Acting

Monte Hawley

Born 1901-10-25

Acting credits

Reform School poster
8.0

A female warden takes over at a state reform school and attempts to bring about needed changes. Restored in 2020 by the Academy Film Archive with additional funding from the National Endowment for the Arts from a 16mm print donated by Giancarlo Esposito and Laurence Fishburne.

Reform School

1939

Gang War poster
6.3

Two mobs fight for control of the jukebox racket.

Gang War

1940

Tall, Tan and Terrific poster
7.0

Professional gambler The Duke (Dots Johnson) attempts to cheat Handsome Harry Hansom (Monte Hawley), who owns a successful Harlem nightclub, out of his club and his contract with his lead singer and girlfriend Tall, Tan, and Terrific (Francine Everett). This leads to a murder that is solved by club comic Mantan Moreland and club photographer Butterbeans (Barbara Bradford). But the plot takes little screen time, most of which is devoted to stage acts at the nightclub.

Tall, Tan and Terrific

1946

Am I Guilty? poster
9.0

A young black doctor sets out to establish a free clinic in Harlem.

Am I Guilty?

1940

Four Shall Die poster
8.0

Helen Fielding, heir to the fortunes of the late millionaire Roger Fielding, Sr., has broken off her relationship with the unscrupulous Lew Covey to pursue a romance with reporter Bill Summers. Covey, determined to get at Helen's inheritance, vows to win her back.

Four Shall Die

1940

Miracle in Harlem poster
7.5

A crooked real estate tycoon tricks a trusting young woman out of her small candy store. When he is found dead, the girl is suspected of the crime.

Miracle in Harlem

1948

Mr. Washington Goes to Town poster
5.5

While serving time in county prison, Wallingford sees a story in the newspaper that his cellmate, Schenectady, has inherited a mansionfrom his recently deceased uncle. Hearing this, Schenectady dreams of luxury.

Mr. Washington Goes to Town

1942

Look-Out Sister poster
7.0

A famous bandleader, suffering from overwork and exhaustion, goes to a sanitarium for a rest. While there he dreams of being out west at a dude ranch, where he finds himself involved in the beautiful owner's struggle to keep her ranch from falling into the hands of the villain, who wants either her or her ranch (or, preferably, both).

Look-Out Sister

1947

Mantan Messes Up poster
8.0

Mantan takes a job as office boy at a new TV station and gets to watch several pre-recorded musical numbers.

Mantan Messes Up

1946

One Big Mistake poster
8.0

A straight man comes over to three comedians and tells them how the only way to handle a woman is to treat her rough and make her like it.

One Big Mistake

1940

Lucky Ghost poster
5.4

Two down-on-their luck friends suddenly hit the "jackpot" when they win the clothes, car and chauffeur of a rich man in a game of dice.

Lucky Ghost

1942

What a Guy poster
7.0

Mantan Moreland's comedy feature.

What a Guy

1948

Double Deal poster
6.0

Tommy McCoy and "Dude" Markey are both in love with Harlem singer/dancer Nita. Markey robs a jewelry store and turns the loot over to gang-boss Murray Howard. Later, Markey robs the safe, steals the jewelry, and, in order to get rid of his rival for Nita, frames the robbery on McCoy. The latter's big-brother thinks otherwise and, with Nita's help, sets out to prove it.

Double Deal

1939

Take My Life poster
9.0

A well-meaning doctor lends his building to a group of neighborhood kids. When the neighbors learn that the kids are members of a tough Harlem gang, they begin to suspect they're up to nefarious deeds.

Take My Life

1942

The Duke Is Tops poster
6.3

A theatrical producer puts aside his own success to boost the career of a talented singer.

The Duke Is Tops

1938

Mr. Smith Goes Ghost poster
7.0

Mr. Smith Goes Ghost

Mr. Smith Goes Ghost

1940

A Son of Satan poster
7.0

A Son of Satan is a 1924 silent race film directed, written, produced and distributed by Oscar Micheaux. The film follows the misadventures of a man who accepted a bet to spend a night in a haunted house. Micheaux shot the film in The Bronx, New York, and Roanoke, Virginia. A Son of Satan ran into distribution problems when state censorship boards rejected the film based on its contents. New York censors objected to the film’s depiction of violence, particularly against women and animals (a cat is killed onscreen in one scene, a Ku Klux Klan leader is slain and a man chokes his wife to death), while Virginia censors complained the film’s references to miscegenation would "prove offensive to Southern ladies". In at least one state the film was banned for its title alone No print of the film is known to exist and it is presumed to be a lost film.

A Son of Satan

1924

Life Goes On poster
8.0

The husband of Sally Weston dies, and she decides to move to New York City where she feels her two young sons, Bob and Henry, can get a better education. Bob grows up to be a brilliant lawyer, while Henry decides that a life of crime is the best path to easy riches. Gangster "Bull" Connors frames Henry, now known as Monte, on a murder charge, and it is up to Bob to clear his brother.

Life Goes On

1938

No artwork available
9.0

An undercover police woman poses as a nighclub entertainer to catch the main man behind the racketeers going on around Harlem. Meanwhile two men are falling for her.

Gang Smashers

1938

Mystery in Swing poster
7.0

In and around some great blues, swing and jazz music, a very unpopular band-leader. Prince Ellis, is killed in a Harlem nightclub, and, in and around some more great music, a detective finds the lists of suspects is very long, as Prince Ellis was indeed very unpopular with many citizens.

Mystery in Swing

1940

While Thousands Cheer poster
7.0

Kenny Harrington, the star football player of Gilmore College, leads his team to many victories, raising hopes that Gilmore will play in the "Peach Bowl," the championship playoffs of the Western conference. Unknown to Kenny, Downey, the head of a gambling syndicate, has placed a $100,000 bet against the Gilmore team.

While Thousands Cheer

1940

Pigmeat's Laugh Hepcats poster
NR

Pigmeat's Laugh Hepcats

Pigmeat's Laugh Hepcats

1947