Men Of Character Character Actors
Mantan Moreland
King Of The Zombies/ Jeff
Charlie Chan In The Secret Service/ Birmingham Brown
Eyes In The Night/ Alistair
The Gangs All Here/ Jefferson "Jeff" Smith
Per Quinlan's Character Stars:
Solidly built, balding American actor who ran away at 12 to join a circus, then spent many years in vaudeville before coming to Hollywood to star in black-only films, also appearing in a stream of mainline studio films as the archetypal panicky manservant who found everything but his eyes transfixed in times of terror ( Feet- do your thing!). The ongoing role of Birmingham Brown, Charlie Chan's chauffeur in the Monogram series of the 1940's, allowed the Moreland sense of dry humor often to peep through.
Mantan Moreland was born at Monroe, La in 1902. His father was an old time Dixieland band leader.
He began acting by the time he was an adolescent , running away to join a minstrel show in 1910. He made it through vaudeville by the late 1920's working with various shows and reviews , performing on Broadway and touring Europe.
He began in low budget "race movies" aimed at African American audiences, however his comedic talents were soon recognized and he began to receive roles in larger mainline productions.
Monogram Pictures teamed Moreland with Frankie Darro in this studio's piopular action pictures.
His trademarks of bulging eyes and crackling laugh quickly moved him supporting roles in Hollywood movies.
Moreland is probably best known for his role as Birmingham Brown, Charlie Chan's chauffeur in the Monogram Chan films.
He had also toured in vaudeville and made personal appearances in many of the nation's movie theaters. Ben Carter was his straight man and the two were known for their incomplete sentence routine which was highlighted in the Chan film Dark Alibi. The two had an excellent rapport and impeccable timing.
Although this type of humor has been reviled for years, he worked at it very hard at the time it was in vogue.
Some of the film roles of Mantan Moreland were:
The Green Pastures (1936) as Angel Removing Hat
Harlem On Parade (1937) as Mistletoe
Spirit Of Truth (1938) as Crickle Fitzgibbons
Two Gun Man From Harlem (1938) as Bill Blake
Frontier Scout (1938) as The Norris family Butler
Next Time I Marry (1938) as Tilby
Gang Smashers (1938) as Gloomy
Riders Of The Frontier (1939) as Cookie
Irish Luck (1939) as Jefferson
One Dark Night (1939) as Samson Brown
The Man Who Wouldn't Talk (1940) as Robbins
Chasing Trouble (1940) as Thomas H. Jefferson
Millionaire Playboy (1940) as Bellhop
Viva Cisco Kid (1940) as Memphis
Girl In 313 (1940) as Porter
On The Spot (1940) as Jefferson White
Pier 13 (1940) as Sam The Elevator Operator
Laughing At Danger (1940) as Jefferson
Up In The Air (1940) as Jeff
While Thousands Cheer (1940) as Nash
Drums Of The Desert (1940) as Sgt. Blue Williams
Four Shall Die (1940) as Beefus- Toussaint's Chauffeur
You're Out Of Luck (1941) as Jeff Jefferson
Footlight Fever (1941) as Willie Hamsure
Ellery Queen's Penthouse Mystery (1941) as Roy
Sign Of The Wolf (1941) as Ben
Mr. Washington Goes To Town (1941) as Shenectady Jones
King Of The Zombies (1941) as Jeff
Hello Sucker (1941) as Elevator Operator
The Gang's All Here (1941) as Jeff Smith
Cracked Nuts (1941) as Burgess
Dressed To Kill (1941) as Rusty
Let's Go Collegiate (1941) as Jeff
It Started With Eve (1941) as Railway Porter
Up Jumped The Devil (1941) as Washington
Freckles Come Home (1942) as Jeff The Hotel Porter
Treat 'Em Rough (1942) as Snake Eyes
Law Of The Jungle (1942) as Jefferson "Jeff" Jones
Lady Luck (1942) as Washington
Professor Creeps (1942) as Washington
The Strange Case Of Doctor RX (1942) as Horatio B. Fitz Washington
Tarzan's New York Adventure (1942) as Sam, The Night Club Janitor
Mexican Spitfire Sees A Ghost (1942) as Lightnin'
Footlight Serenade (1942) as Amos
Phantom Killer (1942) as Nicodemus
Girl Trouble (1942) as Edward
Eyes In The Night (1942) as Alistair
Andy Hardy's Double Life (1942) as Prentiss the Benedict's Butler
Cosmo Jones Crime Smasher (1943) as Eustace Smith
Cabin In The Sky (1943) as First Idea Man
Sarong Girl (1943) as Maxwell
We've Never Been Licked ( 1943) as Willie
Melody Parade (1943) as Skidmore
Revenge Of The Zombies (1943) as Jeff
Hi Ya sailor (1943) as Sam
You're A Lucky Fellow, Mr. Smith (1943) as Porter
Swing Fever (1943) as Woody, Nick's Valet
She's For Me (1943) as Sam
Chip Off The Old Block (1944) as Porter
Charlie Chan In The Secret Service (1944) as Birmingham Brown
Moon Over Las Vegas (1944) as Porter
Pin Up Girl (1944) as Red Cap #2
Charlie Chan In The Chinese Cat (1944) as Birmingham Brown
South Of Dixie (1944) as Porter
Charlie Chan In Black Magic (1944) as Birmingham Brown
The Mystery Of The Riverboat (1944) as Napoleon
Bowery To Broadway (1944) as Alabam
Charlie Chan In The Jade Mask (1945) as Birmingham Brown
Charlie Chan In The Scarlet Clue (1945) as Birmingham Brown
Charlie Chan In The Shanghai Cobra (1945) as Birmingham Brown
Captain Tugboat Annie (1945) as Pinto
The Spider (1945) as Henry
Mantan Messes Up (1945) as Mantan
Riverboat Rhythm (1946) as Mantan
Charlie Chan In Dark Alibi (1946) as Birmingham Brown
Charlie Chan In Shadows Over Chinatown (1946) as Birmingham Brown
Charlie Chan In The Trap (1946) as Birmingham Brown
Charlie Chan In The Chinese Ring (1946) as Birmingham Brown
Ebony Parade (1947) as Mantan
Charlie Chan In Docks Of New Orleans (1948) as Birmingham Brown
Charlie Chan In The Shanghai Chest (1948) as Birmingham Brown
Charlie Chan In The Golden Eye (1948) as Birmingham Brown
Charlie Chan In The Feathered Serpent (1948) as Birmingham Brown
Charlie Chan In The Sky Dragon (1949) as Birmingham Brown
The Patsy (1964) as The Barbershop Porter
Alvarez Kelly (1964) as Bartender
Enter Laughing (1967) as Subway Rider
Spider Baby Or The Maddest Story Ever Told (1967) as Messenger
Watermelon Man (1970) as Counterman
Marriage Year One (1971-TV) as Mechanic
The Biscuit Eater (1972) as Waiter
The Young Nurses (1973) as Old Man
He was the comic relief man in many pictures made for Monogram Studio. As such his importance was high to the studio and his name always was listed high on the cast list..
Mr. Moreland appeared on very few TV programs however he did appear on the following: Julia, The Bill Cosby Show, Love American Style and Adam-12.
After suffering a stroke in the early 1960's, Moreland took on only a few comedic roles working with Carl Reiner, Bill Cosby and Moms Mabley.
He was married and his wife's name was Hazel. The couple had one child.
Mantan Moreland passed away in 1973 at the age of 71 from a cerebral hemorrhage.
I always liked Mantan Moreland and needless to say I enjoyed him as Birmingham Brown in the Monogram Chan films as well as other films such as King Of The Zombies, Revenge Of The Zombies, Bowery To Broadway, Sarong Girl, We've Never Been Licked and Mystery Of The Riverboat.
Louie The Movie Buff