Place of Birth: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Madame Sul-Te-Wan
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.
| Movie | Cast | Year |
|---|---|---|
| The Narrow Street | Easter | 1925 |
| Black Moon | Ruva | 1934 |
| Who's Your Father? | Black Mother (uncredited) | 1918 |
| The Pagan Lady | Carla the Servant | 1931 |
| Tarzan of the Apes | Esmeralda - Jane's Maid (uncredited) | 1918 |
| In Old Chicago | Hattie | 1938 |
| Uncle Tom's Cabin | Slave at Wedding (uncredited) | 1927 |
| Manslaughter | Prison Inmate (uncredited) | 1922 |
| The Thoroughbred | Sacharine | 1930 |
| The Affairs of Annabel | Benzedrina (uncredited) | 1938 |
| Tell No Tales | Jim Alley's Mother (uncredited) | 1939 |
| Heaven on Earth | Voodoo Sue | 1931 |
| Tarzan and the Trappers | Witch Woman | 1958 |
| Revenge of the Zombies | Beulah | 1943 |
| Kentucky | Lily | 1938 |
| Thunderbolt | Bit Role | 1929 |
| Maid of Salem | Tituba | 1937 |
| Sarah and Son | Belloc's Maid (Uncredited) | 1930 |
| Torchy Blane.. Playing with Dynamite | Ruby (uncredited) | 1939 |
| College | Cook (uncredited) | 1927 |
| Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages | Girl at the Marriage Market (uncredited) | 1916 |
| Old Wives for New | Viola's Maid (uncredited) | 1918 |
| Love Thy Neighbor | Lady McBeth | 1940 |
| Maryland | Naomi | 1940 |
| Safari | Native Woman | 1940 |
| Thank Your Lucky Stars | Bit in "Ice Cold Katie" Number (uncredited) | 1943 |
| Island in the Sky | Scrubwoman (Uncredited) | 1938 |
| San Francisco | Earthquake Survivor (Uncredited) | 1936 |
| So Red the Rose | Slave (Uncredited) | 1935 |
| Operator 13 | Slave at Medicine Show ( Uncredited) | 1934 |
| A Modern Hero | Mme. Azais' Neighbor ( Uncredited) | 1934 |
| King Kong | Native Handmaiden (uncredited) | 1933 |
| Ladies They Talk About | Mustard (uncredited) | 1933 |
| Jungle Mystery | Native Woman in Stockade (Uncredited) | 1932 |
| The Carnation Kid | The Maid (Uncredited) | 1929 |
| Queen Kelly | Kali Sana – Aunt's Cook (Uncredited) | 1932 |
| The Golden Bed | Boarding House Maid (Uncredited) | 1925 |
| Why Change Your Wife? | Sally's Maid (Uncredited) | 1920 |
| Stage Struck | Uncredited | 1917 |
| The Children Pay | Uncredited | 1916 |
| The Cause of It All | Mary - The Hotel Cook | 1915 |
| His Musical Sneeze | Maid (uncredited) | 1919 |
| Squirrel Food | Flirt | 1970 |
| The Story of Seabiscuit | Libby | 1949 |
| The Buccaneer | Good Luck Charm Vendor | 1958 |
| Band of Angels | Flower Vendor (Uncredited) | 1957 |
| Something of Value | Midwife (Uncredited) | 1957 |
| Carmen Jones | Hagar – Carmen's Grandmother (Uncredited) | 1954 |
| Mighty Joe Young | Young Family Servant (Uncredited) | 1949 |
| Mokey | Miss Cully, Old Black Woman (Uncredited) | 1942 |
| Sullivan's Travels | Church Harmonium Player (Uncredited) | 1941 |
| The Toy Wife | Eve, a Black Servant (Uncredited) | 1938 |
| King of the Zombies | Tahama | 1941 |
| The Birth of a Nation | Black Woman | 1915 |
| Hoodoo Ann | Black Cindy | 1916 |
| The Lightning Rider | Mammy | 1924 |
| Imitation of Life | Cook (uncredited) | 1934 |
| The Show | Maid (uncredited) | 1922 | Series | Cast | Year |
