— who turns 94 on Feb. 20 — has received virtually every showbiz award possible: An Oscar, Grammy, Golden Globe, plus Life Achievement Awards from AFI, BAFTA, NAACP Image Awards, SAG and Kennedy Center Honors, to name a few. Though the kudos have been plentiful, they aren’t enough to convey the depth of his lasting impact on the entertainment industry, starting with being the first Black winner of best actor Oscar for the 1963 film “Lilies of the Field.
This was a simple but extraordinary statement. At that point Poitier wasn’t a major star, having made only six films in seven years; his breakthrough in the 1958 “The Defiant Ones” was still a year away. And it was difficult enough for Black actors in the 1950s to get any roles. What’s more, “Porgy and Bess” was a high-profile project, based on the Gershwins-DuBose Heyward prestige stage hit, directed by Otto Preminger and produced by Samuel Goldwyn.
hinges on the question of whether Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy will approve Poitier’s engagement to their daughter . The joke among Hollywood sophisticates was thatBut those criticisms misunderstood the national and international mood. Only six months before the film’s release, interracial marriages were still illegal in 17 of the 50 states, or one-third of the country. In June 1967, the Supreme Court overturned those laws.
Guess who's coming to dinner is my all time favorite movie, then A patch of blue and to sir with love❤❤❤❤
coccodrillo21 A fine example of 'Live Long and Prosper' the great Sidney Poitier.
nicesty06 Handsome
Brilliant, beautiful man. To Sir with Love; For Love of Ivy; In the Heat of the Night; Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, and so many others. A giant of American cinema.
I was very lucky to have met Sidney at his house probably around 2000. Very nice guy and what a legend.
What an amazing life!
DickZigun
I was very lucky to have met Sidney at his house probably around 2000. Very nice guy and what a legend. Very sad he’s gone.
He’s a pioneer and a game changer! All of Hollywood’s stars owe him a debt of gratitude! Without him, we wouldn’t have seen as many barriers broken as he did!
A giant & an American cinema hero. (To Sir with Love; For Love of Ivy; Lilies of the Field; Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner; In the Heat of the Night, and so many more. . .) Happy Birthday, Mr. Poitier. 🎂🎶💜
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