I was sad to learn tonight of the passing of actor Sidney Poitier
who died yesterday at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 94.
Bahamian-American actor
In addition to being a ground-breaking black actor with early roles
in the movies, "The Blackboard Jungle" (1955) and "The Defiant Ones"
(1958) opposite actor Tony Curtis, this tall, handsome, and
distinguished Bahamian native was also an accomplished
film director, political activist and ambassador.
He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1974.
In 1964, he was the first black person and first Bahamian
to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance
in the comedy-drama, "Lilies Of The Field" (1963) in which he
played down-to-earth handyman Homer Smith, who helps
a convent of devout German-speaking Catholic nuns
build a chapel in the Arizona desert.
The next year, Sidney starred in one of my favorite films, "A Patch Of Blue"
with Shelly Winters and Elizabeth Hartman. I have always loved this poignant
story of a young black man Gordon Ralfe (Poitier), who befriends an abused
blind white girl Selina D'arcy (Hartman) in a city park, and eventually
rescues her from the chaotic and impoverished home life she shares
with her loud-mouthed, slattern mother, Rose Ann (Winters)
and alcoholic grandfather Ole Pa, played by actor Wallace Ford.
Because this film was released in the thick of the Civil Rights Era of the mid-1960's,
it was deemed controversial due to the love relationship which develops between
Gordon and Selina, however, the premise of this story is 'True love is blind".
In her world of darkness, gentle Selina "sees" Gordon as a light of kindness
and good. She knows he is a black man. And she tells him that he is beautiful.
"A Patch Of Blue"
Surprised by Selina's candidness, the more reserved Gordon, reminded
of the social challenges they will face, tells her they must wait a year to
find out if the love they feel for each other is strong enough to lead to marriage.
In the meantime, he has arranged for Selina to attend a school for the blind.
The movie ends with the bus arriving to pick up Selina to take her to the school.
After she is escorted out to the waiting bus, Gordon finds the music box he had
given her has been left behind in his apartment. He races downstairs to the street
with the music box in hand, however, the bus has already left for the school.
Gordon stares after the departing vehicle for a moment,
and then walks back inside his building.
Another favorite Sidney Poitier film of mine is 1967's
"To Sir With Love" the story of an immigrant engineer
from British Guiana who arrives in London and takes a job
teaching at a secondary school in the city's tough East End district.
This movie produced a hit record for English singer, Lulu,
called, "To Sir With Love" which is based on the movie's title.
Lulu also played one of the kids Sidney teaches in the movie.
Every time I hear her sing this song I think of him.
May he rest in peace.
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