Sidney Poitier

In an Australian exclusive, Oprah Winfrey talks to Tony Armstrong about Sidney Poitier and his ability to really see people.

On Friday, Apple TV+ will debut “Sidney,” a documentary that reflects on the legacy of Sidney Poitier.

“Sidney,” produced by Winfrey and Derik Murray in close collaboration with the Poitier family, debuts Friday, Sept. His roles in “A Raisin in the Sun” (1961) and “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner” (1967) widened the scope of cinema. “I just miss his laughter.” “And we would put makeup on him and do his hair with bows and barrettes. I miss talking to him. "And he said, ‘My dear, it’s challenging when you’re carrying other people’s dreams.’”

Despite interviews with Spike Lee, Halle Berry, Morgan Freeman, and five of his children, too much of Poitier goes unexplored.

In the end, Sidney is informative—it’s exciting to hear from him and from those who loved him, and from some of the people he influenced. By 1967, Poitier was even more of a star thanks to To Sir, With Love, In The Heat Of The Night, and Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner. Behind-the-scenes footage not only shows Poitier looking comfortable in the director’s chair, but it’s clear that he and Belafonte had mended fences, as their camaraderie is wonderful to behold. However, Poitier found himself struck by the slings and arrows of his own people, some of whom called him an Uncle Tom, a “noble negro,” and “non-threatening” to the white establishment. Poitier and Belafonte reunited for the 1972 Western Buck And The Preacher, which Poitier also ended up directing a week into the shoot. Suffice to say he’s worthy of a great documentary celebrating his life and legacy as an actor and activist, but in the meantime, there’s

The Independent Picture House will screen the highly-anticipated Sidney Poitier documentary in Charlotte this week. Produced by Oprah Winfrey and directed by ...

Tuesday, September 27 at 7:10 p.m. Tuesday, September 27 at 2:15 p.m. Saturday, September 24 at 7:10 p.m. Saturday, September 24 at 5:00 p.m. Friday, September 23 at 2:30 p.m. The Independent Picture House will screen the highly-anticipated Sidney Poitier documentary in Charlotte this week.

Sidney Poitier was not expected to live. He was born two months premature to uneducated tomato farmers in the Caribbean. His father planned to use a shoe ...

Fifty-five years before Will Smith smacked Chris Rock at the Oscars, Poitier’s Detective Virgil Tibbs slapped an actor playing a white plantation owner onscreen in the film “In the Heat of the Night.” It was electrifying, coming in 1967 as the civil rights movement was reaching its heights. Highlights include the devastating confrontation with racism as a teen in Miami, the fun story of his first encounter with a subway and how a classified ad looking for actors changed his life. Other voices are less effective, showing a star-pulling flex but with little connection to the man. For those unfamiliar with some of Poitier’s more famous moments, news of a pivotal slap will come as a surprise. So Poitier pivoted to directing and producing, still helping others up the ladder. Early in his career, he turned down an exploitative part, an unheard of decision at the time. Tossed out of the American Negro Theater for being lousy, he took acting classes and lost his Caribbean accent by buying a radio for $14 and learning to mimic a newsreader he admired. “It’s difficult when you’re carrying other peoples’ dreams,” he told her. Sometimes old interviews are added from a younger Poitier, making it seem as if he is in conversation with himself. [“Sidney”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIt0bGwe1rY&utm_source=albertaprimetimes.com&utm_campaign=albertaprimetimes.com%3A%20outbound&utm_medium=referral) respectfully traces that life, delivering a portrait of a striver hoping to improve everything he did every day. He was born two months premature to uneducated tomato farmers in the Caribbean. It glows with respect for a man who earned it.