Melvin Van Peebles | |
|---|---|
 Van Peebles in 2015 | |
| Born | Melvin Peebles (1932-08-21)August 21, 1932 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | September 21, 2021(2021-09-21) (aged 89) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Other names | Brer Soul, Block |
| Alma mater | Ohio Wesleyan University (BA) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1955–2021 |
| Spouse | Maria Marx |
| Children | 3, includingMario Van Peebles |
Melvin Van Peebles (bornMelvin Peebles; August 21, 1932 – September 21, 2021) was an American actor, filmmaker, writer, and composer. His feature film debut,The Story of a Three-Day Pass (1967), was based on his own French-language novelLa Permission and was shot in France, as it was difficult for a black American director to get work at the time. The film won an award at theSan Francisco International Film Festival which gained him the interest of Hollywood studios, leading to his American feature debutWatermelon Man, in 1970. Eschewing further overtures from Hollywood, he used the successes he had so far to bankroll his work as anindependent filmmaker.
In 1971, he released his best-known work, creating and starring in the filmSweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, which led to the creation of theblaxploitation genre,[1] although criticRoger Ebert did not consider this example of Van Peebles' work to be anexploitation film.[2] He followed this up with the musical,Don't Play Us Cheap, basedon his own stage play, and continued to make films, write novels and stage plays in English and in French through the next several decades; his final films include the French-language filmLe Conte du ventre plein (2000) and the absurdist filmConfessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha (2008). His son, filmmaker and actorMario Van Peebles, appeared in several of his works and portrayed him in the 2003 biographical filmBaadasssss!.
Born Melvin Peebles[3] inChicago, Illinois, he was the son of Edwin Griffin and Marion Peebles.[4] In 1953 Peebles graduated with a B.A. in literature fromOhio Wesleyan University and, 13 days later, joined theAir Force, serving for three and a half years.[5] He added "Van" to his name when he lived in theNetherlands in his late 20s.[6]
He worked as acable cargripman in San Francisco, California.[5] Later, he wrote about these experiences. His first book,The Big Heart, credited to Melvin Van, evolved from a small article and a series of photographs taken byRuth Bernhard.[5]
According to Van Peebles, a passenger suggested that he should become a filmmaker. Van Peebles shot his first short film,Pickup Men for Herrick in 1957 and made two more short films during the same period. About these films, Van Peebles said: "I thought they were features. Each one turned out to be eleven minutes long. I was trying to do features. I knew nothing." As he learned more about the filmmaking process, he found out that "I could make a feature for five hundred dollars. That was the cost of 90 minutes of film. I didn't know a thing about shooting a film sixteen to one or ten to one or none of that shit. Then I forgot you had to develop film. And I didn't know you needed a work print. All I can say is that after I did one thing he would say, 'Well, aren't you gonna put sound on it?' and I would go, 'Oh shit!' That's all I could say."[5]
After Van Peebles completed his first short films, he took them with him toHollywood to try to find work, but was unable to find anyone who wanted to hire him as a director. Van Peebles decided to move his family to the Netherlands where he planned to study astronomy. On the way to Europe, inNew York City, he metAmos Vogel, founder of the avant-gardeCinema 16 who agreed to place two of Van Peebles's shorts in his rental catalog.[7] Vogel screened Van Peebles'sThree Pickup Menfor Herrick at Cinema 16 on a program withCity of Jazz in the spring of 1960 withRalph Ellison leading a post-film discussion.[8]
When Vogel went to Paris shortly after, he brought Van Peebles's films to showHenri Langlois andMary Meerson at theCinémathèque Française. Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, Van Peebles's marriage dissolved and his wife and children went back to the United States. Shortly thereafter, Van Peebles was invited toParis probably byMary Meerson and/orLotte Eisner, founders of theCinémathèque Française, on the strength of his short films.[9] In France, Van Peebles created the short filmLes Cinq Cent Balles (500 Francs) (1961) and then established himself as a writer. He did investigative reporting forFrance Observateur during 1963–64, during which he profiled, and later became friends with,Chester Himes. Himes got him a job at the anti-authoritarian humor magazineHara-kiri, where Van Peebles wrote a monthly column and eventually joined the editorial board.[10]
During 1965–66,Mad magazine attempted a French edition and hired Van Peebles as editor-in-chief during its run of only five issues. He began to write plays in French, utilizing thesprechgesang form of songwriting, where the lyrics were spoken over the music. This style carried over to Van Peebles' debut album,Brer Soul.[5]
Van Peebles was a prolific writer in France. He published four novels and a collection of short stories. He completed at least one play,La Fête à Harlem which was also released as a novel, and which he would later make into the musicalDon't Play Us Cheap (1970).[11] Roger Blin directedLa Fête à Harlem with theLes Griots theatrical troupe for theFestival du jeune théâtre inLiège, Belgium in September 1964.[12] Van Peebles made his first feature-length film,The Story of a Three-Day Pass (La Permission) (1968) based on a novel by the same title. The film caught the attention of Hollywood producers who mistook him for a Frenchauteur after it won an award at theSan Francisco International Film Festival as the French entry.[13] Van Peebles's first[citation needed] Hollywood film was the 1970Columbia Pictures comedyWatermelon Man, written byHerman Raucher. StarringGodfrey Cambridge, the movie tells the story of a casually racist white man who suddenly wakes up black and finds himself alienated from his friends, family, and job.
In 1970, Van Peebles directed filming of thePowder Ridge Rock Festival, which was banned by court injunction.[citation needed] AfterWatermelon Man, Van Peebles became determined to have complete control over his next production, which became the groundbreakingSweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971), privately funded with his own money, and in part by a $50,000 loan fromBill Cosby.[14] Van Peebles not only directed, scripted, and edited the film, but wrote the score and directed the marketing campaign. The film, which in the end grossed $15 million,[15] was, among many others, acclaimed by theBlack Panthers for its political resonance with the black struggle. His son Mario's 2003 filmBAADASSSSS! tells the story behind the making ofSweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song; father and son presented the film together as the Closing Night selection forMaryland Film Festival 2004.[citation needed]
Van Peebles wrote the book, music, and lyrics for the stage musicalAin't Supposed to Die a Natural Death, which openedoff-Broadway and then moved toBroadway, running for 325 performances in 1971–72.[16] The show was nominated for sevenTony Awards, includingBest Musical,Best Book of a Musical, andBest Original Score.[17]
As his intended follow-up toSweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, Van Peebles made the musical filmDon't Play Us Cheap.[18] The film was an adaptation of anearlier stage musical of the same name which Van Peebles had created for performances atSan Francisco State College in November 1970.[11] At the time of the film's creation in 1971, a Broadway production of the stage musical was not planned, but the failure to find a distributor for the completed film led to Van Peebles' decision to bring the musical to Broadway in 1972 for a production of the play at theEthel Barrymore Theatre.[18][11] Van Peebles performed the same duties as his previous stage musical, as well as producing and directing. The show ran for 164 performances in 1972, earning Van Peebles another Tony nomination for Best Book of a Musical.[19] The previously shot film version was later released on January 1, 1973.[20]
In 1977, Van Peebles was one of four credited screenwriters on the filmGreased Lightning, about the life of pioneering BlackNASCAR driverWendell Scott. He was originally the director of the film as well, but was replaced byMichael Schultz.[21]
Van Peebles was involved with two more Broadway musicals in the 1980s. He was a co-writer on the book forReggae, which closed after 21 performances in 1980.[22] ForWaltz of the Stork, he wrote book, music, and lyrics, as well as producing the show and playing the lead role. It ran for 160 performances in 1982.[23]
In the 1980s, Van Peebles became anoptions trader on theAmerican Stock Exchange while continuing to work in theater and film.[24][25]
In 1995, he co-starred in the American live-action version ofJapanesemangaFist of the North Star, alongsideGary Daniels,Costas Mandylor,Chris Penn,Isako Washio,Malcolm McDowell,Downtown Julie Brown,Dante Basco,Tracey Walter,Clint Howard,Tony Halme, andBig Van Vader.[26]
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In 2005, Van Peebles was the subject of a documentary entitledHow to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It). Also in 2005, Van Peebles was the subject of the documentaryUnstoppable: Conversation with Melvin Van Peebles, Gordon Parks, and Ossie Davis, which also featuredOssie Davis andGordon Parks in the same room. It was moderated byWarrington Hudlin.[27]
In 2005, it was announced that Van Peebles would collaborate withMadlib for a proposeddouble album titledBrer Soul Meets Quasimoto. However, nothing further was issued about this project from the time that it was first announced.[28]
In 2008, Van Peebles completed the filmConfessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha, which was the Closing Night selection forMaryland Film Festival 2008, and appeared onAll My Children as Melvin Woods, the father of Samuel Woods, a character portrayed by his son, Mario.[29][30]
In an interview, Van Peebles said :
I make movies, I do music and everything else like I cook. I put in what I like, in case nobody else wants to eat it and I have to eat it for the rest of the week. I write a play or something and I hope people are going to like it, but if they don’t, I do. I can sit there and watch Sweetback or Don’t Play Us Cheap and have a good old time. The worst thing you can ever have is do something for others and they don’t like it anyway, then you’re really f---ed [laughter].[31]
In 2009, Van Peebles became involved with a project to adaptSweet Sweetback into a musical.[32] A preliminary version of this was staged at theApollo Theater on April 25–26, 2009. As well, he wrote and performed in a stage musical,Unmitigated Truth: Life, a Lavatory, Loves, and Ladies, which featured some of his previous songs as well as some new material.[33]
In 2011, Van Peebles started doing shows in NYC with members ofBurnt Sugar, under the nameMelvin Van Peebles wid Laxative.[34] Van Peebles said that the band is called Laxative because they "make shit happen".[35] In November 2011, Melvin Van Peebles wid Laxative performed his song "Love, That's America" atZebulon Cafe Concert, two weeks after the venue showed the original video for this song involvingOccupy Wall Street footage,[36] which was uploaded toYouTube in October 2011.[37][unreliable source?]
On August 21, 2012, he distributed a new album, on vinyl only, calledNahh... Nahh Mofo.[38][39][40][41] This album was distributed at his birthday celebration atFilm Forum.[42] On November 10, 2012, he released a video for the song "Lilly Done the Zampoughi Every Time I Pulled Her Coattail" to go with the album,[43][44] which was announced on his Facebook page.[45][unreliable source?]
On May 5, 2013, he returned to theFilm Forum for a screening ofCharlie Chaplin'sThe Kid (1921) and was a judge at the Charlie Chaplin Dress-Alike Contest which was held after the screening. He wore abowler hat and baggy pants in honor of Chaplin.[citation needed]
In September 2013, Van Peebles made his public debut as a visual artist, as a part of a gallery featured called "eMerge 2.0: Melvin Van Peebles & Artists on the Cusp".[46] It features "Ex-Voto Monochrome (A Ghetto Mother's Prayer)", one of many pieces of art he created to be on display in his home.[46]
In 2017,Methane Momma, a short film directed by Alain Rimbert, featured Van Peebles and his narration of poetic work with accompaniment of music byThe Heliocentrics.[47][48][49]
In 2019,Burnt Sugar presented the filmSweetback in Brooklyn while playing their own interpretation of the soundtrack. Van Peebles appeared at the presentation.[50]
Melvin Van Peebles married Maria Marx, aGerman actress. They lived inMexico for a period in the late 1950s, where he painted portraits. Their son, actor and directorMario Van Peebles, was born while they resided in Mexico. The family subsequently returned to the United States.[51]
Van Peebles died on September 21, 2021, at his home inManhattan, New York, at the age of 89.[52][53]
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| Year | Film | Credited as | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Producer | Writer | Composer | |||
| 1957 | Three Pickup Men for Herrick | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Short |
| 1957 | Sunlight | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Short |
| 1961 | Les cinq cent balles (500 Francs) | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Short; included in a 2023 Icarus Films collection, Early Short Films of the French New Wave[72] |
| 1967 | The Story of a Three-Day Pass (also known asLa Permission) | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | from his novelLa Permission |
| 1969 | Slogan | No | No | Yes | No | Screenwriter, Directed by Pierre Grimblat. |
| 1970 | Watermelon Man | Yes | No | No | Yes | |
| 1971 | Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | also actor and editor |
| 1973 | Don't Play Us Cheap | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | also editor |
| 1976 | Just an Old Sweet Song (also known as Down Home) | No | No | Yes | Yes | made for television; screenwriter and theme song |
| 1977 | Greased Lightning | No | No | Yes | No | screenwriter |
| 1981 | The Sophisticated Gents | No | Yes | Yes | No | made for television; actor, screenwriter, song "Greased Lightning" and associate producer |
| 1987 | The Day They Came to Arrest the Book | No | No | Yes | No | made for television; screenwriter; based on 1982 novel byNat Hentoff[57] |
| 1989 | Identity Crisis | Yes | Yes | No | No | Also actor and co-editor |
| 1995 | Panther | No | Yes | Yes | No | based on his novelPanther, also actor |
| 1996 | Vrooom Vroom Vroooom | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | later included inTales of Erotica, also known asErotic Tales. Also editor |
| 1996 | Gang in Blue | Yes | Yes | No | No | Co-director and also actor |
| 1998 | Melvin Van Peebles' Classified X | No | No | Yes | No | Documentary; screenwriter, actor and executive producer |
| 2000 | Le Conte du ventre plein (also known asBellyful) | Yes | Yes* | Yes | Yes | *Delegate Producer; based on a short story from 1966 bookLe Chinois du XIVe[73] |
| 2008 | Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | based on his own graphic novel |
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