Madame Sul-Te-Wan
Acting
Born March 7, 1873 · Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Died February 1, 1959
Also known as Nellie Wan · Nellie Crawford · Madame Sultewan
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.
Awards & recognition
- Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame · 1986
Filmography26 titles
King Kong
Sullivan's Travels
Intolerance
Imitation of Life
Uncle Tom's Cabin
In Old Chicago
College
San Francisco
The Buccaneer
Queen Kelly
Mighty Joe Young
Band of Angels
Carmen Jones
Thank Your Lucky Stars
Kentucky
Ladies They Talk About
The Story of Seabiscuit
The Birth of a Nation
Thunderbolt
Why Change Your Wife?
Hoodoo Ann
Something of Value
Revenge of the Zombies
Tarzan of the Apes
King of the Zombies
Tarzan and the Trappers