Sidney Poitier filmography

Sidney Poitier (1927–2022) was an actor and director. He was best known for his groundbreaking and trailblazing work in the 1950s and 1960s. His breakthrough performances in film include The Defiant Ones (1958), Porgy and Bess (1959), A Raisin in the Sun (1961), Paris Blues (1961), Lilies of the Field (1963), A Patch of Blue (1965), To Sir, with Love, In the Heat of the Night and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (all 1967).

Poitier at the Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C in 1963

Filmography

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Actor

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1947 Sepia Cinderella Extra Uncredited
1950 No Way Out Dr. Luther Brooks [1]
1951 Cry, the Beloved Country Reverend Msimangu
1952 Red Ball Express Corporal Andrew Robertson
1954 Go Man Go Inman Jackson
1955 Blackboard Jungle Gregory W. Miller
1956 Good-bye, My Lady Gates Watson
1957 Edge of the City Tommy Tyler
1957 Something of Value Kimani Wa Karanja
1957 Band of Angels Rau-Ru Ponce de Leon
1957 The Mark of the Hawk Obam
1958 Virgin Island Marcus
1958 The Defiant Ones Noah Cullen
1959 Porgy and Bess Porgy
1960 All the Young Men Sergeant Eddie Towler
1961 A Raisin in the Sun Walter Lee Younger [2]
1961 Paris Blues Eddie Cook
1962 Pressure Point Doctor, Chief Psychiatrist
1963 The Long Ships King Aly Mansuh
1963 Lilies of the Field Homer Smith
1965 The Bedford Incident Ben Munceford
1965 The Greatest Story Ever Told Simon of Cyrene
1965 A Patch of Blue Gordon Ralfe
1965 The Slender Thread Alan Newell
1966 Duel at Diablo Toller, Contract Horse Dealer
1967 To Sir, with Love Mr. Mark Thackeray [3]
1967 In the Heat of the Night Detective Virgil Tibbs [4]
1967 Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Dr. John Wade Prentice [5]
1968 For Love of Ivy Jack Parks
1969 The Lost Man Jason Higgs
1970 They Call Me Mister Tibbs! Lieutenant Virgil Tibbs
1971 Brother John John Kane
1971 The Organization Lieutenant Virgil Tibbs
1972 Buck and the Preacher Buck
1973 A Warm December Dr. Matt Younger
1974 Uptown Saturday Night Steve Jackson
1975 The Wilby Conspiracy Shack Twala
1975 Let's Do it Again Clyde Williams
1977 A Piece of the Action Manny Durrell
1979 Paul Robeson: Tribute to an Artist The Narrator Short subject
1988 Shoot to Kill FBI Agent Warren Stantin
1988 Little Nikita Roy Parmenter
1992 Sneakers Donald Crease
1997 The Jackal FBI Deputy Director Carter Preston
2001 The Last Brickmaker in America Henry Cobb

Documentary appearances

Director

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Television

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Performer

Year Title Notes
1952 CBS Television Workshop Episode: Careless Love
1952 Omnibus Episode: The Trial of Anne Boleyn

Talk show appearances

Year Title Notes
1962 The Jack Paar Tonight Show 1 episode
1969 The Mike Douglas Show 1 episode
1972 The Dick Cavett Show 1 episode
1972 The New Bill Cosby Show 1 episode
1975 The Merv Griffin Show 1 episode
1979 The Mike Douglas Show 1 episode
2000–2007 The Oprah Winfrey Show 5 episodes
2008 Larry King Live 1 episode
Year Title Role Notes
1991 Separate but Equal Thurgood Marshall Television film
1995 Children of the Dust Gypsy Smith 2 episodes
1996 To Sir, with Love II Mark Thackeray Television film
1997 Mandela and de Klerk Nelson Mandela Television film
1998 Free of Eden Will Cleamons Television film
1998 David and Lisa Dr. Jack Miller Television film
1999 The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn Noah Dearborn Television film
2001 The Last Brickmaker in America Henry Cobb Television film

References

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  1. ^ "THE SCREEN: TWO NEWCOMERS ON LOCAL SCENE; 'No Way Out,' Fox Film Study of Racial Prejudice, Opens at the Rivoli Theatre Barbara Stanwyck and Walter Huston in 'The Fuaries,' Big Western at Paramount At the Paramount". The New York Times. 17 August 1950. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  2. ^ Crowther, Bosley (30 March 1961). "Poitier Heads Cast of Fine Adaptation". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  3. ^ Crowther, Bosley (15 June 1967). "Screen: Poitier Meets the Cockneys:He Plays Teacher Who Wins Pupils Over". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  4. ^ Murphy, A. D. (21 June 1967). "In the Heat of the Night". Variety. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  5. ^ Murphy, A. D. (6 December 1967). "Film Review: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner". Variety. Retrieved 6 February 2024.