Marguerite Whitten
Actor · Born February 23, 1913 (113) · Greenville, Mississippi, USA
Gorgeous, versatile Marguerite Whitten (aka Margaret Whitten) was a wonderful, natural actress of "the golden era" of Hollywood and of black cinema. She had a sweet, likable presence on screen and her performances were always enjoyable. Margaret was a fine actress, never having to overact to express herself. She always became her character, mind, heart and soul. She was one of many black actresses who introduced a different image of black women in movies--sophisticated, intelligent, elegant, graceful and sweet. She appeared in many "A"-grade black movies, then known as "race" films. She gave excellent performances in Spirit of Youth (1938), Two-Gun Man from Harlem (1938), _Mystery In Swing (1940)_ and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), films that were popular with black audiences because it had black actors and actresses playing characters from all walks of life. She was always a lovely, appealing leading lady to her leading men, such as Joe Louis, Herb Jeffries, Monte Hawley and Mantan Moreland. In "mainstream" Hollywood movies, Margaret sometimes had to play the stereotypical roles black performers were usually limited to, but because of her skill and talent she took your mind off the stereotyped character and made you see her as the fine actress she was, and even though the part may have been meant to degrade her or her people, she changed it to something that didn't. In Way Down South (1939) Margaret had a small but significant part. She gave a touching performance as a slave in love with another slave, with both facing being sold and separated. She gave a memorable and moving performance; without a spoken word in some scenes she let her face tell the story and made you feel along with her. She was a wonderful singer and dancer, which she got to display in a few films. The warmth in her voice, gestures and eyes never cease to be overlooked. Margaret was always magnetic, extremely charming and charismatic, which always helped her steal scenes. Once you see her you'll never forget her. Margaret Whitten is truly one of the unsung black actresses who contributed to her race and Black and Hollywood cinema, and she deserves much more recognition than she's gotten. Margaret was always an actress and never a stereotype.
Read moreShow less
Biography from IMDb.
- February 23, 1913 (113)
- Greenville, Mississippi, USA
- Actor
- 4 on MovieCove · 11 credits in all
What are Marguerite Whitten's films like?
Across a limited sample of 4 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 1 · Earnest 3
Light 4 · Serious 0 · Dark 0
Grounded 4 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0
Gentle 2 · Charged 2 · Intense 0
A split, not a type: Steady 3 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 1 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 1
Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 1 · Relentless 0
Casual 3 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 3 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 0
Resolved 3 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0
Roles they play
- Heroas Sally Thompson in Two-Gun Man from Harlem (1938)
- Allyas Linda Carroll in Mystery in Swing (1940)
Moods and endings
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Marguerite Whitten's films?
As of October 24, 2026, all 4 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (4).
Subscription and free streaming for Marguerite Whitten's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
11 credits, 4 with a MovieCove page.
After Midnight with Boston Blackie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)
Mr. Washington Goes to Town (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)
Professor Creeps (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)
Cadet Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)
Let's Go Collegiate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)
King of the Zombies(1941)
Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films
Mystery in Swing(1940)
Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films
Way Down South (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
Bad Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
Two-Gun Man from Harlem(1938)
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films
Spirit of Youth(1938)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
Career shape
Star power in the 14th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 11 titles from 1938 to 1943.
Film career
- 1941Screen debut· King of the Zombies
How do Marguerite Whitten's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 17th percentile, the median of all 4; across a limited sample of 4 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 25th percentile for acclaim.
- 25th to 49th1
- Below 25th3
Shape of the crowd
4 of their 4 titles are Mixed.
- Mixed4
Reviewers score the acting 49/100 in their films, across 4 reviewed titles; fans 63, detractors 28. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Who does Marguerite Whitten work with?
People who share at least 2 of Marguerite Whitten's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Mantan Moreland shares the most, 3.
Writers
- Arthur HoerlShared titles: Mystery in Swing (1940), Spirit of Youth (1938)See all 2 shared titles with Arthur Hoerl
Actors
- Mantan MorelandShared titles: King of the Zombies (1941), Spirit of Youth (1938), Two-Gun Man from Harlem (1938)See all 3 shared titles with Mantan Moreland
- Jess Lee BrooksShared titles: Mystery in Swing (1940), Spirit of Youth (1938), Two-Gun Man from Harlem (1938)See all 3 shared titles with Jess Lee Brooks
- Mae TurnerShared titles: Spirit of Youth (1938), Two-Gun Man from Harlem (1938)See all 2 shared titles with Mae Turner
- Tom SouthernShared titles: Spirit of Youth (1938), Two-Gun Man from Harlem (1938)See all 2 shared titles with Tom Southern
Cinematographers
- Mack StenglerShared titles: King of the Zombies (1941), Mystery in Swing (1940)See all 2 shared titles with Mack Stengler