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Less than a year ago, the legendary Melvin Van Peebles died. He left behind a legacy as a fiercely independent multi-hyphenate creator who altered the course of Black filmmaking and cinema at-large.
During his influential life, Van Peebles tackled and excelled in every possible storytelling medium. He recorded seven studio albums and four soundtracks, wrote 13 books and one graphic novel, fashioned nine plays, directed eight feature films, four shorts and a music video. He almost single-handedly paved the way for Blaxploitation and carved a space for African American directors on Broadway.
On what would have been his 90th birthday, Variety ranks 10 films Van Peebles either directed, wrote or starred in.
Born in Chicago, Van Peebles earned a B.A. in Literature from Ohio Wesleyan University and served in the Air Force for three and a half years before moving to San Francisco to become a cable car operator. There, he wrote his first book entitled “The Big Heart,” which inspired his ambition to get into moviemaking. Soon he filmed his first shorts “Three Pickup Men for Herrick” (1957) and “Sunlight” (1957). Though both displayed his already considerable talent, a prejudiced Hollywood did not pay him or his work any interest.
Van Peebles soon moved to France with the desire to make a career in a less hostile environment. He learned French, shot another short film, “Les cinq cent balles” (1963), began writing novels, and adapted one of his books into his first feature: “The Story of a Three-Day Pass.” The success of “The Story of a Three-Day Pass,” which he both wrote and directed, was impressive enough. Then you learn that he composed the score too and you’re astounded beyond belief. Van Peebles’ prodigious, far-ranging talent soon invited reminders of Orson Welles. Hollywood, namely Columbia Pictures, was finally intrigued enough to offer Van Peebles a film — they tasked him with the identity-bending satire “Watermelon Man” (1970).
The comedy was such a hit for Columbia, grossing $1.1 million, the studio offered Van Peebles a three-picture deal.
And yet, Van Peebles turned down the sure bet to take one of the greatest risks in Hollywood history. For his third feature, “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song” (1971) he would not only write, edit, direct and compose the music for it. He also starred as the titular anti-police hero. If the barometer for a great movie, as explained in “Dolemite is My Name” (2019) holds true — it’s gotta have “funnies,” “titties” and “kung-fu” — then Van Peebles’ horny and violent, visually playful and aesthetically stylish crime flick might be the best picture ever made. And audiences, at the time, agreed.
“Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song” spawned a hit soundtrack sung by Earth, Wind & Fire and became the highest grossing American independent film to that point, bringing in a $15.2 million from a $150,000 budget. The triumph allowed Van Peebles to produce Tony Award nominated musicals such as “Ain’t Supposed to Die a Natural Death” (1971) and “Don’t Play Us Cheap,” (1973) allowing him to prove his creative prowess in a different medium.
During his later life, Van Peebles became an options trader on the American Stock Exchange, collaborated with his son, writer-director Mario Van Peebles, on films, and remained an avid runner into his 80s. He died in 2021 just as the Criterion Collection was releasing a box set of his greatest works. Even before that recognition, in his body of work, you could see how filmmakers like Spike Lee, Charles Burnett, and the Blaxploitation directors who followed him were influenced by Van Peebles’ unbending creative spirit, his desire to see Black uplift on screen, and his unparalleled artistic abilities. He is still a man whose range feels totally ahead of its time with a vision that’s still groundbreaking, daring and bold
Honorable mentions: “Three Pickup Men for Herrick” (1957); “Identity Crisis” (1989); “Vroom Vroom Vroooom” (1996); “Le Conte du ventre plein (Bellyful)” (2008); “Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha” (2008)
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