Madame Sul-Te-Wan

Acting

March 7, 1873 – February 1, 1959 (died at 85)

Louisville, Kentucky, USA

Female

58 Movies

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.

Carmen Jones

1954 6.2

as Hagar – Carmen's Grandmother (Uncredited)

Age 81 (now 85)

King of the Zombies

1941 5.2

as Tahama

Age 68 (now 85)

Black Moon

1934 5.5

as Ruva

Age 61 (now 85)

Revenge of the Zombies

1943 5.4

as Beulah

Age 70 (now 85)

Queen Kelly

1929 6.5

as Kali Sana - Aunt's Cook (uncredited)

Age 56 (now 85)

The Birth of a Nation

1915 6.0

as Black Woman (uncredited)

Age 41 (now 85)

Sullivan's Travels

1941 7.4

as Church Harmonium Player (Uncredited)

Age 68 (now 85)

King Kong

1933 7.6

as Native Handmaiden (uncredited)

Age 60 (now 85)

College

1927 6.7

as Cook (uncredited)

Age 54 (now 85)

In Old Chicago

1938 6.7

as Hattie

Age 65 (now 85)

Why Change Your Wife?

1920 5.6

as Sally's Maid (Uncredited)

Age 47 (now 85)

Thunderbolt

1929 5.7

as Bit Role

Age 56 (now 85)

Band of Angels

1957 6.3

as Flower Vendor (Uncredited)

Age 84 (now 85)

Sarah and Son

1930 5.5

as Belloc's Maid (Uncredited)

Age 57 (now 85)

Tarzan and the Trappers

1958 4.2

as Witch Woman

Age 84 (now 85)

Tarzan of the Apes

1918 5.3

as Esmeralda - Jane's Maid (uncredited)

Age 44 (now 85)

The Buccaneer

1958 6.5

as Good Luck Charm Vendor

Age 85

Tarzan and the Trappers

1958 4.2

as Witch Woman

Age 84 (now 85)

Band of Angels

1957 6.3

as Flower Vendor (Uncredited)

Age 84 (now 85)

Something of Value

1957 5.5

as Midwife (Uncredited)

Age 84 (now 85)

Carmen Jones

1954 6.2

as Hagar – Carmen's Grandmother (Uncredited)

Age 81 (now 85)

The Story of Seabiscuit

1949 6.0

as Libby

Age 76 (now 85)

Mighty Joe Young

1949 6.4

as Young Family Servant (Uncredited)

Age 76 (now 85)

Thank Your Lucky Stars

1943 6.2

as Bit in "Ice Cold Katie" Number (uncredited)

Age 70 (now 85)

Revenge of the Zombies

1943 5.4

as Beulah

Age 70 (now 85)

Mokey

1942 6.7

as Miss Cully (uncredited)

Age 69 (now 85)

Sullivan's Travels

1941 7.4

as Church Harmonium Player (Uncredited)

Age 68 (now 85)

King of the Zombies

1941 5.2

as Tahama

Age 68 (now 85)

Love Thy Neighbor

1940 7.3

as Lady McBeth

Age 67 (now 85)

Maryland

1940 6.5

as Naomi

Age 67 (now 85)

Safari

1940 6.5

as Native Woman

Age 67 (now 85)

Torchy Blane... Playing with Dynamite

1939 6.8

as Ruby (uncredited)

Age 66 (now 85)

Tell No Tales

1939 5.4

as Jim Alley's Mother (uncredited)

Age 66 (now 85)

Kentucky

1938 6.1

as Lily

Age 65 (now 85)

The Affairs of Annabel

1938 5.5

as Benzedrina (uncredited)

Age 65 (now 85)

The Toy Wife

1938 5.0

as Eve, a Black Servant (Uncredited)

Age 65 (now 85)

In Old Chicago

1938 6.7

as Hattie

Age 65 (now 85)

Island in the Sky

1938 7.0

as Scrubwoman (Uncredited)

Age 65 (now 85)

Maid of Salem

1937 6.2

as Tituba

Age 63 (now 85)

San Francisco

1936 6.6

as Earthquake Survivor (Uncredited)

Age 63 (now 85)

So Red the Rose

1935 7.7

as Slave (Uncredited)

Age 62 (now 85)

Imitation of Life

1934 7.0

as Cook (uncredited)

Age 61 (now 85)

Black Moon

1934 5.5

as Ruva

Age 61 (now 85)

Operator 13

1934 5.9

as Slave at Medicine Show ( Uncredited)

Age 61 (now 85)

A Modern Hero

1934 7.0

as Mme. Azais' Neighbor ( Uncredited)

Age 61 (now 85)

King Kong

1933 7.6

as Native Handmaiden (uncredited)

Age 60 (now 85)

Ladies They Talk About

1933 6.1

as Mustard (uncredited)

Age 59 (now 85)

Jungle Mystery

1932 7.0

as Native Woman in Stockade (Uncredited)

Age 59 (now 85)

Heaven on Earth

1931 5.3

as Voodoo Sue

Age 58 (now 85)

The Pagan Lady

1931 4.0

as Carla the Servant

Age 58 (now 85)

The Thoroughbred

1930 5.4

as Sacharine

Age 57 (now 85)

Sarah and Son

1930 5.5

as Belloc's Maid (Uncredited)

Age 57 (now 85)

Queen Kelly

1929 6.5

as Kali Sana - Aunt's Cook (uncredited)

Age 56 (now 85)

Thunderbolt

1929 5.7

as Bit Role

Age 56 (now 85)

The Carnation Kid

1929 10.0

as The Maid (Uncredited)

Age 55 (now 85)

Uncle Tom's Cabin

1927 6.8

as Slave at Wedding (uncredited)

Age 54 (now 85)

College

1927 6.7

as Cook (uncredited)

Age 54 (now 85)

The Golden Bed

1925 4.0

as Boarding House Maid (Uncredited)

Age 51 (now 85)

The Narrow Street

1925 8.0

as Easter

Age 51 (now 85)

The Lightning Rider

1924 9.0

as Mammy

Age 51 (now 85)

Manslaughter

1922 5.5

as Prison Inmate (uncredited)

Age 49 (now 85)

The Show

1922 7.0

as Maid (uncredited)

Age 49 (now 85)

Why Change Your Wife?

1920 5.6

as Sally's Maid (Uncredited)

Age 47 (now 85)

His Musical Sneeze

1919 6.3

as Maid (uncredited)

Age 45 (now 85)

Who's Your Father?

1918

as Black Mother (uncredited)

Age 45 (now 85)

Old Wives for New

1918 6.4

as Viola's Maid (uncredited)

Age 45 (now 85)

Tarzan of the Apes

1918 5.3

as Esmeralda - Jane's Maid (uncredited)

Age 44 (now 85)

Stage Struck

1917 9.0

as Uncredited

Age 43 (now 85)

The Children Pay

1916

as Uncredited

Age 43 (now 85)

Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages

1916 7.1

as Girl at the Marriage Market (uncredited)

Age 43 (now 85)

Hoodoo Ann

1916 5.6

as Black Cindy

Age 43 (now 85)

The Birth of a Nation

1915 6.0

as Black Woman (uncredited)

Age 41 (now 85)

The Cause of It All

1915

as Mary - The Hotel Cook

Age 41 (now 85)

Squirrel Food

as Flirt