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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
March 7, 1873
Died
February 1, 1959
Place of Birth
Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Also Known As
- Nellie Wan
- Nellie Crawford
- Madame Sultewan
- Madame Wan
- Sul-Te-Wan
Madame Sul-Te-Wan
0.2 Popularity
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Madame Sul-Te-Wan (born Nellie Crawford; March 7, 1873 – February 1, 1959) was the first African-American actress to sign a film contract and be a featured performer. She was an American stage, film and television actress for over 50 years. The daughter of former slaves, she began her career in entertainment touring the East Coast with various theatrical companies and moved to California to become a member of the fledgling film community. She became known as a character actress, appeared in high-profile films such as The Birth of a Nation (1915) and Intolerance (1916), and easily navigated the transition to the sound films. In 1986, she was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame.
Known For
6.4
Good Luck Charm Vendor
The Buccaneer
1958
4.0
Witch Woman
Tarzan and the Trappers
1958
6.2
Flower Vendor (Uncredited)
Band of Angels
1957
5.5
Midwife (Uncredited)
Something of Value
1957
6.0
Hagar – Carmen's Grandmother (Uncredited)
Carmen Jones
1954
5.8
Libby
The Story of Seabiscuit
1949
6.3
Young Family Servant (Uncredited)
Mighty Joe Young
1949
6.1
Bit in "Ice Cold Katie" Number (uncredited)
Thank Your Lucky Stars
1943
5.2
Beulah
Revenge of the Zombies
1943
5.0
Miss Cully, Old Black Woman (Uncredited)
Mokey
1942
Credits
The Buccaneer
as Good Luck Charm Vendor
1958
6.4
Tarzan and the Trappers
as Witch Woman
1958
4.0
Band of Angels
as Flower Vendor (Uncredited)
1957
6.2
Something of Value
as Midwife (Uncredited)
1957
5.5
Carmen Jones
as Hagar – Carmen's Grandmother (Uncredited)
1954
6.0
The Story of Seabiscuit
as Libby
1949
5.8
Mighty Joe Young
as Young Family Servant (Uncredited)
1949
6.3
Thank Your Lucky Stars
as Bit in "Ice Cold Katie" Number (uncredited)
1943
6.1
Revenge of the Zombies
as Beulah
1943
5.2
Mokey
as Miss Cully, Old Black Woman (Uncredited)
1942
5.0
Sullivan's Travels
as Church Harmonium Player (Uncredited)
1941
7.4
King of the Zombies
as Tahama
1941
5.1
Love Thy Neighbor
as Lady McBeth
1940
6.5
Maryland
as Naomi
1940
6.2
Safari
as Native Woman
1940
4.0
Torchy Blane.. Playing with Dynamite
as Ruby (uncredited)
1939
6.0
Tell No Tales
as Jim Alley's Mother (uncredited)
1939
5.3
Kentucky
as Lily
1938
5.8
The Affairs of Annabel
as Benzedrina (uncredited)
1938
4.0
The Toy Wife
as Eve, a Black Servant (Uncredited)
1938
4.8
In Old Chicago
as Hattie
1938
6.5
Island in the Sky
as Scrubwoman (Uncredited)
1938
7.0
Maid of Salem
as Tituba
1937
5.9
San Francisco
as Earthquake Survivor (Uncredited)
1936
6.6
So Red the Rose
as Slave (Uncredited)
1935
6.5
Imitation of Life
as Cook (uncredited)
1934
7.0
Black Moon
as Ruva
1934
5.2
Operator 13
as Slave at Medicine Show ( Uncredited)
1934
5.7
A Modern Hero
as Mme. Azais' Neighbor ( Uncredited)
1934
7.0
King Kong
as Native Handmaiden (uncredited)
1933
7.6
Ladies They Talk About
as Mustard (uncredited)
1933
6.1
Queen Kelly
as Kali Sana – Aunt's Cook (Uncredited)
1932
6.5
Jungle Mystery
as Native Woman in Stockade (Uncredited)
1932
0.0
Heaven on Earth
as Voodoo Sue
1931
3.0
The Pagan Lady
as Carla the Servant
1931
2.5
The Thoroughbred
as Sacharine
1930
4.7
Sarah and Son
as Belloc's Maid (Uncredited)
1930
5.3
Thunderbolt
as Bit Role
1929
5.8
The Carnation Kid
as The Maid (Uncredited)
1929
0.0
Uncle Tom's Cabin
as Slave at Wedding (uncredited)
1927
6.9
College
as Cook (uncredited)
1927
6.8
The Golden Bed
as Boarding House Maid (Uncredited)
1925
3.5
The Narrow Street
as Easter
1925
0.0
The Lightning Rider
as Mammy
1924
0.0
Manslaughter
as Prison Inmate (uncredited)
1922
5.4
The Show
as Maid (uncredited)
1922
6.5
Why Change Your Wife?
as Sally's Maid (Uncredited)
1920
5.9
His Musical Sneeze
as Maid (uncredited)
1919
5.3
Who's Your Father?
as Black Mother (uncredited)
1918
0.0
Old Wives for New
as Viola's Maid (uncredited)
1918
6.5
Tarzan of the Apes
as Esmeralda - Jane's Maid (uncredited)
1918
5.4
🎬
Stage Struck
as Uncredited
1917
0.0
The Children Pay
as Uncredited
1916
0.0
Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages
as Girl at the Marriage Market (uncredited)
1916
7.1
Hoodoo Ann
as Black Cindy
1916
5.6
The Birth of a Nation
as Black Woman (uncredited)
1915
6.0
🎬
The Cause of It All
as Mary - The Hotel Cook
1915
0.0
🎬
Squirrel Food
as Flirt
N/A
0.0