Clarence Muse

Actor

About

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Birth Place

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Born

October 14, 1889

Died

October 13, 1979

Biography

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Clarence Muse was an actor who had a successful Hollywood career. Early on in his acting career, Muse landed roles in various films, including "Hearts in Dixie" (1929), "Rain or Shine" (1930) with Joe Cook and the Buck Jones western "The Fighting Sheriff" (1931). He also appeared in "The Last Parade" (1931), the drama "Winner Take All" (1932) with James Cagney and "Washington Merry-...

Filmography

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The Black Stallion (1979)

Passing Through (1977)

Car Wash (1976)

A Dream for Christmas (1973)

The World's Greatest Athlete (1973)

Buck and the Preacher (1972)

Photos & Videos

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Clarence Muse -- A History Making, Unsung Talent

Spirit Of Youth (1937) -- (Movie Clip) He Needs You Now

Biography

Clarence Muse was an actor who had a successful Hollywood career. Early on in his acting career, Muse landed roles in various films, including "Hearts in Dixie" (1929), "Rain or Shine" (1930) with Joe Cook and the Buck Jones western "The Fighting Sheriff" (1931). He also appeared in "The Last Parade" (1931), the drama "Winner Take All" (1932) with James Cagney and "Washington Merry-Go-Round" (1932) with Lee Tracy. He kept working in film throughout the thirties, starring in the drama "Alias Mary Dow" (1935) with Sally Eilers, the Charles Bickford adventure "East of Java" (1935) and the adventure "Daniel Boone" (1936) with George O'Brien. He also appeared in the Irene Dunne drama "Show Boat" (1936). In the latter half of his career, he continued to act in "Watch on the Rhine" (1943), the mystery "Shadow of a Doubt" (1943) with Teresa Wright and the crime picture "Double Indemnity" (1944) with Fred MacMurray. He also appeared in "Jam Session" (1944) and "Follow the Boys" (1944). Muse's music was most recently featured in "Storyville" (1992) with James Spader. Muse passed away in October 1979 at the age of 90.

Filmography

Cast (Feature Film)

The Black Stallion (1979)

Passing Through (1977)

Car Wash (1976)

A Dream for Christmas (1973)

The World's Greatest Athlete (1973)

Buck and the Preacher (1972)

Porgy and Bess (1959)

She Couldn't Say No (1954)

The Sun Shines Bright (1953)

Jamaica Run (1953)

The Las Vegas Story (1952)

Caribbean (1952)

Katie Did It (1951)

Apache Drums (1951)

My Forbidden Past (1951)

County Fair (1950)

Riding High (1950)

Whitey [Clarence White]

The Great Dan Patch (1949)

An Act of Murder (1948)

King of the Gamblers (1948)

Tom, the porter

Unconquered (1947)

The Peanut Man (1947)

Dr. George Washington Carver

Joe Palooka in the Knockout (1947)

Welcome Stranger (1947)

My Favorite Brunette (1947)

Condemned row man

A Likely Story (1947)

Night and Day (1946)

Two Smart People (1946)

Affairs of Geraldine (1946)

The Thin Man Goes Home (1945)

Scarlet Street (1945)

She Wouldn't Say Yes (1945)

Boston Blackie's Rendezvous (1945)

God Is My Co-Pilot (1945)

Without Love (1945)

Follow the Boys (1944)

Stars on Parade (1944)

In the Meantime, Darling (1944)

The Racket Man (1944)

Jam Session (1944)

The Soul of a Monster (1944)

San Diego, I Love You (1944)

Double Indemnity (1944)

Flesh and Fantasy (1943)

Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

Heaven Can Wait (1943)

The Sky's the Limit (1943)

Watch on the Rhine (1943)

Honeymoon Lodge (1943)

Johnny Come Lately (1943)

Sherlock Holmes in Washington (1943)

The Talk of the Town (1942)

Tough As They Come (1942)

Sin Town (1942)

The Black Swan (1942)

Tales of Manhattan (1942)

Among the Living (1941)

Waiter, Riverbottom Café

Kisses for Breakfast (1941)

The Flame of New Orleans (1941)

Gentleman from Dixie (1941)

The Invisible Ghost (1941)

Love Crazy (1941)

Adam Had Four Sons (1941)

Belle Starr (1941)

Chad Hanna (1940)

Murder over New York (1940)

Zanzibar (1940)

Sporting Blood (1940)

Broken Strings (1940)

Arthur Williams

That Gang of Mine (1940)

Maryland (1940)

Reverend Bitters

I'm Nobody's Sweetheart Now (1940)

Way Down South (1939)

The Toy Wife (1938)

Secrets of a Nurse (1938)

Spirit of Youth (1938)

Frankie Walburn

Prison Train (1938)

High Hat (1937)

Jungle Menace (1937)

Laughing Irish Eyes (1936)

Mysterious Crossing (1936)

Daniel Boone (1936)

Muss 'Em Up (1936)

Show Boat (1936)

Follow Your Heart (1936)

Red Hot Tires (1935)

So Red the Rose (1935)

O'Shaughnessy's Boy (1935)

Alias Mary Dow (1935)

East of Java (1935)

Harmony Lane (1935)

After the Dance (1935)

The Public Menace (1935)

Kid Millions (1934)

Colonel Witherspoon

A Very Honorable Guy (1934)

Massacre (1934)

The Personality Kid (1934)

Broadway Bill (1934)

Black Moon (1934)

The Count of Monte Cristo (1934)

The Wrecker (1933)

Laughter in Hell (1933)

Fury of the Jungle (1933)

The Mind Reader (1933)

The Death Kiss (1933)

From Hell to Heaven (1933)

Flying Down to Rio (1933)

Frisco Jenny (1933)

Attorney for the Defense (1932)

Jeff [Jefferson Q. Leffingwell]

Hell's Highway (1932)

Washington Merry-Go-Round (1932)

Lena Rivers (1932)

Lucifer "Lucy" Jones

Is My Face Red? (1932)

Winner Take All (1932)

Man Against Woman (1932)

Night World (1932)

The Doorman [Tim]

Prestige (1932)

The Woman from Monte Carlo (1932)

Cabin in the Cotton (1932)

White Zombie (1932)

The Wet Parade (1932)

If I Had a Million (1932)

Death row convict

The Fighting Sheriff (1931)

Safe in Hell (1931)

X Marks the Spot (1931)

Secret Service (1931)

Dirigible (1931)

Clarence, the waiter

Huckleberry Finn (1931)

The Last Parade (1931)

The Secret Witness (1931)

Rain or Shine (1930)

A Royal Romance (1930)

Hearts in Dixie (1929)

Writer (Feature Film)

Broken Strings (1940)

Additional Dialogue

Way Down South (1939)

Original story and Screenplay

Producer (Feature Film)

Spirit of Youth (1938)

Music (Feature Film)

Storyville (1992)

Satchmo the Great (1957)

Melody Parade (1943)

Stormy Weather (1943)

Way Down South (1939)

Spirit of Youth (1938)

Spirit of Youth (1938)

High Hat (1937)

Congo interpretations by

Safe in Hell (1931)

Dance (Feature Film)

Way Down South (1939)

Film Production - Main (Feature Film)

Way Down South (1939)

Technical Advisor

Cast (Short)

Alice in Movieland (1940)

Life Events

Videos

Spirit Of Youth (1937) -- (Movie Clip) He Needs You Now Anthony Scott and Janette O’Dell are the Alabama kids who will be a couple when they grow up, Cleo Desmond his mother, in the at-first idyllic opening to Spirit Of Youth, (1938) which stars heavyweight champion Joe Louis, himself from Alabama, in a fictional story of a troubled boxer.

Spirit Of Youth (1937) -- (Movie Clip) You Deserve It, Joe Years have passed since the injury that left his father (Jesse Lee Brooks) disabled, receiving guests with his mother (Cleo Desmond), as we see the first appearance of heavyweight champ Joe Louis in this fictional role, Edna Mae Harris his now grown-up childhood friend, in Spirit Of Youth, 1938.

Spirit Of Youth (1937) -- (Movie Clip) That's Where You Belong Fighter Joe Louis is “Joe Thomas,” country boy seeking work in the big city, just after his friend Crickie (Mantan Moreland) has discovered he has a terrific punch, Clarence Muse as the big-shot not hiring them, when they strike upon the idea of boxing, in Spirit Of Youth, 1938.

White Zombie (1932) -- (Movie Clip) A Cheerful Introduction Opening by independent producer-director brothers Edward and Victor Halperin, Madeline and Neil (Madge Bellamy, John Harron) arrived in Haiti, their coachman (Clarence Muse) alert and “Murder Legendre” (Bela Lugosi) lurking, in White Zombie, 1932, often cited as the first "zombie" movie.

Count of Monte Cristo, The (1934) -- (Movie Clip) Dust Off Your Memory Dantes (Robert Donat, now as "Monte Cristo") catches Mondego (Douglas Walton) about to commit murder, then reveals himself as his elegant vengeance begins in Rowland V. Lee's The Count of Monte Cristo, 1934.

Way Down South (1939) -- (Movie Clip) Bayou Lovelle Credits notable for their content, co-star Clarence Muse and poet Langston Hughes sharing original screenplay credit, framing scenes at the plantation then Muse, his owner Ralph Morgan, and Edwin Maxwell with exposition, in producer Sol Lesser's musical one-off Way Down South, 1939.

Way Down South (1939) -- (Movie Clip) Good Ground Last piece of a long production number, featuring the Hall Johnson choir, song by screenwriters Clarence Muse and Langston Hughes, ending in a plot twist, as benevolent plantation owner Reid (Ralph Morgan) dies in a mishap, his son (Bobby Breen) suddenly the man, in Way Down South, 1939.

Black Moon (1934) -- (Movie Clip) They're Gonna Do It! Servant "Lunch" (Clarence Muse) conducts visiting Stephen (Jack Holt) into the island jungle where his wife (Dorothy Burgess) is the star of a Columbia pre-code sacrifice shindig, in Black Moon, 1934.

Winner Take All (1932) -- (Movie Clip) Knockout Jimmy Opening scene, ring announcer (Selmer Jackson) helps boxer Jimmy (James Cagney, son of an amateur fighter) solicit charity, manager Pop (Guy Kibbee) and aide Rosebud (Clarence Muse) putting him on the 20th Century, in Roy Del Ruth's Winner Take All, 1932.

Prestige (1932) -- (Movie Clip) Good Old Nurse Now stationed in Indochina, French colonial officer Andre (Melvyn Douglas) has found the bottle and an African American aide "Nham" (Clarence Muse), in director Tay Garnett's Prestige, 1932.

Clarence Muse -- A History Making, Unsung Talent With more than 150 credits to his name, Clarence Muse left behind an extensive and impressive body of work in Hollywood and in independent pictures. He made history with his leading role in the first all-Black talkie, Hearts in Dixie ('29). Nevertheless, being a Black man in Hollywood meant that his talents were relegated to miniscule, often uncredited roles as servants, porters, butlers and chauffeurs. In spite of Hollywood's racist typecasting, Muse made history, alongside poet Langston Hughes, by becoming the first African American with screenwriting credits on a studio picture for the film Way Down South ('39).

Bibliography

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