Madame Sul Te Wan
Actor
1873 - 1959
Hometown
Louisville, KY
Also Known As
Nellie Crawford
Overview
Character actress Madame Sul-Te-Wan, born Nellie Crawford, had an unusually prolific film career that lasted from the silent era until the late 1950s. She was so recognizable in these small roles that she became a fixture in the Black press, newspapers across the country following her career and promoting her films. Her stage name, with its mix of formality and exoticism, served a dual purpose in a racist industry: it guaranteed she would always be addressed as “Madame” and plausibly allowed her to play a range of ethnicities.
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About the Filmography
The selected filmography for the years 1897–1971 includes works featured in the exhibition and others that are considered historically, socially, or politically relevant. Hollywood productions are generally excluded; the focus is instead on independent films, particularly the work of Black filmmakers. Black Academy Award nominees and winners are noted. This filmography was compiled using the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and various filmographies, including those by Klotman, Richards, and Hyatt. Primary production materials and contemporaneous film reviews were also consulted. Complete credits for many of the films are unavailable. All films are US productions unless otherwise noted, and distribution credits refer to the original distributors.