It was hard for any viewer to look away from Sidney Poitier
Or down on him
HE SHOWED THE world that black actors could be Hollywood heroes. In films such as “To Sir, With Love”, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” and “In the Heat of the Night”, all released in 1967, Sir Sidney Poitier was not a loyal sidekick or a servant. He was a blisteringly handsome, nuanced and charismatic leading man. His talent, elegance and class made him a superstar, and, in 1964, they made him the first ever black actor to win an Academy Award for a leading role, in “Lilies of the Field”.
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “The defiant one”
From the January 15th 2022 edition
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