---
name: "Willie Best"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/willie-best"
fi1m_id: "willie-best"
imdb_id: "nm0079008"
tmdb_id: 34185
wikidata_id: "Q3569064"
roles: []
born: "27 May 1913"
died: "27 November 1962"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-25T03:08:06.043561+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Willie Best

## Identity

Willie Best

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/willie-best
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** willie-best
- **IMDb ID:** nm0079008
- **TMDB ID:** 34185
- **Wikidata ID:** Q3569064
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Best, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3569064, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0079008/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/34185

Actor. Born 27 May 1913 in Sunflower, Mississippi, USA. Died 27 November 1962.

## Details

- **Born:** 27 May 1913, Sunflower, Mississippi, USA
- **Died:** 27 November 1962
- **Also known as:** Sleep 'n' Eat, Sleep 'n Eat, Sleep n' Eat
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Best, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3569064, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0079008/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/34185

## Biography

Willie Best was an American film and television actor, sometimes credited as Sleep 'n' Eat. He appeared in more than one hundred films of the 1930s and 1940s and received screen credit in at least 77 of them. His credits include Algernon in *High Sierra* (1941), Alex in *The Ghost Breakers* (1940), a porter in *Vivacious Lady* (1938) and George in *Merrily We Live* (1938).

Best arrived in Hollywood as a chauffeur for a vacationing couple and began performing after being discovered in a stage show. He was billed as Sleep 'n' Eat in six early films, including *Feet First* (1930). After a period working in television, including regular roles in *My Little Margie* (1953–1955), his film career ended following a 1951 narcotics arrest.

*Sources: imdb.com, catalog.afi.com, mississippiencyclopedia.org, en.wikipedia.org.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *High Sierra* (1941), Fi1m 79, as Algernon — [page](https://film.one/film/high-sierra.md)

## Complete filmography (117)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Harold Lloyd's World of Comedy* (1962), as Charlie (archive footage)
- *Waterfront* (1954), series, as Billy Slocum
- *Meet the O'Briens* (1954), as Willie
- *My Little Margie* (1952), series, Actor
- *Ellis in Freedomland* (1952), as Male Model
- *South of Caliente* (1951), as Willie, Stable Boy
- *Racket Squad* (1951), series, Actor
- *The Stu Erwin Show* (1950), series, as Willie
- *The Shanghai Chest* (1948), as Willie Best
- *Half Past Midnight* (1948), as Andy Jones
- *The Red Stallion* (1947), as Jackson
- *Suddenly It's Spring* (1947), as Porter on Train
- *Dangerous Money* (1946), as Chattanooga Brown
- *The Bride Wore Boots* (1946), as Joe
- *The Face of Marble* (1946), as Shadrach
- *She Wouldn't Say Yes* (1945), as Porter (uncredited)
- *Hold That Blonde!* (1945), as Willie Shelley
- *The Red Dragon* (1945), as Chattanooga Brown
- *Pillow to Post* (1945), as Lucille, Colonial Auto Court Porter
- *The Monster and the Ape* (1945), as Flash
- *Music for Millions* (1944), as Red Cap (uncredited)
- *The Mark of the Whistler* (1944), as Men's Room Attendant (uncredited)
- *The Girl Who Dared* (1944), as Woodrow
- *The Adventures of Mark Twain* (1944), as Butler
- *Home in Indiana* (1944), as Mo' Rum (uncredited)
- *Thank Your Lucky Stars* (1943), as Soldier in "Ice Cold Katie" Number (uncredited)
- *The Kansan* (1943), as Bones
- *Dixie* (1943), as Steward (uncredited)
- *Cabin in the Sky* (1943), as Second Idea Man
- *Cinderella Swings It* (1943), as Hipp
- *The Powers Girl* (1943), as Men's Room Attendant (uncredited)
- *The Hidden Hand* (1942), as Eustis, the chauffeur
- *Scattergood Survives a Murder* (1942), as Hipp
- *Busses Roar* (1942), as Sunshine
- *A-Haunting We Will Go* (1942), as Waiter
- *Maisie Gets Her Man* (1942), as Sam (Uncredited)
- *Juke Girl* (1942), as Jo-Mo
- *Whispering Ghosts* (1942), as Euclid White Brown
- *The Body Disappears* (1941), as Willie
- *Nothing but the Truth* (1941), as Samuel
- *The Smiling Ghost* (1941), as Clarence
- *Minstrel Days* (1941), as Singer
- *Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company "B"* (1941), as Hot-Breath Harry (voice) (uncredited)
- *Highway West* (1941), as Bub Wellington
- *Kisses for Breakfast* (1941), as Arnold
- *The Lady from Cheyenne* (1941), as George
- *Scattergood Baines* (1941), as Hipp
- *Road Show* (1941), as Willie
- *Flight from Destiny* (1941), as George
- *High Sierra* (1941), as Algernon — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/high-sierra.md)
- *Who Killed Aunt Maggie?* (1940), as Andrew
- *Money and the Woman* (1940), as George Washington Jones
- *The Ghost Breakers* (1940), as Alex
- *Blondie on a Budget* (1940), as Newsboy (uncredited)
- *I Take This Woman* (1940), as Sambo
- *Slightly Honorable* (1939), as Art · Elevator Operator
- *Private Detective* (1939), as Norton's Valet
- *The Covered Trailer* (1939), as Baltimore
- *Blondie Brings Up Baby* (1939), as Hotel Janitor (uncredited)
- *At the Circus* (1939), as Redcap (uncredited)
- *Blackmail* (1939), as Bunny - the Janitor (uncredited)
- *Way Down South* (1939), as Chimney Sweep
- *Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation* (1939), as Driver (uncredited)
- *Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter* (1939), as Apollo Johnson
- *Mr. Moto in Danger Island* (1939), as Launch Pilot
- *The Saint Strikes Back* (1939), as Algernon, Simon's Butler (Uncredited)
- *Blondie* (1938), as Porter
- *Spring Madness* (1938), as Porter on Train
- *Straight, Place and Show* (1938), as Hannibal
- *Youth Takes a Fling* (1938), as George
- *I'm from the City* (1938), as Train Porter
- *Vivacious Lady* (1938), as Porter
- *Goodbye Broadway* (1938), as Jughead
- *Merrily We Live* (1938), as George
- *Gold Is Where You Find It* (1938), as Joshua
- *Everybody's Doing It* (1938), as Jasper - Elevator Operator
- *Crashing Hollywood* (1938), as Train Porter (uncredited)
- *Saturday's Heroes* (1937), as Sam
- *The Lady Fights Back* (1937), as McTavish
- *Mississippi Moods* (1937), Actor
- *Super-Sleuth* (1937), as Warts, Martin's manservant
- *Meet the Missus* (1937), as Bootblack
- *You Can't Buy Luck* (1937), as Airline Porter (uncredited)
- *Breezing Home* (1937), as Speed
- *Racing Lady* (1937), as Brass
- *We Who Are About to Die* (1937), as Airport Porter (uncredited)
- *Deep South* (1937), Actor
- *Night Waitress* (1936), as Black Pedestrian
- *General Spanky* (1936), as Henry
- *Thank You, Jeeves!* (1936), as Drowsy
- *Mummy's Boys* (1936), as Catfish
- *Down the Stretch* (1936), as Noah
- *The Green Pastures* (1936), as Henry - the Angel (uncredited)
- *The Bride Walks Out* (1936), as Smokie
- *Murder on a Bridle Path* (1936), as 'High-Pockets'
- *Two in Revolt* (1936), as Eph
- *Silly Billies* (1936), as Excitement
- *Muss 'em Up* (1936), as Janitor at Spivali's Bar (uncredited)
- *The Littlest Rebel* (1935), as James Henry
- *To Beat the Band* (1935), as Elevator Operator
- *Hot Tip* (1935), as Apollo
- *Jalna* (1935), as Sam
- *The Arizonian* (1935), as Pompey
- *The Nitwits* (1935), as Sleepy
- *Hit and Rum* (1935), as Shoe Shine Man (uncredited)
- *Raised and Called* (1935), Actor
- *Murder on a Honeymoon* (1935), as Willie (as Sleep 'n' Eat)
- *Horse Heir* (1935), Actor
- *West of the Pecos* (1934), as Jonah (as Sleep 'n' Eat)
- *Kentucky Kernels* (1934), as Buckshot (as Sleep 'n' Eat)
- *Little Miss Marker* (1934), as Dizzy Memphis (uncredited)
- *The Monster Walks* (1932), as Exodus (as Sleep n' Eat)
- *The Guilty Generation* (1931), as Club Merlin Doorman (uncredited)
- *Up Pops the Devil* (1931), as Laundryman
- *Virtuous Husband* (1931), as Luftus
- *Feet First* (1930), as Janitor
- *Ladies of Leisure* (1930), as George (uncredited)

## Gallery

- ![Low resolution screenshot of Willie Best as Chattanooga Brown from the American film Dangerous Money (1946). The film is in the public domain due to the omissio](https://film.one/media/person/3859070/gallery-2b115bedf8e7.jpg) Low resolution screenshot of Willie Best as Chattanooga Brown from the American film Dangerous Money (1946). The film is in the public domain due to the omissio — Monogram Pictures, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/Dangerous_Money_%281946%29_-_Willie_Best.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Low resolution screenshot of Victor Sen Yung as Jimmy Chan and Willie Best as Chattanooga Brown from the American film Dangerous Money (1946). The film is in th](https://film.one/media/person/3859070/gallery-37b71c3c6c3c.jpg) Low resolution screenshot of Victor Sen Yung as Jimmy Chan and Willie Best as Chattanooga Brown from the American film Dangerous Money (1946). The film is in th — Monogram Pictures, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/Dangerous_Money_%281946%29_-_Yung_%26_Best_1.jpg/1280px-Dangerous_Money_%281946%29_-_Yung_%26_Best_1.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Low resolution screenshot of Dudley Dickerson as Big Ben and Willie Best as Chattanooga Brown from the American film Dangerous Money (1946). The film is in the ](https://film.one/media/person/3859070/gallery-8028bc680934.jpg) Low resolution screenshot of Dudley Dickerson as Big Ben and Willie Best as Chattanooga Brown from the American film Dangerous Money (1946). The film is in the  — Monogram Pictures, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/Dangerous_Money_%281946%29_-_Dickerson_%26_Best.jpg/1280px-Dangerous_Money_%281946%29_-_Dickerson_%26_Best.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Willie Best](https://film.one/media/person/3859070/gallery-a1a0f24faa6e.jpg) Willie Best — Image via TMDB
- ![Willie Best](https://film.one/media/person/3859070/gallery-cd39158d77ac.jpg) Willie Best — Image via TMDB

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© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/willie-best