Carol Speed
Born
Carolyn Ann Stewart

(1945-03-14)March 14, 1945
Bakersfield, California, U.S.
DiedJanuary 14, 2022(2022-01-14) (aged 76)
Muskogee, Oklahoma, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
  • author
Years active1969–1982; 2006
Known forAbby Williams – Abby
Lulu – The Mack

Carolyn Ann Stewart (March 14, 1945 – January 14, 2022), known professionally as Carol Speed, was an American actress, singer-songwriter and author.[1][2][3] Speed was best known for her roles in films during the 1970s blaxploitation era,[4] most notably starring as Abby Williams in the American International Pictures 1974 blaxploitation horror film Abby (1974).[4]

Biography

Early life and education

Carolyn Ann Stewart was born on March 14, 1945, in Bakersfield, California,[5] to Cora Valrie Stewart (née Taylor) and Freddie Lee Stewart.[6][7] She was raised in San Jose, California. Speed began performing at a young age. At age 12, she received her first acting role in the San Jose Light Opera production of The King and I. During her youth, she was a part of a singing group which included two of her cousins. Speed attended William C. Overfelt High School, where she was voted "Best All Around" for her senior class.[8] She graduated in 1963.[8] Speed holds the distinction of being the first African-American homecoming queen in Santa Clara County and was one of the first African-Americans to receive a scholarship for the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, California.[9][10]

Career

Speed began her career in show business as a singer, serving as a back-up singer for Bobbie Gentry[11] during her stint at Harrah's Club in Reno, Nevada. Speed's career in television began in 1970 when she landed a minor role as Clara Dormin on an episode of the NBC series Julia starring Diahann Carroll. Speed appeared in several television commercials during the 1970s.

From 1970 through 1972, Speed appeared in other shows such as, Sanford and Son, The Psychiatrist and Days of Our Lives. In 1972, Speed made her film debut in The New Centurions in which she portrayed Martha, a prostitute. Speed portrayed Mickie, prisoner in Jack Hill's 1972 blaxploitation film The Big Bird Cage alongside Pam Grier and Sid Haig.[12] In 1973, Speed starred opposite Max Julien as Lulu, his childhood friend and top prostitute in the blaxploitation crime film The Mack.[13] In 1974, Speed portrayed Abby Williams, a minister's wife who becomes possessed by the malevolent spirit of an evil demon in William Girdler's horror film Abby.[14] For the film, Speed wrote and sang "My Soul Is A Witness".[9]

In 1976, Speed appeared on the July cover of Jet.[14]

Speed later appeared as Noel in Disco Godfather, starting alongside Rudy Ray Moore in 1979.[15] In 1980, Speed published Inside Black Hollywood.[9] Speed initially accepted a minor role in Quentin Tarantino's 1997 film Jackie Brown but decided not to appear in the film for personal reasons.[16] In 2006, Speed portrayed Cookie in the independent horror film Village Vengeance.

Personal life and death

Speed was a resident of Atlanta, Georgia during a period in her later years. During the film of The Mack, Speed was romantically involved with Frank Ward, a Oakland, California pimp and drug dealer whose life served as the film's inspiration.[17] Speed had one child, a son, who predeceased her, and one grandson.[7]

She died in Muskogee, Oklahoma, on January 14, 2022, at the age of 76, just two weeks after her The Mack co-star Max Julien died.[7][14] Speed was cremated.

Film

Year Title Role Reference
1972The Big Bird CageMickie[18]
1972The New CenturionsMartha[19]
1973Savage!Amanda[20]
1973The MackLulu[14]
1973BummerJanyce[21]
1974Dynamite BrothersSarah[21]
1974Black SamsonLeslie[21]
1974AbbyAbby Williams[14]
1979Disco GodfatherNoel[15]

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1970 Julia Clara Dormin Episode: "Charlie's Chance"
The Psychiatrist (uncredited) Episode: "God Bless the Children (Pilot)"
1971 Love Hate Love Secretary TV movie
1972 Getting Away from It All Town Clerk TV movie
Sanford and Son Crystal Simpson Episode: "Here Comes the Bride, There Goes the Bride"
The Paul Lynde Show Laverne Episode: "Paul's Desperate Hour"
1973 Tenafly (uncredited) Episode: Pilot
The Girls of Huntington House Marlene TV movie

Books

Year Title References
1980 Inside Black Hollywood [22][9]
2002 The Georgette Harvey Story [22][9]
2004 Gods in Polyester, or a Survivors’ Account of 70s Cinema Obscura (contributor) [9]

Music

Year Song Title Film References
1973 "I Can Make It" Girls of Huntington House [12][23]
1974 "My Soul is a Witness" Abby [12]

References

  1. ↑ McCann, Bob (January 28, 2010). Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television. McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers. ISBN 9780786437900 – via Google Books.
  2. ↑ VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever. Visible Ink. January 28, 2004. ISBN 9780787674700 – via Google Books.
  3. ↑ "DVD Talk". www.dvdtalk.com.
  4. 1 2 Company, Johnson Publishing (April 28, 1972). "Ebony". Johnson Publishing Company – via Google Books.
  5. ↑ Traub, Alex (January 28, 2022). "Carol Speed, Vixen of the Blaxploitation Era, Dies at 76". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  6. ↑ Mr. Skin's Skincyclopedia: The A-to-Z Guide to Finding Your Favorite Actresses Naked. Macmillan. December 9, 2004. ISBN 9780312331443 – via Google Books.
  7. 1 2 3 "Ms Carolyn Ann Stewart Obituary (1945 - 2022) | Muskogee, Oklahoma". echovita.com.
  8. 1 2 "Classmates – Find your school, yearbooks and alumni online". secure.classmates.com.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Barnes, Mike (January 19, 2022). "Carol Speed, Actress in 'The Mack,' 'Black Samson' and 'Abby,' Dies at 76". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Carol Speed, Star of Blaxploitation Classics 'The Mack' and 'Abby' Dies at 76". Black Enterprise. January 21, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  11. ↑ Haring, Bruce (January 29, 2022). "Carol Speed Dies: Star Of Blaxploitation Film 'The Mack' And Horror Classic 'Abby' Was 76". Deadline. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  12. 1 2 3 "Obituary for Carolyn Ann Bennett-Speed at Keith D. Biglow Funeral Directors, Inc. – Muskogee". www.biglowfunerals.com. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  13. ↑ Alexander, Jared (January 20, 2022). "'The Mack,' 'Abby' actress, Carol Speed, dies at 76". TheGrio. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 Traub, Alex (January 28, 2022). "Carol Speed, Vixen of the Blaxploitation Era, Dies at 76". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  15. 1 2 "Disco Godfather". TVGuide.com. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  16. ↑ The Pocket Essential Blaxploitation Films, Jackie Brown, By Mikel J. Koven · 2001
  17. ↑ The Fabulous Ward Brothers, The Original Macks, By Chloe Sylvers · 2021
  18. ↑ "American Genre Film Archive THE BIG BIRD CAGE". www.americangenrefilm.com. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  19. ↑ "The New Centurions". www.tcm.com. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Savage". www.tcm.com. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  21. 1 2 3 "'The Mack' And 'Abby' Star, Carol Speed, Dies At 76". Sis2Sis. January 22, 2022. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  22. 1 2 Bueno, Antioinette (January 21, 2022). "Carol Speed, 'Abby' and 'The Mack' Star, Dead at 76". KUSA.com. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  23. ↑ "Carol Speed On Abby". www.williamgirdler.com. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
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