Sidney Poitier's character portrayal of a Philadelphia police officer in the classic film In the Heat of the Night is a remarkable one. There are several other actors that also depict their characters well, but Sidney Poitier truly stands out. There are dozens of reasons why his portrayal is so good and why he appeals to the American public. For example, he represents a minority, is incredibly smart, and is dedicated.
Sidney Poitier was to Hollywood what Jackie Robinson was to major league baseball. Simply put, he was the man who broke the color barrier. While the sight of a non-white actor starring in a Hollywood film is now fairly common, though still considered a risk, back in 1967 this was unheard of. The film made it obvious that the people in Sparta did not like Sidney Poitier's character. They thought that he did not have the ability and knowledge that they did. They accuse Tibbs, Sidney Poitier's character, of killing a man simply because he is black. This was something that was particularly common during the time period during which it was filmed. The film continues from that point and builds on the characters" prejudices and weaknesses. It addresses an issue that was controversial during the time it was filmed. Sidney Poitier successfully depicted a character that was breaking the rules of the South. By doing so, he was also breaking the rules of Hollywood.
One of the main qualities of Tibbs that appeals to the American public is his intelligence. When the rest of the characters found out that they were wrong, he figured out a plan and continued to work. There were several times in the film that the Sparta police officers did something wrong while investigating the murder case. When they thought that they had no other choice, Tibbs stepped in and made the solution apparent. He always seemed to outsmart the local police. Tibbs proved that he was intelligent countless times in different ways.
Sidney Poitier was born in Miami, Florida in 1927, but raised in the Bahamas. ... Said Poitier . ... In 1950, Poitier made his first film. ... Poitier also was in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. ... Poitier became a director because while he was filming Buck and the Preacher Poitier and the original director got into it so Poitier took over. ...
Actor and diplomat, Sidney Poitier said, "If you apply logic and reason to this career of mine, you're not going to get very far. ... Poitier became the first black person to win the Best Actor Academy Award for his role in the 1963 movie, "Lilies of the Field." ... Poitier's views on the application of logic is parallel to that of Andre Gide that "Life escapes logic, and everything built on logic is artificial and limited". Sidney Poitier also writes that if he had always used the way of logic he would have never achieved half the things he has in his lifetime. ... This is a theory ...
In today's culturally diverse, politically correct society, it is hard to believe that at one time racism was not only accepted as the norm, but also enjoyed for its entertainment value. Individuals of African descent in North America today take the large, diverse pool of opportunities offered by ...
TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 3 I. THE EVOLUTION OF BLACK FILM 4 1.1. Blackfacing and Film Shorts 4 1.1.1. Early Vignettes 5 1.1.2. The Coon 6 1.1.3. The Tom 9 1.1.4. The Tragic Mulatto 10 1.1.5. The Mammy 11 1.1.6. The Reportorial Film 12 1.2. The Birth of a Nation 13 1.3. The Jeste...
