Onest Conley (December 25, 1906 – October 8, 1989) was an American film actor.

Early life

Born in

Evanston, Illinois Evanston is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, situated on the North Shore (Chicago), North Shore along Lake Michigan. A suburb of Chicago, Evanston is north of Chicago Loop, downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skok ...

, his mother was the pioneering

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

film actress

Madame Sul-Te-Wan Madame Sul-Te-Wan (born Nellie Crawford; March 7, 1873 – February 1, 1959) was an American actress. She was the first African-American actress to sign a film contract and be a featured performer. She was an American stage, film and telev ...

(''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.

Career

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 Frank Borzage ( né Borzaga; April 23, 1894 – June 19, 1962) was an American film director and actor. He was the first person to win the Academy Awards, Academy Award for Academy Award for Best Director, Best Director for his film ''7th Heaven ...

-directed '' The Dixie Merchant,'' a film adaptation of the Barry Benefield novel ''The Chicken-Wagon Family.'' The film starred

Jack Mulhall John Joseph Francis Mulhall (October 7, 1887 – June 1, 1979) was an American film actor beginning in the silent film era who successfully transitioned to sound films, appearing in over 430 films in a career spanning 50 years. Early years Mu ...

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 King Kong, also referred to simply as Kong, is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. The character has since become an international pop culture icon,Erb, Cynthia, 1998, ''Tracking Kin ...

'', 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 Richard Thorpe (born Rollo Smolt Thorpe; February 24, 1896 – May 1, 1991) was an American film director best known for his long career at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. His obituary called him "a capable and versatile director willing to take on any ass ...

-directed film '' The Thoroughbred'' as the character Ham Tolliver. His most recognizable roles include George Harris in the 1933

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American filmmaker and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of American cinema and the most co ...

-directed crime-drama '' This Day and Age'', Neptune in the 1935 John S. Robertson-directed romantic drama ''

Grand Old Girl ''Grand Old Girl'' is a 1935 American drama film directed by John Robertson from a screenplay by Milton Krims, John Twist, Arthur T. Horman, adapted from a story by Wanda Tuchock. The film stars May Robson, Mary Carlisle, Fred MacMurray, ...

'' and Mose in the 1935

Sam Newfield Sam Newfield, born Samuel Neufeld (December 6, 1899 – November 10, 1964), also known as Sherman Scott or Peter Stewart, was an American Film director, director, one of the most prolific in American film history—he is credited with directin ...

-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". During the 1950s, he was part performing troupes touring US military installations in Alaska, North Africa, and the Caribbean to entertain the troops over the winter holidays. He continued working as a drummer into the 1960s, performing for the TV show ''

Peter Gunn ''Peter Gunn'' is an American detective fiction, private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens (actor), Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, lounge singer Edie Hart. The series was broadcast by NBC from Sept ...

'' and heading the performing group Onest Conley and His Haitian Drummers.

Death

Onest Conley died in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, in 1989 at the age of 82.

Selected filmography

* '' The Dixie Merchant'', as Eph (1926) * ''

Vengeance Vengeance may refer to: *Vengeance (concept) or revenge, a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance Film * ''Vengeance'' (1930 film), action adventure film directed by Archie Mayo * ''Vengeance'' (1937 film) or ''W ...

'', as Chief (1930) * '' The Thoroughbred''. as Ham Tolliver (1930) * ''

'', as Warrior ncredited(1933) * '' This Day and Age'', as George Harris (1933) * ''

'', as Neptune (1935) * '' Racing Luck'', as Mose (1935) * ''

She Knew All the Answers ''She Knew All the Answers'' is a 1941 American romantic comedy film directed by Richard Wallace, and starring by Joan Bennett, Franchot Tone and Eve Arden. It was produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The film tells a story about a ch ...

'', as Shoeshine Boy (1941) * ''

The Foxes of Harrow ''The Foxes of Harrow'' is a 1947 American-British adventure film directed by John M. Stahl. The film stars Rex Harrison, Maureen O'Hara, and Richard Haydn. It is based on the novel of the same name by Frank Yerby, the sixth best-selling novel ...

'', as Drummer in voodoo sequence ncredited(1947)"Large Cast for 'Foxes'
''The Pittsburgh Courier''. June 7, 1941. Retrieved January 10, 2021. * '' Jungle Goddess'', as Drummer (1948)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Conley, Onest 1906 births 1989 deaths American male film actors Male actors from Evanston, Illinois 20th-century American male actors 20th-century African-American male actors