Peter Jones narrates this account of the life and career of film star Sidney Poitier, who faces and confronts many obstacles to overcome racial barriers, from his impoverished childhood in the Bahamas to the heights of proving his wealth of talents in acting, directing and civic activism on the international stage.
Mr. Portier does not appear for this studio interview, as do many of his friends and associates, who relate ways in which Sidney has affected their lives for the better, by his sharing ambitions, talent and friendship throughout the years, which begin for him with his premature birth, in Miama, Florida, as the seventh child of Evelyn and Reginald Poitier, impoverished tomato farmers and vendors, who would sail from their native Bahamas to distribute their produce.
Reginald prepares for the worst and constructs a tiny casket from a shoe-box to lay the infant to rest, but Sidney overcomes his first of life's many obstacles, by pulling through, and working the family's tomato farm until he reaches the age of fifteen, and is sent back to Florida to stay with an elder brother, where he first encounters racial prejudice as a minority citizen at the hands of distrustful law enforcement officers.
From Florida, Sidney travels by bus to Manhattan, New York, with three dollars in his pocket, with Harlam as his destination, but where he encounters another altercation with police officers, who fire a bullet into his leg.
Sidney recovers and enlists in the U.S. Army, after adding a few years to his young age, but after his honorable discharge, he returns to Manhattan, with aspirations of appearing in the theatre, and, subsequently, receives rave reviews for his appearances in "Days of Our Youth" and "Lysistrata."
This leads to Hollywood, with appearances on television and in film. And, even though he also receives many favorable reviews for his break-through work in films as "No Way Out" (1950) and "Blackboard Jungle" (1955), Sidney finds choice roles for the African-American actor difficult to achieve.
But Sidney Portier's drive and determination to succeed in revolutionizing opportunities for a trail-blazing talent ultimately cause his objectives to achieve fruition, as he accomplishes another major turn with "A Raisin in the Sun" (1961 film) (after his run with the role on Broadway), and he soon becomes the first African-American to be awarded an Academy Award for a lead acting role, this for the poignant "Lilies of the Field" (1963).
Several additional memorable performances soon follow, and with 1967, Sidney Poitier becomes the first-place box-office draw in America, as he stars in three major films this year: "To Sir, with Love," "In the Heat of the Night," and "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" (all 1967).
From here, Sidney extends his range of talents, by directing motion pictures over the years, as well as continuing to act, and to pen the first of his three autobiographies, "This Life."
Sidney marries twice, Juanita Hardy (1950–1965) and Joanna Shimkus (1976–present), and he welcomes six daughters along the way: Beverly, Pamela, Sherri and Gina (four with Juanita) and Anika and Sydney Tamiia (two with Joanna).
Interview Guests for this episode consist of Actresses Ruby Dee and Cicely Tyson, Actors Harry Belafonte, Tony Curtis, Ossie Davis, Laurence Fishburne, Richard Widmark and Clarence Williams III, Agent Martin Baum, Playwright Clifford Mason, and Directors Norman Jewison and Stanley Kramer.
Archive footage includes Bob Steele in "South of Sante Fe" (1932), plus Sidney Poitier with Co-stars Richard Widmark, John Cassavetes, Suzy Kendall, Rod Steiger, Katharine Hepburn, Katharine Houghton and others, in addition to Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. in speaking parts, and Claudia McNeil, Diahann Carroll, Joanne Woodward, Paul Newman, Spencer Tracy, Richard Roundtree and others in non-speaking parts.
Film Clips include a screen glimpse of Sidney through the years, in scenes from "No Way Out" (1950), "Blackboard Jungle" (1955), "Edge of the City" (1957), "The Defiant Ones" (1958), "Porgy and Bess" (1959), "A Raisin in the Sun" (1961), "Paris Blues" (1961), "Lilies of the Field" (1963), "A Patch of Blue" (1965), "Duel at Diablo" (1966), "To Sir, with Love" (1967), "In the Heat of the Night" (1967), "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" (1967), "Buck and the Preacher" (1972), "A Warm December" (1973), "Let's Do It Again" (1975), "Mandela and de Klerk" (1997) (TV), as well as "The 36th Annual Academy Awards" (1964) (TV).
Mr. Portier does not appear for this studio interview, as do many of his friends and associates, who relate ways in which Sidney has affected their lives for the better, by his sharing ambitions, talent and friendship throughout the years, which begin for him with his premature birth, in Miama, Florida, as the seventh child of Evelyn and Reginald Poitier, impoverished tomato farmers and vendors, who would sail from their native Bahamas to distribute their produce.
Reginald prepares for the worst and constructs a tiny casket from a shoe-box to lay the infant to rest, but Sidney overcomes his first of life's many obstacles, by pulling through, and working the family's tomato farm until he reaches the age of fifteen, and is sent back to Florida to stay with an elder brother, where he first encounters racial prejudice as a minority citizen at the hands of distrustful law enforcement officers.
From Florida, Sidney travels by bus to Manhattan, New York, with three dollars in his pocket, with Harlam as his destination, but where he encounters another altercation with police officers, who fire a bullet into his leg.
Sidney recovers and enlists in the U.S. Army, after adding a few years to his young age, but after his honorable discharge, he returns to Manhattan, with aspirations of appearing in the theatre, and, subsequently, receives rave reviews for his appearances in "Days of Our Youth" and "Lysistrata."
This leads to Hollywood, with appearances on television and in film. And, even though he also receives many favorable reviews for his break-through work in films as "No Way Out" (1950) and "Blackboard Jungle" (1955), Sidney finds choice roles for the African-American actor difficult to achieve.
But Sidney Portier's drive and determination to succeed in revolutionizing opportunities for a trail-blazing talent ultimately cause his objectives to achieve fruition, as he accomplishes another major turn with "A Raisin in the Sun" (1961 film) (after his run with the role on Broadway), and he soon becomes the first African-American to be awarded an Academy Award for a lead acting role, this for the poignant "Lilies of the Field" (1963).
Several additional memorable performances soon follow, and with 1967, Sidney Poitier becomes the first-place box-office draw in America, as he stars in three major films this year: "To Sir, with Love," "In the Heat of the Night," and "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" (all 1967).
From here, Sidney extends his range of talents, by directing motion pictures over the years, as well as continuing to act, and to pen the first of his three autobiographies, "This Life."
Sidney marries twice, Juanita Hardy (1950–1965) and Joanna Shimkus (1976–present), and he welcomes six daughters along the way: Beverly, Pamela, Sherri and Gina (four with Juanita) and Anika and Sydney Tamiia (two with Joanna).
Interview Guests for this episode consist of Actresses Ruby Dee and Cicely Tyson, Actors Harry Belafonte, Tony Curtis, Ossie Davis, Laurence Fishburne, Richard Widmark and Clarence Williams III, Agent Martin Baum, Playwright Clifford Mason, and Directors Norman Jewison and Stanley Kramer.
Archive footage includes Bob Steele in "South of Sante Fe" (1932), plus Sidney Poitier with Co-stars Richard Widmark, John Cassavetes, Suzy Kendall, Rod Steiger, Katharine Hepburn, Katharine Houghton and others, in addition to Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. in speaking parts, and Claudia McNeil, Diahann Carroll, Joanne Woodward, Paul Newman, Spencer Tracy, Richard Roundtree and others in non-speaking parts.
Film Clips include a screen glimpse of Sidney through the years, in scenes from "No Way Out" (1950), "Blackboard Jungle" (1955), "Edge of the City" (1957), "The Defiant Ones" (1958), "Porgy and Bess" (1959), "A Raisin in the Sun" (1961), "Paris Blues" (1961), "Lilies of the Field" (1963), "A Patch of Blue" (1965), "Duel at Diablo" (1966), "To Sir, with Love" (1967), "In the Heat of the Night" (1967), "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" (1967), "Buck and the Preacher" (1972), "A Warm December" (1973), "Let's Do It Again" (1975), "Mandela and de Klerk" (1997) (TV), as well as "The 36th Annual Academy Awards" (1964) (TV).
