(born August 21 , 1932 in Chicago, Illinois ) is an American actor, director, screenwriter and composer, and the father of actor and director Mario Van Peebles .
Van Peebles also sacrificed his own job so other people of color could keep theirs, helping break some of the color barriers in the film trade unions.
Prior to entering Hollywood , Van Peebles directed the French film '' Story Of A Three Day Pass '' (''La Permission''). His first Hollywood film was the 1970 comedy '' Watermelon Man ,'' with writer Herman Raucher . The movie told the story of a casually Racist but well meaning white man who wakes up black and finds himself alienated from his friends, family, and job.
Van Peebles followed this by writing and directing the independent feature '' Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song '' which is credited with starting the Blaxploitation genre. His son Mario's 2004 film '' BAADASSSSS! '' tells the story behind his father's film. Since the success of ''Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song,'' he has directed only a small number of other films.
Melvin Van Peebles speaks English , French and Dutch . He was educated at Ohio Wesleyan University .
Van Peebles was recently the subject of a documentary entitled '' How To Eat Your Watermelon In White Company (and Enjoy It) '' ( 2005 ).
- '' 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 Pass '' (also known as '' La Permission '', 1967) also writer, from his novel La Permission, and composer
- '' Watermelon Man '' (1970) also composer
- '' Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song '' (1971) also actor, writer, composer, co-producer and editor
- '' Don't Play Us Cheap '' (1973) also writer, from his book '' Harlem Party '' and stage musical ''Don't Play Us Cheap'', and composer
- '' Identity Crisis '' (1989) also actor, producer and editor
- '' Vroom Vroom Vroooom '' (segment from '' Tales Of Erotica '', also known as ''Erotic Tales'', 1996) also writer, composer, producer and editor
- '' Gang In Blue '' (1996) co-director, actor and producer
- '' Le Conte Du Ventre Plein '' (also known as ''Bellyful'', 2000) also writer, composer and delegate producer
- '' Just An Old Sweet Song '' (also known as ''Down Home'', Robert Ellis Miller, 1976) made for television; screenwriter and theme song
- '' Greased Lightning '' (Michael Schultz, 1977) screenwriter
- '' The Sophisticated Gents '' (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
- '' O.C. And Stiggs '' (Robert Altman, 1987) actor
- '''' (Joseph Sargent, 1987) actor
- '' Sonny Spoon '' (1988) television series; actor
- '' Posse '' (Mario Van Peebles, 1993) actor
- '' Panther '' (Mario Van Peebles, 1995) based on his novel ''Panther'', screenwriter, actor and producer
- '' The Shining '' (Mick Garris, 1997) television movie; actor
- '' Melvin Van Peebles' Classified X '' (Mark Daniels, 1998) documentary; screenwriter, actor and executive producer)
- '' The Hebrew Hammer '' (Jonathan Kesselman, 2003) actor
- ''Watermelon Man OST'' (year unknown)
- ''Brer Soul'' (1969)
- ''Ain't Supposed To Die A Natural Death'' (1970)
- ''Sweet Sweetback's Baadassssss Song OST'' (1971)
- ''Ain't Supposed To Die A Natural Death Broadway Cast'' (1972)
- ''Don't Play Us Cheap OST'' (1973)
- ''As Serious As A Heart-Attack'' (1974)
- ''What the…You Mean I Can't Sing?'' (1974)
- ''X-Rated by an All-White Jury'' (year unknown)
- ''Ghetto Gothic'' (1995)
List Of Songs With Particularly Long Titles
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