. Lady from Cheyenne, The (1941) .... George
45. Scattergood Baines (1941) .... Hipp
46. Road Show (1941) .... Willie
47. West of the Rockies (1941)
48. High Sierra (1941) .... Algernon
49. Flight from Destiny (1940) .... George, Club Janitor
50. Who Killed Aunt Maggie? (1940) .... Andrew
51. Money and the Woman (1940) .... George Washington Jones, Dave's Servant
52. Ghost Breakers, The (1940) .... Alex
53. Blondie on a Budget (1940) (uncredited) .... Newsboy
54. I Take This Woman (1940) .... Sambo, the Clinic Attendant
55. Slightly Honorable (1940) (uncredited) .... Art, the Elevator Operator
56. Private Detective (1939) .... Norton's Valet
57. Covered Trailer, The (1939) .... Baltimore
58. At the Circus (1939) (uncredited) .... Redcap
... aka Marx Brothers at the Circus, The (1939) (USA: promotional title)
59. Blackmail (1939) (uncredited) .... Bunny, the Janitor
60. Way Down South (1939) (uncredited) .... Chimney Sweep
61. Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation (1939) .... Driver
62. Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter (1939) .... Apollo Johnson, Edna's Servant
63. Mr. Moto in Danger Island (1939) .... Launch pilot
... aka Danger Island (1939)
... aka Mr. Moto on Danger Island (1939) (UK)
64. Saint Strikes Back, The (1939) (uncredited) .... Algernon, Simon's Butler
65. Prairie Papas (1938)
66. Spring Madness (1938) (uncredited) .... Porter on Train
67. Blondie (1938) .... Hotel Porter
68. Straight, Place and Show (1938) (scenes deleted) .... Hannibal, scenes deleted
... aka They're Off (1938) (UK)
69. Youth Takes a Fling (1938) .... George
70. Western Welcome (1938)
71. I'm From the City (1938) (uncredited) .... The porter
72. Vivacious Lady (1938) .... Porter
73. Goodbye Broadway (1938) .... Jughead
74. Merrily We Live (1938) .... George
75. Gold Is Where You Find It (1938) .... Joshua
76. Everybody's Doing It (1938) (uncredited) .... Jasper
77. Crashing Hollywood (1938) (uncredited) .... Train Porter
78. Deep South (1937)
79. Meet the Missus (1937) .... Mose
80. Mississippi Moods (1937)
81. Saturday's Heroes (1937) .... Sam
82. Lady Fights Back, The (1937) .... McTavish
83. Super-Sleuth (1937) .... Warts, Bill's Servant
84. You Can't Buy Luck (1937) (uncredited) .... Track Worker
... aka Borrowed Time (1937)
85. Breezing Home (1937) .... Speed
86. Racing Lady (1937) .... Brass
87. We Who Are About to Die (1937) (uncredited) .... Airport Porter
88. Dog Blight (1936) .... Sleepy
89. Night Waitress (1936) (uncredited) .... Black Man
90. General Spanky (1936) .... Henry
91. Make Way for a Lady (1936) (uncredited) .... William Townley, Jackson's Chauffeur
92. Thank You, Jeeves! (1936) .... The Sax Player
... aka Thank You, Mr. Jeeves (1936)
93. Mummy's Boys (1936) .... Catfish
94. Down the Stretch (1936) (as William Best) .... Noah (stable boy)
95. Green Pastures, The (1936) (uncredited) .... Henry, the Angel
96. Bride Walks Out, The (1936) .... Smokie (at Marriage Bureau)
97. Murder on a Bridle Path (1936) .... 'High-Pockets'
98. Two in Revolt (1936) .... Old Eph
99. Silly Billies (1936) (uncredited) .... Excitement
100. Lady Consents, The (1936) .... Sam, Jim's Caretaker
101. Muss 'em Up (1936) (uncredited) .... Janitor at Spivali's Bar
... aka House of Fate, The (1936) (UK)
102. To Beat the Band (1935) (uncredited) .... Elevator Operator
103. Littlest Rebel, The (1935) .... James Henry
104. Annie Oakley (1935) (uncredited) .... Second Cook
105. Hot Tip (1935) .... Apollo
106. Jalna (1935) (uncredited) .... Sam, the Janitor
107. Arizonian, The (1935) .... Pompey
108. Nitwits, The (1935) .... Sleepy
109. Murder on a Honeymoon (1935) (as Sleep 'n' Eat) .... Willie, the Porter
110. West of the Pecos (1935) (as Sleep 'n' Eat) .... Jonah
111. Little Miss Marker (1934) (uncredited) .... Dizzy Memphis
... aka Girl in Pawn, The (1934) (UK)
112. Kentucky Kernels (1934) (as Sleep 'n' Eat) .... Buckshot
... aka Triple Trouble (1934) (UK)
113. Monster Walks, The (1932) (as Sleep 'n' Eat) .... Exodus
... aka Monster Walked, The (1932)
114. Up Pops the Devil (1931) (as Sleep 'n' Eat) .... Laundryman
115. Virtuous Husband, The (1931) .... Luftus
... aka What Wives Don't Want (1931)
116. Deep South (1930)
117. Feet First (1930) .... Janitor
118. Ladies of Leisure (1930) (uncredited) .... Elevator Operator
Filmography as: Actor, Composer, Himself, Archive Footage, Notable TV Guest Appearances
Composer - filmography
1. Sepia Cinderella (1947) (uncredited)
Filmography as: Actor, Composer, Himself, Archive Footage, Notable TV Guest Appearances
Himself - filmography
1. Shanghai Chest, The (1948) (uncredited) .... Himself
Filmography as: Actor, Composer, Himself, Archive Footage, Notable TV Guest Appearances
Archive Footage
1. Mo' Funny: Black Comedy in America (1993) (TV) .... Willie
2. Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? (1975)
Filmography as: Actor, Composer, Himself, Archive Footage, Notable TV Guest Appearances
Notable TV Guest Appearances
1. "Racket Squad" (1950) playing "Janitor" in episode: "The Christmas Caper" (episode # 3.15) 25 December 1952