Onest Conley (December 6, 1906 – October 8, 1989) was an American film actor.

Early life

Born in

Evanston, Illinois Evanston ( ) is a city, suburb of Chicago. Located in Cook County, Illinois, United States, it is situated on the North Shore along Lake Michigan. Evanston is north of Downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, Wil ...

, his mother was the pioneering

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

film actress

Madame Sul-Te-Wan Madame Sul-Te-Wan (born Nellie Crawford; March 7, 1873 – February 1, 1959) was the first black actress to sign a film contract and be a featured performer.Lowe, Denise. ''An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Women in Early American Films'', Hawo ...

(''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 (; April 23, 1894 – June 19, 1962) was an Academy Award-winning American film director and actor, known for directing '' 7th Heaven'' (1927), '' Street Angel'' (1928), '' Bad Girl'' (1931), '' A Farewell to Arms'' (1932), ''Man's ...

-directed ''

The Dixie Merchant ''The Dixie Merchant'' is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by Frank Borzage and starring Jack Mulhall, Madge Bellamy, and J. Farrell MacDonald John Farrell MacDonald (June 6, 1875 – August 2, 1952) was an American character acto ...

,'' a film adaptation of the

Barry Benefield Barry Benefield (full name John Barry Benefield ) (May 12, 1877 in Jefferson, Texas – September 22, 1971 in Jefferson, Texas) was an American writer, some of whose books were adapted for the cinema. His being born and spending much of his life i ...

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 Madge Bellamy (born Margaret Derden Philpott; June 30, 1899 – January 24, 1990) was an American stage and film actress. She was a popular leading lady in the 1920s and early 1930s. Her career declined in the sound era and ended following a rom ...

. 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 is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. He has been dubbed The Eighth Wonder of the World, a phrase commonly used within the franchise. His first appearance was in the novelizat ...

'', 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. Biography Born Rollo Smolt Thorpe in Hutchinson, Kansas, Richard Thorpe began his en ...

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

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

-directed crime-drama ''

This Day and Age This Day and Age was a band from Tonawanda, a suburb of Buffalo, New York, signed to One Eleven Records. History This Day and Age formed in 2001, and released their debut full-length, ''Start Over on Monday'', in 2002.

'', 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 ...

'' 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 B-movie Film director, director, one of the most prolific in American film history—he is credited with d ...

-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".

Death

Onest Conley died in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, in 1989 at the age of 82.

Selected filmography

* ''

'', as Eph (1926) * '' Vengeance'', as Chief (1930) * ''

'', as Warrior ncredited(1933) * ''

'', 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 romantic comedy film made by Columbia Pictures, directed by Richard Wallace, and starring by Joan Bennett and Franchot Tone. The film tells a story about a chorus girl who wants to marry a rich playboy, but ...

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

The Foxes of Harrow ''The Foxes of Harrow'' is a 1947 American adventure film directed by John M. Stahl. The film stars Rex Harrison, Maureen O'Hara, and Richard Haydn. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Production Design ( Lyle R. Wheeler, Mau ...

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

Jungle Goddess ''Jungle Goddess'' is a 1948 American action/adventure crime film starring George Reeves, Ralph Byrd, and Wanda McKay. Directed by Lewis D. Collins, the film was based on an idea by producer William Stephens. ''Jungle Goddess'' was later featur ...

'', as Drummer (1948)

References

External links

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