Melvin Van Peebles was an American actor, filmmaker, writer, and composer. He worked as an active filmmaker into the 2000s. His feature film debut, The Story of a Three-Day Pass (1967), was based on his own French-language novel La 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 the San Francisco International Film Festival which gained him the interest of Hollywood studios, leading to his American feature debut Watermelon Man, in 1970. Eschewing further overtures from Hollywood, he used the successes he had so far to bankroll his work as an independent filmmaker.
New Jack City is a 1991 American crime action film based on an original story and written by Thomas Lee Wright and Barry Michael Cooper, and directed by Mario Van Peebles in his feature film directorial debut. The film stars Wesley Snipes, Ice-T, Allen Payne, Chris Rock, Judd Nelson, Bill Cobbs, and Van Peebles. Its plot follows Nino Brown, a drug lord in New York City during the crack epidemic, and Scotty Appleton, an NYPD detective who vows to end Nino's rise to power by going undercover to work for Nino's gang.
Mario Van Peebles is an American film director and actor best known for appearing in Heartbreak Ridge in 1986 and known for directing and starring in New Jack City in 1991 and USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage in 2016. He is the son of actor and filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles, whom he portrayed in the 2003 biopic Baadasssss!, which he also co-wrote and directed.
Baadasssss! is a 2003 American biographical drama film, written, produced, directed by, and starring Mario Van Peebles. The film is based on the struggles of Van Peebles' father Melvin Van Peebles, as he attempts to film and distribute Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, a film that was widely credited with showing Hollywood that a viable African-American audience existed, and thus influencing the creation of the Blaxploitation genre. The film also stars Joy Bryant, Nia Long, Ossie Davis, Paul Rodriguez, Rainn Wilson, and Terry Crews.
Rappin' is a 1985 American film directed by Joel Silberg, written by Adam Friedman and Robert J. Litz, produced by Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus and starring Mario Van Peebles. The film is a sequel to Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo, and is also known as Breakdance 3. Although it features Ice-T, Rappin' has a plot unconnected to the previous two films and features different lead characters and locations. It is also considered to be a companion piece to the documentary Breakin' 'n' Enterin'.
Howard Jerome Morris was an American actor, comedian, and director. He was best known for his role in The Andy Griffith Show as Ernest T. Bass, and as "Uncle Goopy" in a celebrated comedy sketch on Sid Caesar's Your Show of Shows (1954). He also did some voices for television shows such as The Flintstones (1962–1965), The Jetsons (1962–1987), The Atom Ant Show (1965–1966), and Garfield and Friends (1988–1994).
Sniper 2 is a 2002 American made-for-television action film directed by Craig R. Baxley and starring Tom Berenger, Bokeem Woodbine, Dan Butler and Linden Ashby. The film premiered on Cinemax, on December 28, 2002 and was released to video and DVD on March 11, 2003, by Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment. This would be the final Sniper film to be released by the original film’s distributor, TriStar.
Solo is a 1996 science fiction action film directed by Norberto Barba, and starring Mario Van Peebles, William Sadler, Adrien Brody, Barry Corbin and Demián Bichir. The film was based on the 1989 novel Weapon by Robert Mason, and was adapted into a screenplay by David L. Corley for Columbia/TriStar Pictures.
Sudden Death is a 1995 American action-thriller film directed by Peter Hyams and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Powers Boothe, Raymond J. Barry, and Dorian Harewood. The film pits a lone fire marshal against extortionists who hold unsuspecting NHL players and fans for ransom during game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals, and set payment milestones to coincide with the game's progress. It was Hyams' second directorial collaboration with Van Damme, after Timecop (1994) and before Enemies Closer (2013).
Peter van Eyck was a German-American film and television actor. Born in Prussian Pomerania, he moved to the United States in the 1930s and established a career as a character actor. After World War II, he returned to his native country and became a star of West German cinema.
Theodore von Eltz was an American film actor, appearing in more than 200 films between 1915 and 1957. He was the father of actress Lori March.
Killers in the House is a 1998 made for TV film directed by Michael Schultz starring Mario Van Peebles, Holly Robinson Peete, and Hal Linden. Bank robbers hold a family hostage in a newly inherited mansion. The movie was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia. The film aired on the USA Network.
Full Eclipse is a 1993 science fiction crime film directed by Anthony Hickox. Starring Mario Van Peebles and Bruce Payne, the story is set in Los Angeles where the police department has assembled a unique squad of officers who possess the ability to turn into werewolves. The tagline of the film was: There's a new police force on the streets... and they only come out at night.
Blowback is a 2000 thriller film directed by Mark L. Lester and starring Mario Van Peebles and James Remar.
Facing the Enemy is a 2001 erotic thriller film starring Linden Ashby, Maxwell Caulfield, and Alexandra Paul. The film was directed by Robert Malenfant and produced by Anita Gershman.
We the Party is a 2012 comedy film written and directed by Mario Van Peebles and starring Mandela Van Peebles, Simone Battle, Moises Arias, Mario Van Peebles, and Snoop Dogg. Set in an ethnically diverse Los Angeles high school, it focuses on five friends as they deal with "romance, money, prom, college, sex, bullies, Facebook, fitting in, standing out, and finding themselves".
Armed is a 2018 action film written and directed by Mario Van Peebles. It stars Van Peebles and William Fichtner.
Crazy Six is a 1998 American-Slovak gangster film starring Rob Lowe, Mario Van Peebles, Ice-T, and Burt Reynolds. It was directed by Albert Pyun.
Seized is a 2020 American action thriller film directed by Isaac Florentine. The film stars Scott Adkins and Mario Van Peebles and follows the former special agent who must eliminate three crime syndicates of highly skilled criminals in exchange for his son who is kidnapped.
Outlaw Posse is a 2024 American western film written by, directed by and starring Mario Van Peebles. It also stars Whoopi Goldberg, Cedric the Entertainer, Edward James Olmos, John Carroll Lynch, William Mapother, Cam Gigandet, Allen Payne, Neal McDonough, and M. Emmet Walsh in his final film role before his death in March 19, 2024.
