Melvin Van Peebles Biography (1932-)

Original name, Melvin Peebles; born August 21, 1932, in Chicago, IL; divorced; children: Mario (an actor and producer), Megan, Melvin. Career: Writer, composer, producer, director, and actor. Performed with Dutch National Theatre; appeared in a cabaret production, Bottom Line, New York City, 1974; appeared in nightclubs and cabarets in France; journalist and avant-garde filmmaker in France. Director of the Whodini music video Funky Beat. Also worked as a cable car grip operator, San Francisco, CA, a floor trader for theAmerican Stock Exchange, 1984, and a portrait painter in Mexico. Militaryservice: U.S. Air Force, served as navigator and bombardier. Member: Directors Guild of America, Writers Guild of America, Screen Actors Guild, Actors' Equity Association, American Federation of Television and RadioArtists, French Directors Guild. Awards, Honors: Honorary doctorate,Hofstra University, 1995; first prize from Belgian Festival for Don'tPlay Us Cheap. Addresses: Contact: c/o Simon & Schuster, 1230Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020-1586.

Nationality: American
Gender: Male
Occupation: Writer, composer, producer, director, actor
Birth Details: August 21, 1932; Chicago, Illinois, United States

Famous Works

CREDITS
Film Appearances
Sweetback, Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, Cinemation, 1971
America(also known as Moonbeam), ASA, 1986
Jake Witherspoon, Jaws: The Revenge(also known as Jaws 4),Universal, 1987
Wino Bob, O. C. and Stiggs, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1987
Himself, Making "Do the Right Thing,"1989
Identity Crisis, Academy, 1989
Taxi driver, True Identity, Buena Vista, 1991
The editor, Boomerang, Paramount, 1992
Paramedic, Last Action Hero,1993
Papa Joe, Posse, Gramercy Pictures, 1993
Noble, Terminal Velocity, Buena Vista, 1994
Cynical jailbird, Panther, Gramercy Pictures, 1995
Abel, Love Kills,1998
Thompson, Time of Her Time,1999
Smut,1999
Film Work
Producer and director, Sunlight(short film), Cinema 16, 1958
Producer and director, Three Pick Up Men for Herrick(short film),Cinema 16, 1958
Director, The Story of a Three Day Pass(also known as La Permission), Sigma III, 1968
Director and music director, Watermelon Man, Columbia, 1970
Producer, director, and editor, Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, Cinemation, 1971
Producer, director, and editor, Don't Play Us Cheap,1973
Producer, director, and editor, Identity Crisis, Academy, 1989
Producer, director, and editor, "Vrooom, Vrooom, Vrooom" (short film; also known as "Vroom Vroom Vroom!"), in Tales of Erotica(also known as Erotic Tales), Mercure Distribution, 1994
Producer (with Mario Van Peebles), Panther, Gramercy Pictures, 1995
Director, La Bonne a Tout Faire,1999
Television Appearances
Series
Mel Spoon, Sonny Spoon, NBC, 1988
Episodic
L.A. Law,1986
Hawk, "Taking Care of Terrific," WonderWorks, PBS, 1988
Norman Green, "Steinway to Heaven," Dream On, HBO, 1990
Warner Devant, "Likes Father, Likes Son," Living Single, Fox, 1995
Bennett Jackson, "The Documentary," Homicide: Life on the Street(also known as Homicide and Homicide: LOTS), NBC, 1997
Movies
Walter Moon and Silkie Porter, The Sophisticated Gents, NBC, 1981
Vernon, "Homecoming Day," Riot(also known as Riot in the Streets), Showtime, 1995
Asher, Fist of the North Star(also known as Fist of the Northstar and Hokuto no Ken), HBO, 1995
Andre Speier, Gang in Blue(also known as The Phantom), Showtime, 1996
Narrator, Melvin Van Peebles' Classified X,1998
Specials
Voice of Louis Armstrong, "Satchmo: The Life of Louis Armstrong," American Masters, PBS, 1989
Bucket, "Calm at Sunset" (also known as "Calm at Sunset, Calm at Dawn"),Hallmark Hall of Fame, CBS, 1996
I'll Make Me a World: A Century of African-American Arts, PBS,1999
Miniseries

Dick Halloran, Stephen King's The Shining(also known as TheShining), ABC, 1997
Television Work
Movies
Associate producer, The Sophisticated Gents, NBC, 1981
Producer (with Robert Lawrence, Mario Van Peebles, David Fuller, and RickNatkin) and director (with Mario Van Peebles), Gang in Blue(also known as The Phantom), Showtime, 1996
Executive producer, Melvin Van Peebles' Classified X,1998
Episodic
Director, The Big Room,1990
Director, The Outer Limits,1995
Stage Appearances
Out There by Your Lonesome(solo show), Philharmonic Hall, New YorkCity, 1973
Don't Play Us Cheap, Shubert Theatre, Chicago, IL, 1975
Waltz of the Stork, Century Theatre, New York City, 1982
Kickin' the Science, Ensemble Studio Theatre, 1992
Also appeared in The Hostage with the Dutch National Theatre.
Major Tours
Out There by Your Lonesome(solo show), U.S. cities, 1973
Stage Work
Director, Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death, Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York City, 1971
Producer and director, Don't Play Us Cheap, Ethel Barrymore Theatre, 1972
Producer and director, Waltz of the Stork, Century Theatre, New York City, 1982
Director, Champeeen!, New Federal Theatre, Harry DeJur Playhouse,New York City, 1983
RECORDINGS
Albums
Br'er Soul,1969
As Serious as a Heart Attack, A&M, 1971
What the ... You Mean I Can't Sing, A&M, 1974
Also recorded Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death and Ghetto Gothic.
WRITINGS
Stage Plays
Also Composer and Lyricist, Unless Otherwise Noted
Harlem Party, produced in Belgium, 1964 produced as Don't Play Us Cheap, Ethel Barrymore Theatre, 1972 and Shubert Theatre, Chicago,IL, 1975
Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death(based on his recordingsBr'er Soul and Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death),Ethel Barrymore Theatre, 1971 published by Bantam (New York City), 1973
Out There by Your Lonesome(solo show), Philharmonic Hall, and U.S.cities, 1973
(Book only) Reggae, Biltmore Theatre, New York City, 1980
Waltz of the Stork, Century Theatre, 1982
Champeeen!, New Federal Theatre, Harry DeJur Playhouse, 1983
Also wrote music and comedy material for cabaret productions.
Screenplays
Sunlight(short film), Cinema 16, 1958
Three Pick Up Men for Herrick(short film), Cinema 16, 1958
And composer (with Mickey Baker), The Story of a Three Day Pass(also known as La Permission), Sigma III, 1968
Composer, Watermelon Man, Columbia, 1970
And composer, Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, Cinemation, 1971 published by Lancer Books, 1971
And composer and lyricist, Don't Play Us Cheap,1973
(With Kenneth Vose, Lawrence Dukore, and Leon Capetanos) Greased Lightning, Warner Bros., 1977 published by Yeah, 1976
(With Mario Van Peebles) Identity Crisis, Academy, 1989 publishedby Block and Chip, 1989
And composer, "Vrooom, Vrooom, Vrooom" (short film; also known as "VroomVroom Vroom!"), in Tales of Erotica(also known as Erotic Tales), Mercure Distribution, 1994
Panther, Gramercy Pictures, 1995
Television Pilots
And composer of title song, Just an Old Sweet Song, CBS, 1976 broadcast as Down Home, CBS, 1978 published by Ballantine (New York City),1976
Television Movies
And composer of the song "Greased Lightning," The Sophisticated Gents(based on The Junior Bachelor Society by John A. Williams), NBC, 1981
Melvin Van Peebles' Classified X,1998
Television Specials
"The Day They Came to Arrest the Book," CBS Schoolbreak Specials,CBS, 1987
Novels
Un Ours pour le F.B.I., Buchet-Chastel (Paris, France), 1964 translation published as A Bear for the F.B.I., Trident, 1968
Un Americain en Enfer, Editions Denoel (Paris, France), 1965 translation published as The True American: A Folk Fable, Doubleday (New York City), 1976
La Fete a Harlem(adapted from his play Harlem Party), J. Martineau, 1967 translation published as Don't Play Us Cheap: A Harlem Party, Bantam (New York City), 1973
La Permission(short novel), J. Martineau, 1967
Panther, Thunder's Mouth (New York City), 1995
Nonfiction
The Making of Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, Lancer Books,1972
Bold Money: A New Way to Play the Options Market, Warner Books (New York City), 1986
Bold Money: A New Way to Get Rich in the Options Market, Warner Books, 1987
(With Mario Van Peebles) No Identity Crisis: A Father and Son's Own Story of Working Together, Simon & Schuster (New York City), 1990
Other
Le Chinois du XIV(short fiction), Le Gadenet, 1966
The Big Heart(photo essay), 1967
Composer of musical pieces recorded on Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death, Br'er Soul, Serious as a Heart Attack, andthe motion picture soundtrack recordings Don't Play Us Cheap, Sweet Sweetback's Song, and Watermelon Man.

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

Contemporary Authors, New Revision Series, May 22, 1995, Volume 27, Gale (Detroit, MI), 1989.
Contemporary Literary Criticism, Gale, Volume 2, 1974; Volume 20,1982.
Who's Who among African Americans, 11th edition, Gale, 1998.

Periodicals:

Jet, p. 32.

User Contributions:

Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic:

forum