Madame Sul-Te-Wan
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
- Acting
- Born
- 1873-03-07 · Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Died
- 1959-02-01
Known for
- King Kong (1933) — Native Handmaiden (uncredited)
- The Birth of a Nation (1915) — Black Woman (uncredited)
- Sullivan's Travels (1941) — Church Harmonium Player (Uncredited)
- Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages (1916) — Girl at the Marriage Market (uncredited)
- College (1927) — Cook (uncredited)
- Mighty Joe Young (1949) — Young Family Servant (Uncredited)
- Carmen Jones (1954) — Hagar – Carmen's Grandmother (Uncredited)
- San Francisco (1936) — Earthquake Survivor (Uncredited)
- Imitation of Life (1934) — Cook (uncredited)
- King of the Zombies (1941) — Tahama
- In Old Chicago (1938) — Hattie
- The Buccaneer (1958) — Good Luck Charm Vendor
- Queen Kelly (1929) — Kali Sana - Aunt's Cook (uncredited)
- Band of Angels (1957) — Flower Vendor (Uncredited)
- Ladies They Talk About (1933) — Mustard (uncredited)
- Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943) — Bit in "Ice Cold Katie" Number (uncredited)