Willie Best

Willie Best

William “Willie” Best (May 27, 1916 - February 27, 1962), sometimes known as “Sleep n' Eat,” was an American television and film actor. Best was one of the first African-American film actors and comedians to become well known. In the 21st century, his work, like that of Stepin Fetchit, is sometimes reviled because he was often called upon to play stereotypically lazy, illiterate, and/or simple-minded characters in films. Of the 124 films he appeared in, he received screen credit in at least 77, an unusual feat for an African-American bit player. Willie Best appeared in more than one hundred films of the 1930s and 1940s. Although several sources state that for years he was billed only as “Sleep n' Eat,” Best received credit under this moniker instead of his real name in only six movies: his first film as a bit player (Harold Lloyd's Feet First) and in Up Pops the Devil (1931), The Monster Walks (1932), Kentucky Kernels and West of the Pecos (both 1934), and Murder on a Honeymoon (1935). Best was first loved as a great clown, then later in the 20th century reviled and pitied, before being forgotten in the history of film. Hal Roach called him one of the greatest talents he had ever met. Comedian Bob Hope similarly acclaimed him as “the best actor I know,” while the two were working together in 1940 on The Ghost Breakers. As a supporting actor, Best, like many black actors of his era, was regularly cast in domestic worker or service-oriented roles (though a few times he played the role echoing his previous occupation as a private chauffeur). He was often seen making a brief comic turn as a hotel, airline or train porter, as well as an elevator operator, custodian, butler, valet, waiter, deliveryman, and at least once as a launch pilot (in the 1939 movie Mr. Moto in Danger Island). Willie Best received screen credit most of the time, which was unusual for “bit players,” most in the 1930s and '40s were not accorded due credit. This also happened to white actors in small roles, but black actors were not credited even when their roles were larger. In more than 80 of his movies, he was given a proper character name (as opposed to simple descriptions such as “room service waiter” or “shoe-shine boy”), beginning with his second film. Best played “Chattanooga Brown” in two Charlie Chan films —The Red Dragon in 1945 and Dangerous Money in 1946. He also played the character of “Hipp” in three of RKO’s six Scattergood Baines films with Guy Kibbee: Scattergood Baines (1941), Scattergood Survives a Murder (1942), and Cinderella Swings It in 1943. (Actor Paul White, who played a young version of Best’s “Hipp” in the first film, went on to play “Hipp” in the next three films. Best returned to the role in the last two.) After a drug arrest ended his film career, he worked in television for a while and became known to early TV audiences as “Charlie the Elevator Operator” on CBS's My Little Margie, from 1953 to 1955. He also played Willie, the house servant, handyman and close friend of the title character of ABC’s The Trouble with Father, for its entire run from 1950 to 1955.

  • Popularitate : 2.846
  • Cunoscut pentru : Acting
  • Zi de nastere : 1913-05-27
  • Locul nasterii : Sunflower, Mississippi, USA
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Willie Best Filme

  • 1952
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    Ellis in Freedomland

    Ellis in Freedomland

    1 1952 HD

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  • 1938
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    Blondie

    Blondie

    7.1 1938 HD

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  • 1939
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    Blondie Brings Up Baby

    Blondie Brings Up Baby

    6.5 1939 HD

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  • 1942
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    Scattergood Survives a Murder

    Scattergood Survives a Murder

    4.5 1942 HD

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  • 1943
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    Cinderella Swings It

    Cinderella Swings It

    1 1943 HD

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  • 1939
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    The Covered Trailer

    The Covered Trailer

    1 1939 HD

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  • 1941
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    High Sierra

    High Sierra

    7 1941 HD

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  • 1930
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    Feet First

    Feet First

    6.6 1930 HD

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  • 1940
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    The Ghost Breakers

    The Ghost Breakers

    6.5 1940 HD

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  • 1935
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    Hit and Rum

    Hit and Rum

    1 1935 HD

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  • 1942
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    A-Haunting We Will Go

    A-Haunting We Will Go

    6.015 1942 HD

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  • 1935
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    The Littlest Rebel

    The Littlest Rebel

    6.3 1935 HD

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  • 1945
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    The Red Dragon

    The Red Dragon

    6.1 1945 HD

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  • 1946
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    Dangerous Money

    Dangerous Money

    5.7 1946 HD

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  • 1939
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    Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter

    Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter

    6 1939 HD

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  • 1936
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    Murder on a Bridle Path

    Murder on a Bridle Path

    5 1936 HD

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  • 1941
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    Highway West

    Highway West

    5.8 1941 HD

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  • 1941
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    The Smiling Ghost

    The Smiling Ghost

    6.5 1941 HD

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  • 1942
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    The Hidden Hand

    The Hidden Hand

    6.2 1942 HD

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  • 1934
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    Little Miss Marker

    Little Miss Marker

    6.476 1934 HD

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  • 1935
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    Murder on a Honeymoon

    Murder on a Honeymoon

    5.8 1935 HD

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  • 1943
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    Cabin in the Sky

    Cabin in the Sky

    6.3 1943 HD

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  • 1946
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    The Face of Marble

    The Face of Marble

    4.4 1946 HD

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  • 1941
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    Nothing But the Truth

    Nothing But the Truth

    7.1 1941 HD

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  • 1942
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    Whispering Ghosts

    Whispering Ghosts

    6.9 1942 HD

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  • 1942
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    Juke Girl

    Juke Girl

    6.5 1942 HD

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  • 1942
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    Maisie Gets Her Man

    Maisie Gets Her Man

    6.5 1942 HD

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  • 1942
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    Busses Roar

    Busses Roar

    6.6 1942 HD

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  • 1945
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    She Wouldn't Say Yes

    She Wouldn't Say Yes

    5.9 1945 HD

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  • 1945
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    Pillow to Post

    Pillow to Post

    5.3 1945 HD

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  • 1944
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    The Girl Who Dared

    The Girl Who Dared

    5.7 1944 HD

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  • 1941
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    Road Show

    Road Show

    5.8 1941 HD

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  • 1941
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    The Lady from Cheyenne

    The Lady from Cheyenne

    5.2 1941 HD

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  • 1937
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    Super-Sleuth

    Super-Sleuth

    5 1937 HD

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  • 1936
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    Down the Stretch

    Down the Stretch

    5.5 1936 HD

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  • 1941
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    Kisses for Breakfast

    Kisses for Breakfast

    5.5 1941 HD

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  • 1946
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    The Bride Wore Boots

    The Bride Wore Boots

    5.9 1946 HD

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  • 1945
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    The Monster and the Ape

    The Monster and the Ape

    6.3 1945 HD

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  • 1935
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    Raised and Called

    Raised and Called

    1 1935 HD

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  • 1940
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    Who Killed Aunt Maggie?

    Who Killed Aunt Maggie?

    4.3 1940 HD

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  • 1944
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    Home in Indiana

    Home in Indiana

    5.6 1944 HD

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  • 1938
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    Goodbye Broadway

    Goodbye Broadway

    1 1938 HD

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  • 1940
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    Money and the Woman

    Money and the Woman

    4.3 1940 HD

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  • 1936
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    Muss 'em Up

    Muss 'em Up

    5.5 1936 HD

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  • 1938
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    Merrily We Live

    Merrily We Live

    7.2 1938 HD

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  • 1938
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    Gold Is Where You Find It

    Gold Is Where You Find It

    6.9 1938 HD

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  • 1937
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    Meet the Missus

    Meet the Missus

    4 1937 HD

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  • 1937
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    Saturday's Heroes

    Saturday's Heroes

    7 1937 HD

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  • 1947
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    The Red Stallion

    The Red Stallion

    1 1947 HD

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  • 1937
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    Deep South

    Deep South

    1 1937 HD

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  • 1937
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    The Lady Fights Back

    The Lady Fights Back

    6 1937 HD

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  • 1943
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    The Powers Girl

    The Powers Girl

    6.5 1943 HD

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  • 1938
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    Youth Takes a Fling

    Youth Takes a Fling

    1 1938 HD

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  • 1937
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    We Who Are About to Die

    We Who Are About to Die

    6.8 1937 HD

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  • 1943
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    Dixie

    Dixie

    3 1943 HD

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  • 1945
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    Hold That Blonde!

    Hold That Blonde!

    7 1945 HD

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  • 1935
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    To Beat the Band

    To Beat the Band

    1 1935 HD

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  • 1931
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    Up Pops the Devil

    Up Pops the Devil

    4.2 1931 HD

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  • 1938
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    Everybody's Doing It

    Everybody's Doing It

    5 1938 HD

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  • 1939
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    At the Circus

    At the Circus

    6.3 1939 HD

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  • 1936
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    Two in Revolt

    Two in Revolt

    6 1936 HD

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  • 1936
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    Mummy's Boys

    Mummy's Boys

    4.7 1936 HD

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  • 1938
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    Spring Madness

    Spring Madness

    3.9 1938 HD

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  • 1935
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    The Nitwits

    The Nitwits

    6.1 1935 HD

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  • 1934
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    Kentucky Kernels

    Kentucky Kernels

    5.9 1934 HD

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  • 1935
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    Horse Heir

    Horse Heir

    1 1935 HD

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  • 1939
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    The Saint Strikes Back

    The Saint Strikes Back

    5.6 1939 HD

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  • 1939
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    Mr. Moto in Danger Island

    Mr. Moto in Danger Island

    7 1939 HD

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  • 1939
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    Way Down South

    Way Down South

    5.4 1939 HD

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  • 1939
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    Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation

    Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation

    6.9 1939 HD

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  • 1951
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    South of Caliente

    South of Caliente

    1 1951 HD

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  • 1939
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    Slightly Honorable

    Slightly Honorable

    5.1 1939 HD

    Un avocat este prins pentru uciderea unei tinere petrecărețe și încearcă să-i șteargă numele.

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  • 1936
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    The Bride Walks Out

    The Bride Walks Out

    5.3 1936 HD

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  • 1939
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    Blackmail

    Blackmail

    6.4 1939 HD

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  • 1935
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    Jalna

    Jalna

    4.8 1935 HD

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  • 1937
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    Racing Lady

    Racing Lady

    5.3 1937 HD

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  • 1937
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    You Can't Buy Luck

    You Can't Buy Luck

    4.5 1937 HD

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  • 1936
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    Night Waitress

    Night Waitress

    5.8 1936 HD

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  • 1938
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    Crashing Hollywood

    Crashing Hollywood

    5.8 1938 HD

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  • 1944
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    Music for Millions

    Music for Millions

    6 1944 HD

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  • 1930
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    Ladies of Leisure

    Ladies of Leisure

    6 1930 HD

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  • 1940
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    Blondie on a Budget

    Blondie on a Budget

    6 1940 HD

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  • 1940
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    I Take This Woman

    I Take This Woman

    6.2 1940 HD

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  • 1947
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    Suddenly It's Spring

    Suddenly It's Spring

    4.333 1947 HD

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  • 1936
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    The Green Pastures

    The Green Pastures

    6.3 1936 HD

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  • 1934
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    West of the Pecos

    West of the Pecos

    1 1934 HD

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  • 1936
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    Thank You, Jeeves!

    Thank You, Jeeves!

    6 1936 HD

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  • 1944
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    The Mark of the Whistler

    The Mark of the Whistler

    5.9 1944 HD

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  • 1941
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    Breakdowns of 1941

    Breakdowns of 1941

    7 1941 HD

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  • 1935
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    Hot Tip

    Hot Tip

    5 1935 HD

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  • 1938
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    I'm from the City

    I'm from the City

    5 1938 HD

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  • 1935
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    The Arizonian

    The Arizonian

    1 1935 HD

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  • 1936
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    General Spanky

    General Spanky

    5.2 1936 HD

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  • 1937
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    Mississippi Moods

    Mississippi Moods

    1 1937 HD

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  • 1943
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    Thank Your Lucky Stars

    Thank Your Lucky Stars

    6.1 1943 HD

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  • 1938
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    Vivacious Lady

    Vivacious Lady

    6.8 1938 HD

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  • 1936
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    Silly Billies

    Silly Billies

    8 1936 HD

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  • 1932
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    The Monster Walks

    The Monster Walks

    4.2 1932 HD

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  • 1943
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    The Kansan

    The Kansan

    5.2 1943 HD

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  • 1962
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    Harold Lloyd's World of Comedy

    Harold Lloyd's World of Comedy

    7.3 1962 HD

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  • 2004
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    TV in Black: The First Fifty Years

    TV in Black: The First Fifty Years

    4 2004 HD

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  • 1938
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    Straight, Place and Show

    Straight, Place and Show

    6 1938 HD

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  • 1975
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    Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

    Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

    5.7 1975 HD

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  • 1948
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    Shanghai Chest

    Shanghai Chest

    6.1 1948 HD

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  • 1937
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    Breezing Home

    Breezing Home

    1 1937 HD

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  • 1948
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    Half Past Midnight

    Half Past Midnight

    6 1948 HD

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  • 1941
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    Flight from Destiny

    Flight from Destiny

    5.2 1941 HD

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  • 1944
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    The Adventures of Mark Twain

    The Adventures of Mark Twain

    6.6 1944 HD

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  • 1941
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    Scattergood Baines

    Scattergood Baines

    6 1941 HD

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  • 1939
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    Private Detective

    Private Detective

    6 1939 HD

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  • 1941
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    Minstrel Days

    Minstrel Days

    1 1941 HD

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  • 1931
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    Virtuous Husband

    Virtuous Husband

    1 1931 HD

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  • 1931
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    The Guilty Generation

    The Guilty Generation

    6 1931 HD

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  • 1941
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    The Body Disappears

    The Body Disappears

    5.2 1941 HD

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  • 1952
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    My Little Margie

    My Little Margie

    3 1952 HD

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  • 1951
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    Racket Squad

    Racket Squad

    6 1951 HD

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  • 1950
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    The Stu Erwin Show

    The Stu Erwin Show

    6 1950 HD

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  • 1954
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    Waterfront

    Waterfront

    7 1954 HD

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