Sidney Poitier

The first movie that I saw at a theater, albeit a drive-in, was “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner” (1967) starring Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn, and Sidney Poitier, three giants of American cinema.

The first movie that I saw at an indoor theater, over the stern objection of my parents, was “Destroy All Monsters” (1968) starring Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra, three giants of Japanese cinema.

All kidding aside, Sidney Poitier was a giant among giants in the entertainment industry, a consummate performer with unrivaled charisma, dazzling intelligence, fierce passion, deep commitment, and an incomparable stage presence.

“In The Heat Of The Night” was released in the same year as “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner,” but I didn’t see it until two decades later when it became available on VHS. It was worth the wait. It’s one of the most powerful films that I’ve ever watched; it must have landed like a gut punch in 1967.

Poitier was like dynamite to Rod Steiger’s TNT as they dealt with questions of race, law, and perception, questions that the country still grapples with today. Steiger won the Oscar for Best Actor.

The last film that I saw with Mr. Poitier in a featured role was 1992’s star-studded tech caper “Sneakers.” His power and range as an actor had not diminished. He could switch from light comedy to deeply serious drama in a heartbeat. One of my favorite scenes is when he holds the car phone up and calls out to Robert Redford, “It’s your mother” to save his friend from a run in with dangerous bad guys.

You can’t go wrong watching a movie with Sidney Poitier. He always delivered an amazing performance, standing out like a giant no matter who else shared the stage.