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Onest Conley

Onest Conley

Actor

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Born in Evanston, Illinois, his mother was the pioneering African-American film actress Madame Sul-Te-Wan (née Nellie Crawford) and his father was Robert Reed Conley. He had two brothers; Odel and Otto. His father abandoned the family shortly after Conley's birth, leaving his actress mother to raise the three boys. Like his mother, Onest Conley gravitated toward the acting profession and began taking bit parts in films. His first film appearance was a minor role in the 1926 Frank Borzage-directed The Dixie Merchant, a film adaptation of the Barry Benefield novel The Chicken-Wagon Family. The film starred Jack Mulhall and Madge Bellamy. Despite limitations for African-American actors within the film industry during the 1920s and 1930s, Onest Conley appeared in films during the era, often typecast in stereotypical roles as "natives" and "shoeshine boys". Conley appeared alongside his brother Odel as "warriors" in the 1933 box-office hit King Kong, in which their mother also appeared in an uncredited role as a "native handmaiden". Conley also appeared alongside his mother in the 1930 Richard Thorpe-directed film The Thoroughbred as the character Ham Tolliver. His most recognizable roles include George Harris in the 1933 Cecil B. DeMille-directed crime-drama This Day and Age, Neptune in the 1935 John S. Robertson-directed romantic drama Grand Old Girl and Mose in the 1935 Sam Newfield-directed adventure film Racing Luck. By the early 1940s, however, Conley's career faltered and he received fewer and fewer roles. His last appearance as an actor was on an episode of the 1950s television series Soldiers of Fortune as a "voodoo drummer".

Born: December 25, 1906 in Evanston, Illinois, USA

Died: October 8, 1989 (Age 82)

Streaming Sources for all Onest Conley Movies & TV Shows

Onest Conley  Movies & TV Credits

Title Rating Job Role(s) Year
Movie
5.2
ActorNeptune1935
Movie
6.9
ActorJimmy, Chocolate Drop's Brother1939
Movie
4.3
ActorChief1930
Movie
6.1
ActorMose1935
Movie
4.4
ActorHam Tolliver1930
Movie
2
ActorDrummer1948
Movie
ActorEph1926
Movie
7.8
ActorWarrior (uncredited)1933
Movie
6.1
ActorGeorge Harris1933
Movie
7.1
ActorStable Boy (uncredited)1935
Movie
6.2
ActorShoeshine Boy1941
Movie
5.7
ActorSpecialty dancer (uncredited)1946
Movie
6.3
ActorDrummer in Voodoo Sequence (uncredited)1947
Movie
ActorNative Dancer (uncredited)1928
Title Rating Job Role(s) Year
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