Known for his pioneering blaxploitation cinema, the late film director also created Don’t Play Us Cheap, a goofy but soul-stirring Broadway hit that should not be forgotten
Melvin Van Peebles, American filmmaker who wrote, directed, and starred in Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971), a groundbreaking film that spearheaded the rush of African American action films known as ‘blaxploitation’ in the 1970s. He also served as the film’s composer and editor.