Sidney Poitier

Born: 1927-02-20

Sidney Poitier KBE (February 20, 1927 – January 6, 2022) was a Bahamian and American actor, film director, and diplomat. In 1964, he was the first black actor and first Bahamian to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. He received two competitive Golden Globe Awards, a competitive British Academy of Film and Television Arts award (BAFTA), and a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album. Poitier was one of the last major stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema. Description above from the Wikipedia article Sidney Poitier, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.


Placeholder

Sneakers

as Crease
Released: 1992-09-09

When shadowy U.S. intelligence agents blackmail a reformed computer hacker and his eccentric...

Movie page

The Greatest Story Ever Told

as Simon of Cyrene
Released: 1965-04-09

From his birth in Bethlehem to his death and eventual resurrection, the life of Jesus Christ is...

Movie page

In the Heat of the Night

as Virgil Tibbs
Released: 1967-08-02

African-American Philadelphia police detective Virgil Tibbs is arrested on suspicion of murder...

Movie page

The Jackal

as Carter Preston
Released: 1997-11-14

Hired by a powerful member of the Russian mafia to avenge an FBI sting that left his brother...

Movie page

Shoot to Kill

as Warren Stantin
Released: 1988-02-12

When a cunning murderer vanishes into the rugged mountains of the Pacific Northwest, pursuing...

Movie page

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

as John Prentice
Released: 1967-12-11

A couple's attitudes are challenged when their daughter brings home a fiancé who is black.

Movie page

Blackboard Jungle

as Gregory W. Miller
Released: 1955-03-25

Richard Dadier is a teacher at North Manual High School, an inner-city school where many of the...

Movie page

The Bedford Incident

as Ben Munceford
Released: 1965-10-11

During a routine patrol, a reporter is given permission to interview a hardened cold-war warrior...

Movie page

To Sir, with Love

as Mark Thackeray
Released: 1967-06-14

A British Guianese engineer starts a job as a high school teacher in London’s East End, where...

Movie page

Little Nikita

as Roy Parmenter
Released: 1988-03-17

Roy Parmenter is an FBI agent in San Diego; 20 years ago his partner was killed by a Soviet spy,...

Movie page

They Call Me Mister Tibbs!

as Virgil Tibbs
Released: 1970-07-10

A police detective's investigation of a prostitute's murder points to his best friend.

Movie page

A Raisin in the Sun

as Walter Lee Younger
Released: 1961-05-28

Walter Lee Younger is a young man struggling with his station in life. Sharing a tiny apartment...

Movie page

The Defiant Ones

as Noah Cullen
Released: 1958-08-14

Two convicts—a white racist and an angry black man—escape while chained to each other.

Movie page

A Patch of Blue

as Gordon Ralfe
Released: 1965-12-10

A blind, uneducated white girl is befriended by a black man, who becomes determined to help her...

Movie page

Lilies of the Field

as Homer Smith
Released: 1963-06-04

An unemployed construction worker heading out west stops at a remote farm in the desert to get...

Movie page

The Long Ships

as Aly Mansuh
Released: 1964-04-22

Moorish ruler El Mansuh is determined to locate a massive bell made of gold known as the "Mother...

Movie page

No Way Out

as Dr. Luther Brooks
Released: 1950-08-16

Two hoodlum brothers are brought into a hospital for gunshot wounds, and when one of them dies...

Movie page

Buck and the Preacher

as Buck
Released: 1972-03-17

A wagon master and a con-man preacher help freed slaves dogged by cheap-labor agents out West.

Movie page

Paris Blues

as Eddie Cook
Released: 1961-09-27

During the 1960s, two American jazz musicians living in Paris meet and fall in love with two...

Movie page

Duel at Diablo

as Toller
Released: 1966-06-15

While crossing the desert, a frontier scout, Jess Remsberg, rescues Ellen Grange from a pursuing...

Movie page

To Sir, With Love II

as Mark Thackeray
Released: 1996-04-07

After thirty years teaching in London, Mark Thackeray retires and returns to Chicago. There,...

Movie page

And the Oscar Goes To...

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2014-02-01

The story of the gold-plated statuette that became the film industry's most coveted prize, AND...

Movie page

I Am Not Your Negro

as Various Roles (archive footage)
Released: 2017-02-03

Working from the text of James Baldwin’s unfinished final novel, director Raoul Peck creates a...

Movie page

Denzel Washington - Un modèle américain

as Self
Released: 2022-10-15

In 30 years of a deeply committed career and 50 roles, Denzel Washington, double-Oscar winner,...

Movie page

The Organization

as Virgil Tibbs
Released: 1971-10-20

After a group of young revolutionaries break into a company's corporate headquarters and steal...

Movie page

Band of Angels

as Rau-Ru
Released: 1957-08-03

Living in Kentucky prior to the Civil War, Amantha Starr is a privileged young woman. Her...

Movie page

Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night

as Self - Audience Member
Released: 1988-01-03

Recorded live at the Coconut Grove in Los Angeles, Roy is joined by an eclectic ensemble of rock...

Movie page

The Red Ball Express

as Robertson
Released: 1952-05-29

August 1944: proceeding with the invasion of France, Patton's Third Army has advanced so far...

Movie page

The Wilby Conspiracy

as Shack Twala
Released: 1975-02-01

Having spent 10 years in prison for nationalist activities, Shack Twala is finally ordered...

Movie page

The Slender Thread

as Alan Newell
Released: 1965-12-15

Alan is a Seattle college student volunteering at a crisis center. One night when at the clinic...

Movie page

Pressure Point

as Doctor
Released: 1962-10-10

An African-American prison psychiatrist finds the boundaries of his professionalism sorely...

Movie page

Uptown Saturday Night

as Steve Jackson
Released: 1974-07-26

Two blue-collar buddies search the underworld for a winning lottery ticket lost in a nightclub...

Movie page

Edge of the City

as Tommy Tyler
Released: 1957-01-04

An army deserter and a black dock worker join forces against a corrupt manager.

Movie page

Something of Value

as Kimani Wa Karanja
Released: 1957-05-08

As Kenya's Mau Mau uprising tears the country apart, former childhood friends Kimani (Sidney...

Movie page

The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn

as Noah Dearborn
Released: 1999-05-09

In the small Southern community of Twin Pines, GA, lives Noah Dearborn, a master craftsman and...

Movie page

Sidney

as Self
Released: 2022-09-10

This revealing documentary honors the legendary Sidney Poitier—iconic actor, filmmaker, and...

Movie page

Let's Do It Again

as Clyde Williams
Released: 1975-10-11

Clyde Williams and Billy Foster are a couple of blue-collar workers in Atlanta who have promised...

Movie page

A Warm December

as Dr. Matt Younger
Released: 1973-05-23

Widower Dr. Matt Younger and his daughter go to London for a month of dirt-bike racing. While...

Movie page

Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project

as Self
Released: 2007-10-13

The documentary consists of tape of Don's show (never been filmed before), interviews with Don's...

Movie page

Brother John

as John Kane
Released: 1971-08-15

An enigmatic man (Sidney Poitier) returns to his Alabama hometown as his sister is dying of...

Movie page

Separate But Equal

as Thurgood Marshall
Released: 1991-04-07

A dramatization of the American court case that destroyed the legal validity of racial...

Movie page

Reinventing Elvis: The 68' Comeback

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2023-07-30

The making of Elvis Presley's famous live TV concert and the chaotic behind the scenes. It was...

Movie page

David and Lisa

as Dr. Jack Miller
Released: 1998-11-01

A psychiatrist tries to treat an emotionally disturbed teenage boy who has a pathological fear...

Movie page

For Love of Ivy

as Jack Parks
Released: 1968-07-17

A white family has had the same Black maid for many years. When she tells them she wants to go...

Movie page

Porgy and Bess

as Porgy
Released: 1959-06-24

Set in the early 1900s in the fictional Catfish Row section of Charleston, South Carolina, which...

Movie page

Go Man Go

as Inman Jackson
Released: 1954-01-27

The story of Abe Saperstein and the creation of the Harlem Globetrotters.

Movie page

The Lost Man

as Jason Higgs
Released: 1969-07-11

A gang of black militants plots to rob a factory to finance their "revolutionary struggle."

Movie page

The Mark of the Hawk

as Obam
Released: 1957-12-01

The man called Obam struggles with the increasingly hostile forces facing each other in a...

Movie page

AFI Life Achievement Award: 50th Anniversary Special

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2023-12-30

TCM host Ben Mankiewicz hosts this 50th anniversary special, with archival footage from 50 years...

Movie page

Sing Your Song

as Self
Released: 2012-01-13

Most people know the lasting legacy of Harry Belafonte, the entertainer. This film unearths his...

Movie page

A Piece of the Action

as Manny Durrell
Released: 1977-10-07

How does retired cop Joshua Burke (James Earl Jones) get two career criminals, Manny Durrell...

Movie page

Paul Newman: The Restless

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2023-06-11

Multi-talented, Paul Newman is one of the greatest American actors of all time. With his...

Movie page

Sidney Poitier: One Bright Light

as uncredited
Released: 2000-02-02

Actor/director Sidney Poitier discusses his life and career. He tells of his upbringing in...

Movie page

King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1970-03-24

Constructed from a wealth of archival footage, the documentary follows Dr. Martin Luther King,...

Movie page

AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Barbra Streisand

as Self
Released: 2001-05-31

Barbra Streisand became the 29th recipient of the prestigious American Film Institute (AFI) Life...

Movie page

Free of Eden

as Will Cleamons
Released: 1999-02-21

Story about Will Cleamons, a former teacher-turned-businessman who agrees to tutor 18-year-old...

Movie page

Moms Mabley

as Self
Released: 2013-04-20

A feature documentary about Jackie "Moms" Mabley, an African-American stand-up comic and...

Movie page

The Last Brickmaker in America

as Henry Cobb
Released: 2001-09-23

A man must cope with the loss of his wife and the obsolescence of his job before finding...

Movie page

Virgin Island

as Marcus
Released: 1959-08-07

A British woman marries an American writer in spite of her family's disapproval and goes to live...

Movie page

Good-bye, My Lady

as Gates Watson
Released: 1956-05-12

An old man and a young boy who live in the southeastern Mississippi swamps are brought together...

Movie page

Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist

as Reverend Msimangu (archive footage)
Released: 1998-01-01

A documentary look at the confluence of the Red scare, McCarthyism, and blacklists with the...

Movie page

Night of 100 Stars II

as Self
Released: 1985-03-10

This special is the second "Night of 100 Stars" to benefit The Actors Fund of America. Edited...

Movie page

The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn

as Self
Released: 1986-03-09

In this tribute to her frequent co-star and longtime love, Katharine Hepburn hosts a...

Movie page

Cry, the Beloved Country

as Reverend Msimangu
Released: 1951-11-16

In the back country of South Africa, black minister Stephen Kumalo journeys to the city to...

Movie page

Sidney Poitier - Der Mann, der Hollywood veränderte

as (archive footage)
Released: 2023-01-23

Movie page

All the Young Men

as Sgt. Eddie Towler
Released: 1960-08-26

During the Korean War, the lieutenant in charge of a Marine rifle platoon is killed in battle....

Movie page

Mr. SOUL!

as Self (archival footage)
Released: 2018-04-27

On the heels of the Civil Rights Movement, one fearless black pioneer reconceived a Harlem...

Movie page

Richard Widmark: Strength of Characters

as Self
Released: 2000-06-29

A career overview of film and TV actor Richard Widmark.

Movie page

A Cinderella Named Elizabeth

as Self
Released: 1965-01-01

Describes how Elizabeth Hartman was auditioned and chosen for the part of Selina in "A Patch of...

Movie page

Quincy Jones: In the Pocket

as Self
Released: 2001-11-18

Composer, record, TV and film producer, arranger, instrumentalist, magazine founder and...

Movie page

The Madding Crowd

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2017-02-01

"A great many conundrums." An assemblage of found footage.

Movie page

A Man Is Ten Feet Tall

as Tommy Tyler
Released: 1955-10-02

Axel, secretly AWOL from the army, joins a black waterfront worker in his fight against bigotry....

Movie page

Nationtime

as Self - Narrator
Released: 1972-11-01

A report on the National Black Political Convention held in Gary, Indiana, in 1972, a historic...

Movie page

Mandela and de Klerk

as Nelson Mandela
Released: 1997-02-16

Sidney Poitier and Michael Caine both received Emmy nominations for their performances in this...

Movie page

The Strolling '20s

as Self
Released: 1966-02-04

Harry Belafonte and Sidney Poitier travel down memory lane to see what life was like back in the...

Movie page

Martin Luther King and the March on Washington

as Self
Released: 2013-01-01

Documentary commemorating the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's March on Washington, a...

Movie page

Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes / Feeling Heart

as Self
Released: 2017-10-14

On March 11, 1959, Lorraine Hansberry’s 'A Raisin in the Sun' opened on Broadway and changed the...

Movie page

Paul Robeson: Tribute to an Artist

as Narrator (voice)
Released: 1979-10-29

This Academy Award-winning documentary short Paul Robeson: Tribute to an Artist, narrated by...

Movie page

Poitier's Walter Lee

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2018-09-25

An interview with film scholar Mia Mask, co-editor of Poitier Revisited.

Movie page

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

as Self
First aired: 1962-10-01

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight...

TV Show page

Tony Awards

as Self - Presenter
First aired: 1956-04-01

The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award,...

TV Show page

The Oscars

as Self
First aired: 1953-03-19

An annual American awards ceremony honoring cinematic achievements in the film industry. The...

TV Show page

The Dick Cavett Show

as Self - Guest
First aired: 1968-06-06

The Dick Cavett Show has been the title of several talk shows hosted by Dick Cavett on various...

TV Show page

The Philco Television Playhouse

as uncredited
First aired: 1948-10-03

The Philco Television Playhouse is an American anthology series that was broadcast live on NBC...

TV Show page

The Philco Television Playhouse

as Tommy Tyler
First aired: 1948-10-03

The Philco Television Playhouse is an American anthology series that was broadcast live on NBC...

TV Show page

The Kennedy Center Honors

as Self
First aired: 1978-12-28

The Kennedy Center Honors is an annual honor given to those in the performing arts for their...

TV Show page

Cinépanorama

as Self
First aired: 1956-02-04

TV Show page

The American Film Institute Salute to ...

as Self
First aired: 1973-04-02

In 1973 the American Film Institute initiated its Life Achievement Award, to be presented to a...

TV Show page

Children of the Dust

as Gypsy Smith
First aired: 1995-02-26

Gypsy Smith, is a gunfighter and a bounty hunter. When he leads the US army into a Cheyenne camp...

TV Show page

Separate but Equal

as Thurgood Marshall
First aired: 1991-04-07

A two-part miniseries. Dramatizes the events leading up to the 1954 Supreme Court decision on...

TV Show page