His pairing with Tony Curtis in "The Defiant Ones" predated his "Heat of The Night" role and touched on the racism of our penal/criminal justice system. Yet I always liked the slow transformation of two men chained together as bitter enemies who nonetheless evolve into friends
And for some reason the obits fail to note an early film where a young Poitier starred alongside a very young Yvonne DeCarlo and her leading man, Clark Gable. Though raised a slave in New Orleans young Paru was more or less the top right hand man to Gable the aging Rhett Butler-esque plantation owner.
Salty1
I always loved this actor. He did so much to change America to have a positive view of blacks and end racism in the general populace.
Throughout the 60s I think Poitier and Cosby were able to chip away at or entirely demolish most of the (and I can use no other word that better fits) "systemic" racism of pop culture and entertainment. Neither man ever felt the need to embrace any type of coarse militancy along the lines of Dick Gregory or James Bladwin.
Thank you! And let's not ever forget the "slap heard around the world" from the film he made with Rod Steiger "In the Heat of The Night". Of course that film inspired a TV show. Carrol O'Connor took the role of the Chief even though the TV show producers had wanted Steiger to reprise his role as Chief Gillespie.
His pairing with Tony Curtis in "The Defiant Ones" predated his "Heat of The Night" role and touched on the racism of our penal/criminal justice system. Yet I always liked the slow transformation of two men chained together as bitter enemies who nonetheless evolve into friends
And for some reason the obits fail to note an early film where a young Poitier starred alongside a very young Yvonne DeCarlo and her leading man, Clark Gable. Though raised a slave in New Orleans young Paru was more or less the top right hand man to Gable the aging Rhett Butler-esque plantation owner.
I always loved this actor. He did so much to change America to have a positive view of blacks and end racism in the general populace.
Throughout the 60s I think Poitier and Cosby were able to chip away at or entirely demolish most of the (and I can use no other word that better fits) "systemic" racism of pop culture and entertainment. Neither man ever felt the need to embrace any type of coarse militancy along the lines of Dick Gregory or James Bladwin.
Well stated Sawgunner!
Thank you! And let's not ever forget the "slap heard around the world" from the film he made with Rod Steiger "In the Heat of The Night". Of course that film inspired a TV show. Carrol O'Connor took the role of the Chief even though the TV show producers had wanted Steiger to reprise his role as Chief Gillespie.
I don’t remember that one so I will have to get it and watch it. You really remember well the older shows!