Born: October 14, 1889 – Died: October 13, 1979
Clarence Muse, a pioneering figure in American cinema, was born on October 14, 1889, in Baltimore, Maryland. His father, Alexander Muse, played a vital role in shaping his early life. Muse's journey from his birthplace to becoming a revered [actor in Hollywood is a story of resilience and groundbreaking achievements. He stood out not only for his acting skills but also as the first African-American to star in a film, marking a significant milestone in the entertainment industry.
Early Life and Career
Muse's early years in Baltimore laid the foundation for his illustrious career. While details about his educational background are scarce, it's clear that his upbringing in a time of significant social change influenced his future roles and contributions. Muse began his acting career in the early 20th century, a period when African-American actors faced significant barriers.
His first professional role is not explicitly documented, but his rise to fame began with significant roles in films like "Shadow of a Doubt" (1943) and "The Black Stallion" (1979). These roles not only showcased his acting prowess but also broke new ground in an industry that had limited roles for African-American actors.
Muse's first major successful role is believed to be in "Shadow of a Doubt," where his performance received critical acclaim. However, it was his role in "The Black Stallion" that truly solidified his status as a respected actor in Hollywood. Despite the era's challenges, Muse managed to leave an indelible mark on the industry.
Regarding awards and accolades, Muse's career was more about breaking barriers and setting precedents than accumulating trophies. His contributions went beyond acting; he was involved in writing and producing, showcasing his diverse talents.
In his personal life, Muse was married thrice, to Irene Ena Kellman, Willabelle Burch West, and Ophelia Belle Labertier. He had a child named Dion Muse. Beyond his family life, Muse's interests, talents, and involvement in controversies or philanthropy are not extensively recorded.
In summary, Clarence Muse's impact on Hollywood and the broader entertainment industry was profound. He is considered an icon for his trailblazing roles and for breaking racial barriers in the American film industry. His legacy is not just in the roles he played but in the path he paved for future generations of African-American actors in Hollywood.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | The Black Stallion | Snoe |
| 1977 | Passing Through | Papa Harris |
| 1976 | Car Wash | Snapper |
| 1973 | A Dream for Christmas (TV Movie) | Donald Freeland |
| 1973 | The World's Greatest Athlete | Gazenga's Assistant |
| 1972 | Buck and the Preacher | Cudjo |
| 1968 | Daktari (TV Series) | Chief Warloo |
| 1960 | The Magical World of Disney (TV Series) | Joseph | Old Joseph |
| 1959 | Porgy and Bess | Peter |
| 1956 | The 20th Century-Fox Hour (TV Series) | Cousin Brown |
| 1955 | Warner Brothers Presents (TV Series) | Sam |
| 1955 | Casablanca (TV Series) | Sam |
| 1954 | Four Star Playhouse (TV Series) | Phil |
| 1954 | Lux Video Theatre (TV Series) | Albert |
| 1953 | She Couldn't Say No | Diaper Delivery Man (uncredited) |
| 1953 | Jamaica Run | Mose |
| 1953 | The Sun Shines Bright | Uncle Zack |
| 1952 | Caribbean | Quashy |
| 1952 | The Las Vegas Story | Pullman Porter (uncredited) |
| 1951 | Apache Drums | Jehu |
| 1951 | My Forbidden Past | Pompey |
| 1950 | Katie Did It | Mose (uncredited) |
| 1950 | County Fair | Romulus (uncredited) |
| 1950 | Riding High | Whitey |
| 1949 | The Great Dan Patch | Voodoo |
| 1948 | An Act of Murder | Mr. Pope |
| 1948 | Silver River | Servant (uncredited) |
| 1948 | King of the Gamblers | Tom the Porter (uncredited) |
| 1947 | The Peanut Man | Dr. George Washington Carver |
| 1947 | *Unconquered* | Jason |
| 1947 | Joe Palooka in the Knockout | Smoky |
| 1947 | Welcome Stranger | Clarence - Train Waiter (uncredited) |
| 1947 | A Likely Story | Porter (uncredited) |
| 1947 | My Favorite Brunette | Second Man on Death Row (uncredited) |
| 1946 | Affairs of Geraldine | Porter (uncredited) |
| 1946 | Night and Day | Porter (uncredited) |
| 1946 | Two Smart People | Porter |
| 1945 | Scarlet Street | Ben - Bank Janitor (uncredited) |
| 1945 | She Wouldn't Say Yes | Porter (uncredited) |
| 1945 | Boston Blackie's Rendezvous | Hotel Porter (uncredited) |
| 1945 | Without Love | Porter (uncredited) |
| 1945 | God Is My Co-Pilot | Frank (uncredited) |
| 1945 | Jungle Queen | Kyba |
| 1944 | The Thin Man Goes Home | Porter on Train (uncredited) |
| 1944 | San Diego I Love You | Porter (uncredited) |
| 1944 | In the Meantime, Darling | Henry - Hotel Porter (uncredited) |
| 1944 | The Soul of a Monster | Entertainer (uncredited) |
| 1944 | Stars on Parade | Carter (uncredited) |
| 1944 | Follow the Boys | Singer (uncredited) |
| 1944 | *Double Indemnity* | Man (uncredited) |
| 1944 | Jam Session | Henry |
| 1944 | The Racket Man | George (uncredited) |
| 1943 | Over the Wall (Short) | Sam |
| 1943 | Flesh and Fantasy | Jeff (uncredited) |
| 1943 | Johnny Come Lately | Dogherty's Butler |
| 1943 | Watch on the Rhine | Horace |
| 1943 | Heaven Can Wait | Jasper - Strabel's Butler (uncredited) |
| 1943 | Honeymoon Lodge | Porter (uncredited) |
| 1943 | The Sky's the Limit | Colonial Club Doorman (uncredited) |
| 1943 | Shadow of a Doubt | Pullman Porter |
| 1943 | Sherlock Holmes in Washington | George - Porter (uncredited) |
| 1942 | Strictly in the Groove | Durham's Valet (uncredited) |
| 1942 | The Black Swan | Margaret's Servant (uncredited) |
| 1942 | Sin Town | Train Porter (uncredited) |
| 1942 | The Talk of the Town | Supreme Court Doorkeeper (uncredited) |
| 1942 | Tales of Manhattan | Grandpa (Robeson sequence) |
| 1942 | Tough As They Come | Eddie |
| 1942 | Twin Beds | George (uncredited) |
| 1941 | Among the Living | Riverbottom Cafe Waiter (uncredited) |
| 1941 | Belle Starr | Bootblack in Saloon (uncredited) |
| 1941 | Gentleman from Dixie | Jupe |
| 1941 | Kisses for Breakfast | Old Jeff |
| 1941 | Love Crazy | Robert |
| 1941 | Invisible Ghost | Evans |
| 1941 | The Flame of New Orleans | Samuel |
| 1941 | Adam Had Four Sons | Sam |
| 1940 | Broken Strings | Arthur Williams |
| 1940 | Chad Hanna | Henry Prince (uncredited) |
| 1940 | Murder Over New York | Butler |
| 1940 | That Gang of Mine | Ben |
| 1940 | Sporting Blood | Jeff |
| 1940 | Maryland | Rev. Bitters (uncredited) |
| 1940 | Zanzibar | Bino |
| 1940 | Alice in Movieland (Short) | Train Porter |
| 1939 | Way Down South | Uncle Caton |
| 1938 | Secrets of a Nurse | Tiger |
| 1938 | Prison Train | Train Steward | Sam |
| 1938 | The Toy Wife | Brutus |
| 1938 | Spirit of Youth | Frankie Walburn |
| 1937 | Deep South (Short) | Unknown |
| 1937 | Jungle Menace | Lightning - Street Singer |
| 1937 | High Hat | Congo MacRosenbloom |
| 1936 | Mysterious Crossing | Lincoln |
| 1936 | Fibbing Fibbers (Short) | Clarence, the Valet |
| 1936 | Daniel Boone | Pompey |
| 1936 | Follow Your Heart | Choir Leader (uncredited) |
| 1936 | Spendthrift | Restaurant Table Captain (uncredited) |
| 1936 | The Green Pastures | Angel (uncredited) |
| 1936 | Show Boat | Janitor |
| 1936 | The Broken Earth (Short) | The Farmer |
| 1936 | Laughing Irish Eyes | Deacon |
| 1936 | Muss 'em Up | William |
| 1935 | Beautiful Dreamer (Short) | Unknown |
| 1935 | East of Java | First Mate Johnson |
| 1935 | O'Shaughnessy's Boy | Jeff |
| 1935 | The Public Menace | Janitor (uncredited) |
| 1935 | Harmony Lane | Old Joe |
| 1935 | After the Dance | Cook (uncredited) |
| 1935 | So Red the Rose | Cato |
| 1935 | Alias Mary Dow | 'Rufe' |
| 1935 | Red Hot Tires | Bud's Truck Partner |
| 1934 | Broadway Bill | Whitey |
| 1934 | Kid Millions | Native (uncredited) |
| 1934 | The Count of Monte Cristo | Ali |
| 1934 | Black Moon | 'Lunch' McClaren |
| 1934 | Operator 13 | Slave at Medicine Show (uncredited) |
| 1934 | The Personality Kid | Shamrock |
| 1934 | A Very Honorable Guy | Black Man (uncredited) |
| 1934 | Massacre | Sam |
| 1933 | Flying Down to Rio | Caddy in Haiti (uncredited) |
| 1933 | Fury of the Jungle | Sunrise |
| 1933 | The Wrecker | Chauffeur |
| 1933 | Melody Cruise | Dock Worker (uncredited) |
| 1933 | The Life of Jimmy Dolan | Masseur (uncredited) |
| 1933 | The Mind Reader | Sam |
| 1933 | From Hell to Heaven | Sam - Bellhop |
| 1933 | Laughter in Hell | Abraham Jackson |
| 1932 | Frisco Jenny | Voice of Singer (uncredited) |
| 1932 | The Death Kiss | Shoeshine Man (uncredited) |
| 1932 | If I Had a Million | Death Row Singing Prisoner (uncredited) |
| 1932 | Man Against Woman | Smoke Johnson |
| 1932 | Washington Merry-Go-Round | Clarence |
| 1932 | The Cabin in the Cotton | A Blind Negro |
| 1932 | Hell's Highway | Rascal |
| 1932 | Big City Blues | Nightclub Singer (uncredited) |
| 1932 | White Zombie | Coach Driver (uncredited) |
| 1932 | Winner Take All | Rosebud |
| 1932 | Is My Face Red? | Horatio |
| 1932 | Attorney for the Defense | Jeff |
| 1932 | Night World | Tim Washington, the Doorman |
| 1932 | Lena Rivers | Curfew |
| 1932 | The Wet Parade | Taylor Tibbs |
| 1932 | The Woman from Monte Carlo | Tombeau |
| 1931 | Prestige | Nham |
| 1931 | X Marks the Spot | Eustace Brown (as Clarence Muese) |
| 1931 | The Secret Witness | Jeff - Building Janitor |
| 1931 | Safe in Hell | Newcastle - the Porter |
| 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 (uncredited) |
| 1930 | Deep South | Unknown |
| 1930 | Derelict | Driver (uncredited) |
| 1930 | Outside the Law | Party Guest (uncredited) |
| 1930 | The Thoroughbred | Stablehand (uncredited) |
| 1930 | Rain or Shine | Nero |
| 1930 | Swing High | Singer (uncredited) |
| 1930 | Honey | Black Revivalist (uncredited) |
| 1930 | A Royal Romance | Rusty |
| 1930 | Guilty? | Jefferson |
| 1929 | New York Nights | Cabaret Singer (uncredited) |
| 1929 | Hallelujah | Church Member (uncredited) |
| 1929 | Hearts in Dixie | Nappus |
| 1929 | Election Day (Short) | Farina's father (unconfirmed) |
| 1921 | The Custard Nine (Short) | Unknown |