Sidney Poitier ~ 1927 - 2022

 

Sidney Poitier - 1940's

American Academy of Achievement

photographer unknown

One of my Immortal Loves (link below), the great actor, Sidney Poitier, died yesterday at his home in Los Angeles, California; he was 94 years old. 

 

He had many groundbreaking roles and he was in two of my favorite films, Blackboard Jungle, in 1955 with Glenn Ford and Anne Francis, then A Raisin in the Sun with Ruby Dee in 1961.            

 

 

 

A Raisin in the Sun - 1961 

movie poster

 

Sidney Poitier was born on February 20, 1927, in Miami, Florida. He is a Bahamian-American actor, film director, author and diplomat. In 1964, Poitier became the first Bahamian and first African-American to win an Academy Award for Best Actor, for his role in Lilies of the Field. The significance of these achievements was bolstered in 1967, when he starred in three successful films, all of which dealt with issues involving race and race relations: To Sir, with Love; In the Heat of the Night; and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, making him the top box-office star of that year. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Poitier among the Greatest Male Stars of classic Hollywood cinema, ranking 22nd on the list of 25.    

From 1997 to 2007, he served as the non-resident Bahamian ambassador to Japan. On August 12, 2009, Poitier was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States' highest civilian honor, by President Barack Obama. In 2016, he was awarded the BAFTA Fellowship for outstanding lifetime achievement in film.    

In 2002, Poitier received the 2001 Honorary Academy Award for his overall contribution to American cinema. With the death of Ernest Borgnine, in 2012, he became the oldest living man to have won the Academy Award for Best Actor.    

 

 

        

Viewfinder links:       

         

Glenn Ford         

Anne Francis                

Immortal Loves        

Sidney Poitier      

     
Net links:       

         

AP News ~ Oscar winner star Sidney Poitier dies      

Sidney Poitier: Hollywood trailblazer dies, aged 94              

CNN ~ Sidney Poitier, Hollywood's first Black movie star, dies at 94      NBC News ~ Sidney Poitier, who broke barriers, dies at 94    

              

     
YouTube link:      
         

Sidney Poitier        
                  

         

        

        

        

Styrous® ~ Friday, January 7, 2022

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In Memoriam
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Blackboard Jungle

Blackboard Jungle is a 1955 social commentary film about teachers in an inter-racial inner-city school, based on the novel of the same name by Evan Hunter and adapted for the screen and directed by Richard Brooks. It is remembered for its innovative use of rock and roll in its soundtrack and for the unusual breakout role of a Black cast member, future Oscar winner and star Sidney Poitier as a rebellious, yet musically talented student. It also starred,  Glenn Ford, Anne Francis, a malevolent Vic Morrow and Louis Calhern.  

The film marked the rock and roll revolution by featuring Bill Haley & His Comets performing Rock Around the Clock over the film's opening credits (with a lengthy drum solo introduction, unlike the originally released single), as well as in the first scene, in an instrumental version in the middle of the film, and at the close of the movie, establishing that song as an instant hit. The record had been released the previous year, gaining only limited sales. But, popularized by its use in the film, Rock Around the Clock reached number one on the Billboard charts, and remained there for eight weeks.        

In some theaters, when the film was in first release, the song was not heard at all at the beginning of the film because rock and roll was considered a bad influence. Despite this, other instances of the song were not cut.   

The music led to a large teenage audience for the film, and their exuberant response to it sometimes overflowed into violence and vandalism at screenings. In this sense, the film has been seen as marking the start of a period of visible teenage rebellion in the latter half of the 20th century. In the United Kingdom the film was originally refused a cinema certificate until heavy cuts were made. When shown at a South London Cinema in Elephant and Castle in 1956 the teenage Teddy Boy audience began to riot, tearing up seats and dancing in the aisles. After that, riots took place around the country wherever the film was shown. In 2007, the Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture published an article that analyzed the film's connection to crime theories and juvenile delinquency.  

In 2016, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".     

Blackboard Jungle Links:     

         

Bill Haley ~ Rock Around the Clock         

Bill Haley Rocks Around the Clock          

Sidney Poitier & Doris Belack ~ Poetry of the Negro        

The Plot     

The Cast & credits         

Awards and honors   
Cultural impact        
Blackboard Jungle opening & credits on YouTube                          

Tico Tico by the Andrews Sisters on YouTube              
       
   
Styrous® ~ Wednesday, April 12, 2017  

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Movie articles 
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