CLARENCE MUSE. Glossy 8x10 black and white chest-up portrait, boldly signed in later years in green felt tip ink, "1976/Thanks!/Dr. Clarence Muse." Fine condition, with mild creasing in the right border, not affecting the image. Clarence Muse appeared in vaudeville and minstrel shows before becoming a regular onstage with Harlem's Lincoln Players and Lafayette Players in the 1920s. In 1929 he moved to Hollywood, where he would work regularly for nearly 50 years. At the major studios, he was inevitably cast in stereotypical roles such as busboys, porters, chauffeurs, and the like, but he also appeared in major roles in a substantial number of low-budget all-black "race movies" of the 1930s and '40s. As racial barriers fell, his roles in Hollywood became more substantial and diverse. In all, he appeared in close to 150 films. After receiving an honorary doctorate of humanities degree in 1972, he proudly referred to himself as Dr. Clarence Muse.
$45 |
