Melvin Van Peebles
Encyclopedia
Melvin "Block" Van Peebles (born August 21, 1932) is an American
actor, director, screenwriter, playwright, novelist and composer.
He is most famous for creating the acclaimed film, Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
, which heralded a new era of African American
focused films. He is the father of actor and director Mario Van Peebles
.
in 1954, thirteen days after graduating (B.A., 1953) from Ohio Wesleyan University
, staying for three and a half years. He married a German
woman, Maria Marx. They lived in Mexico
for a brief period, where he painted portraits, before coming back to the United States, where he started driving cable car
s in San Francisco.
One day, a passenger suggested that Van Peebles should become a filmmaker. He shot his first short film, Pickup Men for Herrick, in 1957. He made two more short films during the same period. According to Van Peebles, "I thought they were features. Each one turned out to be eleven minutes long. I was trying to do features. I knew nothing." As Van Peebles learned more about the filmmaking process, he found out that "I could make a feature for five hundred dollars. That was the cost of ninety minutes of film. I didn't know a thing about shooting a film sixteen to one or ten to one or none of that shit. Then I forgot you had to develop film. And I didn't know you needed a work print. All I can say is that after I did one thing he would say, 'Well, aren't you gonna put sound on it?' and I would go, 'Oh shit!' That's all I could say."
After Van Peebles completed his first short films, he took them with him to Hollywood in order to try and find work, but was unable to find anyone who wanted to hire him as a director. In New York City
, Van Peebles met a man who saw his films and wanted to screen them in France
. In 1959 the family went to the Netherlands, where he worked for the Dutch National Theater. The marriage dissolved, his wife and children went back to America, and Peebles was invited to Paris
by Henri Langlois
, founder of the Cinémathèque Française
, on the strength of his short films. He learned French, and was hired to translate Mad magazine into French
. He began to write plays in French, utilizing the sprechgesang
form of songwriting, where the lyrics were spoken over the music. This style carried over to Van Peebles' debut album, Brer Soul.
He published four novels and one story collection in French and made another short film, Cinq cent balles (1965). It was here that he made his first feature length film, The Story of a Three-Day Pass
(La Permission) (1968), which caught the attention of Hollywood producers who mistook him for a French auteur. His first Hollywood film was the 1970 Columbia Pictures
comedy Watermelon Man
, written by Herman Raucher
. The movie told the story of a casually racist
white man who suddenly wakes up black and finds himself alienated from his friends, family and job. In 1970 Van Peebles was also to direct filming of the Powder Ridge Rock Festival
, which was banned by court injunction.
It was after the resulting bad experience directing Watermelon Man that Van Peebles became determined to have complete control over his next production, which became the groundbreaking Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
(1971), privately funded with his own money, and in part by a $50,000.00 loan from Bill Cosby
. Van Peebles not only directed, scripted, and edited the film, but wrote the score and directed the marketing campaign. The film, which in the end grossed $10 million, was, among many others, acclaimed by the Black Panthers for its political resonance with the black struggle. His son Mario's 2003 film BAADASSSSS!
tells the story behind the making of Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song.
In 2005, Van Peebles was the subject of a documentary entitled How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It). In 2008, Van Peebles completed the film Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha
, and appeared on All My Children
as Melvin Woods, the father of Samuel Woods, a character portrayed by his son, Mario.
In 2005 Van Peebles collaborated on a double album with Madlib
, to be released on Stones Throw Records
. The first disc of the album will was Brer Soul Meets Quasimoto and the second is the Madlib Invazion remix. Madlib had previously sampled Van Peebles heavily on both of his albums under the Quasimoto
moniker.
In 2009 Van Peebles became involved with a project to make Sweet Sweetback a musical. A preliminary version of this was staged at the Apollo on April 25–26, 2009. As well, he wrote and performed in a stage musical, Unmitigated Truth: Life, a Lavatory, Loves, and Ladies, which featured some of his previous songs as well as some new material.
, under the name Melvin Van Peebles wid Laxative. Van Peebles has said that the band is called Laxative because they "make shit happen". In November, 2011, Melvin Van Peebles wid Laxative performed his song Love, that's America
at Zebulon Cafe Concert
, two weeks after the venue showed the original video for this song involving Occupy Wall Street
footage, which was uploaded to Youtube
in October of 2011.
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor, director, screenwriter, playwright, novelist and composer.
He is most famous for creating the acclaimed film, Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song is a 1971 American independent drama film, written, produced, scored, directed by, and starring Melvin Van Peebles, father of actor Mario Van Peebles . It tells the picaresque story of a poor African American man on his flight from the white authority...
, which heralded a new era of African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
focused films. He is the father of actor and director Mario Van Peebles
Mario Van Peebles
Mario "Chip" Cain Van Peebles is an American director and actor who has appeared in numerous Hollywood films. He is son of filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles.-Life and career:...
.
Early life
Van Peebles was born in Chicago, Illinois to an African-American tailor. He joined the Air ForceUnited States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
in 1954, thirteen days after graduating (B.A., 1953) from Ohio Wesleyan University
Ohio Wesleyan University
Ohio Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1842 by Methodist leaders and Central Ohio residents as a nonsectarian institution, and is a member of the Ohio Five — a consortium of Ohio liberal arts colleges...
, staying for three and a half years. He married a German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
woman, Maria Marx. They lived in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
for a brief period, where he painted portraits, before coming back to the United States, where he started driving cable car
San Francisco cable car system
The San Francisco cable car system is the world's last permanently operational manually operated cable car system, in the US sense of a tramway whose cars are pulled along by cables embedded in the street. It is an icon of San Francisco, California...
s in San Francisco.
Career
Van Peebles began writing about his experiences as a cable car driver. What evolved from an initially small article and a series of photographs was Van Peebles' first book, The Big Heart.One day, a passenger suggested that Van Peebles should become a filmmaker. He shot his first short film, Pickup Men for Herrick, in 1957. He made two more short films during the same period. According to Van Peebles, "I thought they were features. Each one turned out to be eleven minutes long. I was trying to do features. I knew nothing." As Van Peebles learned more about the filmmaking process, he found out that "I could make a feature for five hundred dollars. That was the cost of ninety minutes of film. I didn't know a thing about shooting a film sixteen to one or ten to one or none of that shit. Then I forgot you had to develop film. And I didn't know you needed a work print. All I can say is that after I did one thing he would say, 'Well, aren't you gonna put sound on it?' and I would go, 'Oh shit!' That's all I could say."
After Van Peebles completed his first short films, he took them with him to Hollywood in order to try and find work, but was unable to find anyone who wanted to hire him as a director. In New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Van Peebles met a man who saw his films and wanted to screen them in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. In 1959 the family went to the Netherlands, where he worked for the Dutch National Theater. The marriage dissolved, his wife and children went back to America, and Peebles was invited to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
by Henri Langlois
Henri Langlois
Henri Langlois was a French film archivist and cinephile. A pioneer of film preservation, Langlois was an influential figure in the history of cinema...
, founder of the Cinémathèque Française
Cinémathèque Française
The Cinémathèque Française holds one of the largest archives of films, movie documents and film-related objects in the world. Located in Paris, the Cinémathèque holds daily screenings of films from around the world.-History:...
, on the strength of his short films. He learned French, and was hired to translate Mad magazine into French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. He began to write plays in French, utilizing the sprechgesang
Sprechgesang
Sprechgesang and Sprechstimme are musical terms used to refer to an expressionist vocal technique between singing and speaking. Though sometimes used interchangeably, sprechgesang is a term directly related to the operatic recitative manner of singing , whereas sprechstimme is...
form of songwriting, where the lyrics were spoken over the music. This style carried over to Van Peebles' debut album, Brer Soul.
He published four novels and one story collection in French and made another short film, Cinq cent balles (1965). It was here that he made his first feature length film, The Story of a Three-Day Pass
The Story of a Three-Day Pass
The Story of a Three-Day Pass is a black-and-white film written and directed, often in a Nouvelle Vague style, by Melvin Van Peebles, based on a novel he wrote in French, La Permission. Although made in 1967, the film was not released in the U.S. until July 8, 1968...
(La Permission) (1968), which caught the attention of Hollywood producers who mistook him for a French auteur. His first Hollywood film was the 1970 Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
comedy Watermelon Man
Watermelon Man (film)
Watermelon Man is a 1970 American comedy-drama film directed by Melvin Van Peebles and based on the book The Night the Sun Came Out on Happy Hollow Lane by Herman Raucher...
, written by Herman Raucher
Herman Raucher
Herman Raucher is an American author who has written several screenplays, among them the popular Summer of '42 and The Great Santini and several novels and plays...
. The movie told the story of a casually racist
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
white man who suddenly wakes up black and finds himself alienated from his friends, family and job. In 1970 Van Peebles was also to direct filming of the Powder Ridge Rock Festival
Powder Ridge Rock Festival
The Powder Ridge Rock Festival was scheduled to be held July 31, August 1 and August 2, 1970 at Powder Ridge Ski Area in Middlefield, Connecticut. A legal injunction forced the event to be canceled, keeping the musicians away; but a crowd of 30,000 attendees arrived anyway, to find no food, no...
, which was banned by court injunction.
It was after the resulting bad experience directing Watermelon Man that Van Peebles became determined to have complete control over his next production, which became the groundbreaking Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song is a 1971 American independent drama film, written, produced, scored, directed by, and starring Melvin Van Peebles, father of actor Mario Van Peebles . It tells the picaresque story of a poor African American man on his flight from the white authority...
(1971), privately funded with his own money, and in part by a $50,000.00 loan from Bill Cosby
Bill Cosby
William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, the...
. Van Peebles not only directed, scripted, and edited the film, but wrote the score and directed the marketing campaign. The film, which in the end grossed $10 million, was, among many others, acclaimed by the Black Panthers for its political resonance with the black struggle. His son Mario's 2003 film BAADASSSSS!
BAADASSSSS!
BAADASSSSS! is a 2003 American biopic, written, produced, directed by, and starring Mario Van Peebles. The film is based on the struggles of Van Peebles' father Melvin Van Peebles , as he attempts to film and distribute Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, a film that was widely credited with showing...
tells the story behind the making of Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song.
In 2005, Van Peebles was the subject of a documentary entitled How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It). In 2008, Van Peebles completed the film Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha
Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha
Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha is a 2008 film by Melvin Van Peebles. Based on Van Peebles' 1982 Broadway musical Waltz of the Stork, the film was screened at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2008. Van Peebles plays the film's main character from boyhood to age 47....
, and appeared on All My Children
All My Children
All My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
as Melvin Woods, the father of Samuel Woods, a character portrayed by his son, Mario.
In 2005 Van Peebles collaborated on a double album with Madlib
Madlib
Otis Jackson Jr. in Oxnard, California, known professionally as Madlib, is a Los Angeles-based DJ, multi-instrumentalist, rapper, and music producer...
, to be released on Stones Throw Records
Stones Throw Records
Stones Throw Records is an independent hip hop record label based in Los Angeles, California. It was started in 1996 by DJ/Producer Peanut Butter Wolf in part to release the music he made with Charizma who was killed at the age of 20....
. The first disc of the album will was Brer Soul Meets Quasimoto and the second is the Madlib Invazion remix. Madlib had previously sampled Van Peebles heavily on both of his albums under the Quasimoto
Quasimoto
Quasimoto is the alter ego or the side project of hip hop producer Madlib, from Oxnard, California. Quas is known for the raised pitch of his voice as if he was inhaling helium. Another notable characteristic is Quas inter-changing with Madlib's voice. One day in the studio, Madlib decided to...
moniker.
In 2009 Van Peebles became involved with a project to make Sweet Sweetback a musical. A preliminary version of this was staged at the Apollo on April 25–26, 2009. As well, he wrote and performed in a stage musical, Unmitigated Truth: Life, a Lavatory, Loves, and Ladies, which featured some of his previous songs as well as some new material.
wid Laxative
In 2011, Van Peebles started doing shows in NYC with members of Burnt SugarBurnt Sugar
Burnt Sugar, also known as Burnt Sugar, The Arkestra Chamber, is an American improvisational band. The band's music combines the influences of funk, jazz, rock, reggae, soul, hip hop, heavy metal, and 20th century classical music. It has been described by one critic as a...
, under the name Melvin Van Peebles wid Laxative. Van Peebles has said that the band is called Laxative because they "make shit happen". In November, 2011, Melvin Van Peebles wid Laxative performed his song Love, that's America
Love, that's America
Love, That's America is a song written by Melvin Van Peebles in 1970 for his film Watermelon Man. He rerecorded it for his 1971 album As Serious as a Heart-Attack...
at Zebulon Cafe Concert
Zebulon Cafe Concert
Zebulon Cafe Concert is a cafe/bar in Brooklyn that hosts live music shows. It is considered a critic's pick by New York Magazine.Owned by Guillaume Blestel and Jef Soubiran, Zebulon features nightly performances by local and international musicians and performers, including Ravi Shankar and Melvin...
, two weeks after the venue showed the original video for this song involving Occupy Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street is an ongoing series of demonstrations initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters which began September 17, 2011 in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City's Wall Street financial district...
footage, which was uploaded to Youtube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
in October of 2011.
Personal life
In 2008, Van Peebles joked that he suffered from Alzheimer's DiseaseAlzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
.
As director
- Pickup Men for Herrick (short, 1957) also writer and composer
- Sunlight (short, 1957) also writer, composer and producer
- Cinq cent balles (short, 1963) also writer and composer
- The Story of a Three-Day PassThe Story of a Three-Day PassThe Story of a Three-Day Pass is a black-and-white film written and directed, often in a Nouvelle Vague style, by Melvin Van Peebles, based on a novel he wrote in French, La Permission. Although made in 1967, the film was not released in the U.S. until July 8, 1968...
(also known as La PermissionLa PermissionLa Permission is a 1967 French language novel written by Melvin Van Peebles which was turned into the film, The Story of a Three-Day Pass.-History:By the late 1950s, Van Peebles had been involved filmmaking and had made two short films...
, 1967) also writer, from his novel La Permission, and composer - Watermelon ManWatermelon Man (film)Watermelon Man is a 1970 American comedy-drama film directed by Melvin Van Peebles and based on the book The Night the Sun Came Out on Happy Hollow Lane by Herman Raucher...
(1970) also composer - Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss SongSweet Sweetback's Baadasssss SongSweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song is a 1971 American independent drama film, written, produced, scored, directed by, and starring Melvin Van Peebles, father of actor Mario Van Peebles . It tells the picaresque story of a poor African American man on his flight from the white authority...
(1971) also actor, writer, composer, co-producer and editor - Don't Play Us CheapDon't Play Us CheapDon't Play Us Cheap is a 1972 musical written, produced, and directed by Melvin Van Peebles, about an imp and a devil who take human form and try to break up a Harlem house party. A film version was produced in 1973.-Plot:...
(1973) also writer, from his book Harlem Party and stage musical Don't Play Us Cheap, and composer - Identity CrisisIdentity Crisis (film)Identity Crisis is a 1989 comedy film directed by Melvin Van Peebles. Written by Mario Van Peebles, the film is about a rapper who winds up sharing his body with the soul of a dead fashion designer, switching between personalities every time he is struck on the head...
(1989) also actor, producer and editor - Vroom Vroom VroooomVroom Vroom VroooomVrooom Vroom Vrooom is a short film directed by Melvin Van Peebles. First released in 1995, it was featured as a part of the anthology film Tales of Erotica the following year....
(segment from Tales of EroticaTales of Erotica- Shorts featured :* The Dutch Master *The Insatiable Mrs. Kirsch *Vroom Vroom Vroom *Wet...
, also known as Erotic Tales, 1996) also writer, composer, producer and editor - Gang in BlueGang in BlueGang in Blue is a 1996 film co-directed by Melvin Van Peebles and his son, Mario Van Peebles, about a black police officer who discovers a cell of white supremacist vigilantes within his department.-Cast:*Mario Van Peebles as Michael Rhodes...
(1996) co-director, actor and producer - Le Conte du ventre plein (also known as BellyfulBellyfulLe Conte du ventre plein is a 2000 film written and directed by Melvin Van Peebles.- Plot summary :A conservative couple masquerade as liberal do-gooders in late 60's France...
, 2000) also writer, composer and delegate producer - Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted MuthaConfessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted MuthaConfessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha is a 2008 film by Melvin Van Peebles. Based on Van Peebles' 1982 Broadway musical Waltz of the Stork, the film was screened at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2008. Van Peebles plays the film's main character from boyhood to age 47....
(2008)
Other writing credits
- Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural DeathAin't Supposed to Die a Natural DeathAin't Supposed to Die a Natural Death is a musical with a book, music, and lyrics by Melvin Van Peebles. The musical contains some material also on three of Van Peebles' albums, Br'er Soul, Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death and As Serious as a Heart-Attack, some of which were yet to come...
(1971 Broadway musical book and score) - Just an Old Sweet Song (also known as Down Home, Robert Ellis Miller, 1976) made for television; screenwriter and theme song
- Greased LightningGreased LightningGreased Lightning is a 1977 American biographical film, starring Richard Pryor, Beau Bridges, and Pam Grier, and directed by Michael Schultz. Greased Lightning is a film loosely based on the true life story of Wendell Scott, the first African American stock car racing champion in the United States...
(Michael Schultz, 1977) screenwriter - The Sophisticated GentsThe Sophisticated GentsThe Sophisticated Gents is a TV miniseries that aired on three consecutive nights from September 29 to October 1, 1981 on NBC. Its ensemble cast featured a number of African American stage and film actors, many of whom were customarily seen in Blaxploitation motion pictures in the 1970s. The...
(Harry Falk, 1981) made for television; actor, screenwriter, song “Greased Lightning” and producer - The Day They Came to Arrest the Book (Gilbert Moses, 1987) made for television; screenwriter
- PantherPanther (film)Panther is a 1995 film directed by Mario Van Peebles, from a screenplay adapted by his father, Melvin Van Peebles, based on his book. The film dramatizes the story of The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense...
(Mario Van Peebles, 1995) based on his novel Panther, screenwriter, actor and producer - Melvin Van Peebles' Classified XMelvin Van Peebles' Classified XClassified X is a movie by Melvin Van Peebles which details the history of black people in American cinema throughout the 20th century.-References:...
(Mark Daniels, 1998) documentary; screenwriter, actor and executive producer) - Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss SongSweet Sweetback's Baadasssss SongSweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song is a 1971 American independent drama film, written, produced, scored, directed by, and starring Melvin Van Peebles, father of actor Mario Van Peebles . It tells the picaresque story of a poor African American man on his flight from the white authority...
: The Musical (2008) writer, singer - Unmitigated Truth: Life, a Lavatory, Loves, and Ladies (2009) writer, performer
Other acting-only credits
- O.C. and StiggsO.C. and StiggsO.C. and Stiggs is a 1987 film directed by Robert Altman, based on two characters that were originally featured in a series of stories published in National Lampoon magazine. The film stars Daniel H. Jenkins and Neill Barry as the title characters...
(Robert Altman, 1987) actor - Jaws: The RevengeJaws: The RevengeJaws: The Revenge, Also known as, 'Jaws 4: The Revenge', is a 1987 thriller film directed by Joseph Sargent. It is the third sequel to Steven Spielberg's Jaws and the final installment of the series....
(Joseph Sargent, 1987) actor - Sonny SpoonSonny SpoonSonny Spoon was a detective program aired in the United States on the NBC television network in 1988. The series was created by Michael Daly, Dinah Prince, Stephen J. Cannell and Randall Wallace and produced by Stephen J...
(1988) television series; actor - PossePosse (1993 film)Posse is a 1993 American Western film directed by and starring Mario Van Peebles. Featuring a large ensemble cast of mostly African-American actors, the film is about a posse of black soldiers and one ostracized white soldier, who are all betrayed by a corrupt colonel. The title of the film refers...
(Mario Van Peebles, 1993) actor - Terminal VelocityTerminal Velocity (film)Terminal Velocity is a 1994 action movie starring Charlie Sheen as a daredevil skydiver who becomes mixed up with Russian spies. It was written by David Twohy and directed by Deran Sarafian. Originally, Sheen's role was written for Tom Cruise, although William Baldwin was also considered. The...
(Deran Sarafian, 1994) actor - Fist of the North StarFist of the North Star (1995 film)Fist of the North Star is a 1995 American straight-to-video live-action film based on the eponymous manga by Buronson and Tetsuo Hara. The film was directed by Tony Randel, who also co-wrote the script with Peter Akins, and stars Gary Daniels, Costas Mandylor, Chris Penn, Isako Washio, and Malcom...
(Asher, 1995) actor - The Shining (Mick Garris, 1997) television movie; actor
- The Hebrew HammerThe Hebrew HammerThe Hebrew Hammer is a 2003 American film directed by Jonathan Kesselman. It stars Adam Goldberg, Judy Greer, Andy Dick, Mario Van Peebles, and Peter Coyote...
(Jonathan Kesselman, 2003) actor
Discography
- Brer Soul (1969)
- Watermelon Man OST (1970)
- Ain't Supposed To Die A Natural DeathAin't Supposed to Die a Natural Death (album)Ain't Supposed To Die A Natural Death is a 1971 album by Melvin Van Peebles, featuring mostly spoken word poetry over music written by Van Peebles. Some of its material was used in later projects, such as Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song and the stage musical with the same title, Ain't Supposed to...
(1970) - Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song OSTSweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (soundtrack)The Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song OST is the soundtrack to Melvin Van Peebles' 1971 film Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song. The score was written by Van Peebles himself and performed by the then-unknown group Earth, Wind & Fire...
(1971) - Ain't Supposed To Die A Natural DeathAin't Supposed to Die a Natural DeathAin't Supposed to Die a Natural Death is a musical with a book, music, and lyrics by Melvin Van Peebles. The musical contains some material also on three of Van Peebles' albums, Br'er Soul, Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death and As Serious as a Heart-Attack, some of which were yet to come...
(1972) - Don't Play Us Cheap OSTDon't Play Us Cheap (soundtrack)Don't Play Us Cheap is the soundtrack to Melvin Van Peebles' Broadway musical, Don't Play Us Cheap.- Track listing :#You Cut Up The Clothes In The Closet Of My Dreams#Break That Party And Opening#The Eight Day Week#Saturday Night...
(1973) - As Serious As A Heart-AttackAs Serious As A Heart-AttackAs Serious As A Heart-Attack is an album by Melvin Van Peebles. The album's cover can be briefly glimpsed on the bathroom door in the 1973 film version of Van Peebles' musical Don't Play Us Cheap.-Cityside 2:#JUST DONT MAKE NO SENSE#DEARMISTUH...
(1974) - What the....You Mean I Can't Sing?!What the....You Mean I Can't Sing?!-Track listing:#"A Birth Certificate Ain't Nothing But A Death Warrant Anyway" — 3:57 #"So Many Bars" — 4:11 #"Save The Watergate 500" — 3:21 #"Superstition" — 5:05 #"There" — 3:58...
(1974) - Ghetto GothicGhetto Gothic-Track listing:#"Blinded By Your Stuff" — 4:55#"On 115" — 2:49#"My Love Belongs To You" — 4:52#"There" — 4:49#"Greasy Lightin'" — 3:50#"Lilly Done The Zampoughi Everytime I Pulled Her Coatail" — 6:00#"Same Ole Raggedy Song" — 2:44...
(1995)
External links
- Melvin Van Peebles's oral history video excerpts at The National Visionary Leadership Project
- Senses of Cinema: Great Directors Critical Database
- "Melvin Van Peebles interview" on the WGBH series, Say Brother
- Interview at SuicideGirls.com
- Interview with Melvin Van Peebles at the Red Bull Music Academy (2008)