
Acting
Spencer Williams
Born — Died
1893-07-14 — 1969-12-13
Place of birth
Vidalia, Louisiana, USA
Known for
Acting
Credits
49 titles
Spencer Williams was an African American actor and filmmaker. He was best known for playing Andy in the Amos 'n Andy television show and for directing the 1941 race film The Blood of Jesus. Williams was a pioneer African-American film producer and director.
Known for
6.0"Bourbon Street Beat" is a private detective series produced by Warner Brothers Television which aired on the ABC network from October 5, 1959, to July 4, 1960. It featured Richard Long as Rex Randolph, Andrew Duggan as Cal Calhoun, Van Williams as Kenny Madison, and Arlene Howell as Melody Lee Mercer, the secretary at the New Orleans detective agency in which they worked. The show is set in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA and revolves around the lives of Rex Randolph (Long) and Cal Calhoun (Duggan), who run a detective agency called Randolph and Calhoun — Special Services. The agency is based in the Absinthe House, a French Quarter nightclub on Bourbon Street.
Bourbon Street Beat
1959
7.6A pair of friends in Harlem find themselves caught up in a series of misadventures, business schemes, and everyday problems, often relying on their neighbors and community to help them out of trouble.
Amos 'n' Andy
1951
6.0A nightclub owner's wife, jealous of his attentions to his star singer, schemes to get her fired.
Melancholy Mama
1929
6.5A plotless revue in a theatrical setting, offering 19 musical and dance numbers. Dizzy Gillespie and his band perform eight songs, including "Salt Peanuts", "One Bass Hit", "Oop Bop Sh'Bam" and "He Beeped When He Should Have Bopped". The band plays off-camera while dancers perform during the remaining songs, which include "Shaw 'Nuff", "A Night in Tunisia", "Grosvenor Square" and "Ornithology".
Jivin' in Be-Bop
1946
7.0An exploration of The Amos 'n' Andy Show (1951), the first all-Black series on American television. It only lasted a few years before CBS succumbed to pressure from civil-rights groups, which claimed that it portrayed the Black community in a negative light. Clips–and one entire episode–are shown, as are interviews with several members of the original cast and prominent modern-day Black actors and comedians.
Amos 'n' Andy: Anatomy of a Controversy
1983
4.8Wrongfully accused of murder, a cowboy winds up in Harlem, where he assumes the identity of a preacher-turned-gangster who looks like him. He infiltrates the gang to catch the men who framed him.
Two-Gun Man from Harlem
1938
Film credits
1940s · 11 titles
4.8A seductive Harlem nightclub dancer arrives in the Caribbeans to perform. After two American military officers are enticed by her, a series of men soon find themselves attracted to her too.
Dirty Gertie from Harlem U.S.A.
1947
5.0Housewife Martha dies after her husband Razz's shotgun inadvertently discharges. The congregation gathers at her bedside to pray for her recovery, and during this period, an angel arrives to take Martha's spirit from her body, but she is tempted by the slick Judas Green, an agent for Satan.
The Blood of Jesus
1941
6.5Hitchhiking conmen Bad News Johnson and July Jones arrive in Texas. A group of talented hopefuls vie for a coveted crown in a jitterbug contest.
Juke Joint
1947
7.0Aspiring small town singer Daisy Mae Walker travels to a big city in pursuit of showbusiness. A kindly cab driver and a troupe of down-and-out musicians at her hotel provide advice and support; but she falls prey to a sleazy nightclub owner who promises her stardom and makes her his 'kept woman'.
Girl in Room 20
1946
Film by Spencer Williams.
Rhapsody of Negro Life
1949
4.2After inheriting a manor from a reclusive wealthy doctor, a newlywed couple is surprised to discover a tempestuous ape-man lurking in the cellar.
Son of Ingagi
1940
5.5After losing their parents in a flood at a young age, two brothers grow up to become a police officer and a lawyer, working alongside a local newspaper owner to help rid the city of bootlegging gangsters.
Of One Blood
1944
3.1The owner of a juke joint arranges to frame an innocent preacher with a scandalous photograph, but his scheme backfires when his own adoptive mother interferes.
Go Down, Death!
1944
9.0An uncle discusses the life of Martin de Porres with his niece. de Porres was a late sixteenth-century Peruvian who was elevated to sainthood in 1962 by Pope John XXIII.
Brother Martin: Servant of Jesus
1942
7.0US Navy produced short stars Joel Fluellen as a draftee from his civilian job at a black newspaper through boot camp and an assignment in the Pacific. Completed after the surrender of Japan, the film celebrates the teamwork, diversity, and the actions of several distinguished African American sailors.
The Negro Sailor
1945
9.0A Memphis street sweeper comes upon a large parcel of money, which he uses to embark on a spending spree in hopes of getting back at an old girlfriend who dumped him for another. However, complications arise when it's discovered the money is counterfeit.
Beale Street Mama
1946
1930s · 7 titles
4.8Wrongfully accused of murder, a cowboy winds up in Harlem, where he assumes the identity of a preacher-turned-gangster who looks like him. He infiltrates the gang to catch the men who framed him.
Two-Gun Man from Harlem
1938
4.2Johnny Fraser leaves his mother in their small hometown and sets out for the big city, where he obtains a job with a large firm of architects. Colleague Steve Carson is constantly flaunting his racetrack winnings. Johnny also bets the races, but loses heavily and takes some of the firm's money to cover his losses.
Bad Boy
1939
5.0A one-reel comedy short in which a rivalry between two men is played out in a high-stakes game of mini golf.
Hot Biskits
1931
7.0Musical film with an all-black cast.
Georgia Rose
1930
3.9Cowboys Bob Blake and his sidekick Dusty ride across the countryside in search of adventure. They come across a ranch where it appears a murder has taken place but they find the victim still alive.
Harlem Rides the Range
1939
7.5A wandering cowboy helps the daughter of a former outlaw find the gold her father stole twenty years earlier and return it to its owners.
Harlem on the Prairie
1937
5.0Bob Blake and his sidekick and four singing cowboys arrive at the Jackson ranch where Bob learns from Betty Jackson that her brother, Joe, is missing. Bob investigates and learns that there is gold on the Jackson ranch, and the neighboring rancher has kidnapped Joe in order to get his land.
The Bronze Buckaroo
1939
1920s · 5 titles
6.0A nightclub owner's wife, jealous of his attentions to his star singer, schemes to get her fired.
Melancholy Mama
1929
7.0Privacy Robson is a downtrodden husband who takes advice from his friend Florian Slappey. He eventually gets the upper hand after starting divorce proceedings, pretending to have a new girlfriend and refusing to eat anything she cooks him.
The Framing of the Shrew
1929
Spencer Williams' comedy feature.
The Widow's Bite
1929
A musical short starring Sam McDaniel and Spencer Williams.
Brown Gravy
1929
"Willie Dime," a big, bad taxi driver, is very jealous of "Miss Eva" and it burns him up to see any fool Jelly-bean "carrying on flirtatious flirtations with her." He gets madder and "badder" as the story gets "hummier" and funnier, while smooth, suave Florian Slappey gets mixed up in all kinds of complications.
The Lady Fare
1929
Series credits
6.0"Bourbon Street Beat" is a private detective series produced by Warner Brothers Television which aired on the ABC network from October 5, 1959, to July 4, 1960. It featured Richard Long as Rex Randolph, Andrew Duggan as Cal Calhoun, Van Williams as Kenny Madison, and Arlene Howell as Melody Lee Mercer, the secretary at the New Orleans detective agency in which they worked. The show is set in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA and revolves around the lives of Rex Randolph (Long) and Cal Calhoun (Duggan), who run a detective agency called Randolph and Calhoun — Special Services. The agency is based in the Absinthe House, a French Quarter nightclub on Bourbon Street.
Bourbon Street Beat
1959
7.6A pair of friends in Harlem find themselves caught up in a series of misadventures, business schemes, and everyday problems, often relying on their neighbors and community to help them out of trouble.
Amos 'n' Andy
1951
Behind the camera
6.5A plotless revue in a theatrical setting, offering 19 musical and dance numbers. Dizzy Gillespie and his band perform eight songs, including "Salt Peanuts", "One Bass Hit", "Oop Bop Sh'Bam" and "He Beeped When He Should Have Bopped". The band plays off-camera while dancers perform during the remaining songs, which include "Shaw 'Nuff", "A Night in Tunisia", "Grosvenor Square" and "Ornithology".
Jivin' in Be-Bop
1946
4.8A seductive Harlem nightclub dancer arrives in the Caribbeans to perform. After two American military officers are enticed by her, a series of men soon find themselves attracted to her too.
Dirty Gertie from Harlem U.S.A.
1947
5.0A one-reel comedy short in which a rivalry between two men is played out in a high-stakes game of mini golf.
Hot Biskits
1931
5.0A one-reel comedy short in which a rivalry between two men is played out in a high-stakes game of mini golf.
Hot Biskits
1931
5.0Housewife Martha dies after her husband Razz's shotgun inadvertently discharges. The congregation gathers at her bedside to pray for her recovery, and during this period, an angel arrives to take Martha's spirit from her body, but she is tempted by the slick Judas Green, an agent for Satan.
The Blood of Jesus
1941
5.0Housewife Martha dies after her husband Razz's shotgun inadvertently discharges. The congregation gathers at her bedside to pray for her recovery, and during this period, an angel arrives to take Martha's spirit from her body, but she is tempted by the slick Judas Green, an agent for Satan.
The Blood of Jesus
1941
5.0Housewife Martha dies after her husband Razz's shotgun inadvertently discharges. The congregation gathers at her bedside to pray for her recovery, and during this period, an angel arrives to take Martha's spirit from her body, but she is tempted by the slick Judas Green, an agent for Satan.
The Blood of Jesus
1941
6.5During World War II, a young African American is forced to continue his family’s tradition of military service when he's drafted into the Army. Despite complications that arise during basic training, including his jealousy following his girlfriend's flirtatious attention to his sergeant, the young soldier becomes a hero when he locates Japanese saboteurs operating a radio station outside of his military base.
Marching On!
1943
6.5During World War II, a young African American is forced to continue his family’s tradition of military service when he's drafted into the Army. Despite complications that arise during basic training, including his jealousy following his girlfriend's flirtatious attention to his sergeant, the young soldier becomes a hero when he locates Japanese saboteurs operating a radio station outside of his military base.
Marching On!
1943
6.5Hitchhiking conmen Bad News Johnson and July Jones arrive in Texas. A group of talented hopefuls vie for a coveted crown in a jitterbug contest.
Juke Joint
1947
3.9Cowboys Bob Blake and his sidekick Dusty ride across the countryside in search of adventure. They come across a ranch where it appears a murder has taken place but they find the victim still alive.
Harlem Rides the Range
1939
7.0Aspiring small town singer Daisy Mae Walker travels to a big city in pursuit of showbusiness. A kindly cab driver and a troupe of down-and-out musicians at her hotel provide advice and support; but she falls prey to a sleazy nightclub owner who promises her stardom and makes her his 'kept woman'.
Girl in Room 20
1946
Film by Spencer Williams.
Rhapsody of Negro Life
1949
4.2After inheriting a manor from a reclusive wealthy doctor, a newlywed couple is surprised to discover a tempestuous ape-man lurking in the cellar.
Son of Ingagi
1940
5.5After losing their parents in a flood at a young age, two brothers grow up to become a police officer and a lawyer, working alongside a local newspaper owner to help rid the city of bootlegging gangsters.
Of One Blood
1944
5.5After losing their parents in a flood at a young age, two brothers grow up to become a police officer and a lawyer, working alongside a local newspaper owner to help rid the city of bootlegging gangsters.
Of One Blood
1944
3.1The owner of a juke joint arranges to frame an innocent preacher with a scandalous photograph, but his scheme backfires when his own adoptive mother interferes.
Go Down, Death!
1944
9.0An uncle discusses the life of Martin de Porres with his niece. de Porres was a late sixteenth-century Peruvian who was elevated to sainthood in 1962 by Pope John XXIII.
Brother Martin: Servant of Jesus
1942
9.0An uncle discusses the life of Martin de Porres with his niece. de Porres was a late sixteenth-century Peruvian who was elevated to sainthood in 1962 by Pope John XXIII.
Brother Martin: Servant of Jesus
1942
9.0A Memphis street sweeper comes upon a large parcel of money, which he uses to embark on a spending spree in hopes of getting back at an old girlfriend who dumped him for another. However, complications arise when it's discovered the money is counterfeit.
Beale Street Mama
1946
A musical short.
Harlem Hotshots
1945
"Willie Dime," a big, bad taxi driver, is very jealous of "Miss Eva" and it burns him up to see any fool Jelly-bean "carrying on flirtatious flirtations with her." He gets madder and "badder" as the story gets "hummier" and funnier, while smooth, suave Florian Slappey gets mixed up in all kinds of complications.
The Lady Fare
1929

