Sounds pretty racist to me. Before becoming one of the first big, black movie stars thanks in large part to legendary director John Fords faith in him Woody Strode was a star on the gridiron. This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. After World War II Woody and Kenny Washington became the first blacks to play in the NFL. Woody Strode: Hollywood Star - YouTube (A small role in 1941s Sundown marked his actual debut.) Producer Julian Blaustein, who produced Jims 1950 film, Jim spoke of his Hollywood career in a series of interviews with. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Subscribe to our newsletter for new stories, tips & events. While Bill Fryes comment cannot be used as evidence that Jimmy Stewart was uncomfortable with racial advancement and equality, theres abundant evidence that Jim was not racist. I refer you back to my section on The Jimmy Stewart Show for the facts behind the casting of Hal Williams. And when we lost, we cried like babies.. I am so glad that I can watch his movies again! Strode would play two more seasons in Calgary before an injury ended his football life. I have watched his films since I was a teenager and hoped that this rumor was untrue. Of course, their football rhythm had been broken up by World War II. Ive done everything but play an Anglo-Saxon. And I went on, and it went around the company: Stewart has never, hes always right up there., The day before the movie finished shooting, the cast was preparing to do the funeral scene. Storyville (1992) Required fields are marked *. In addition to his WWII record, Jimmy was a member of The American Brotherhood of Christians and Jews, which he encouraged others to join. (After she died in 1980, Strode would marry Tina in 1982, and they were together until his death.). Besides marking Calgarys first Grey Cup championship, the 1948 game proved to be a turning point in Grey Cup lore as well. I wanted to crawl into a mouse hole, Stewart recalled. Woody Strode - Biography - IMDb debut in 1941 in Henry Hathaway' s Sundown. Apr 1: WWE WrestleMania And strangely enough, Duke Wayne who, over the years, you know, has made lots of pictures with Ford Duke Wayne has been at the bottom of the list, in the barrel, more than anybody else. More info, The cantankerous and eccentric John Ford had filmed other Westerns with John Wayne in colour from The Searchers to She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. Jimmys words and actions prove that he was not racist. The Sins of Rachel Cade (1961) That year, he would head to Canada to work for Stu Hart in his Klondike Wrestling promotion in Calgary, Alberta (later renamed Stampede Wrestling), before returning to the US to work for his hometown NWA Los Angeles. In response, Ford said: Whats wrong with Uncle Remus? The director then called the crews attention and shouted: One of ourplayersdoesn't like Woody's costume. The Buccaneer (1958) You could smell the orange blossoms. So it's not entirely out of the ordinary for Woody to believe that they're siblings. Ford had to accept those terms or not make the film.. Her brother Peter said that Jimmy Stewart was not racist. But I must say I got a little smug about it. Ford discovered Wayne, then Marion Morrison, when the latter was a University of Southern California student with a summer job on a studio lot. Im delighted to put the rumors about him to rest. But its possible the interview never occurred. Its such a disheartening rumor, and Im so glad you did your own research and came across my article. ", NEXT:Psych 2: Lassie Come Home: 10 Easter Eggs You Totally Missed. Strode was a black cavalry officer on trial for rape and murder, and during the court-martial his story is recounted in flashback. Strode played college football for the UCLA Bruins, the most integrated collegiate team in the nation in 1939, which included future NFL running back Kenny Washington and future Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Jackie Robinson. Strode, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, died of lung cancer in Los Angeles in 1994 at the age of 80. Spartacus is probably Strodes most famous role as the warrior Kirk Douglas refuses to kill. Great Movies Collections TV/Streaming Interviews Movie Reviews Chaz's Journal Contributors Cast and Crew Woody Strode Find on IMDB. An Interview with Woody Strode INTRODUCTION by Frank Manchei interview is with Woody Strode, called by JET magazine, "the Jackie Robinson of cinema." Strode made his film debut in 1941 in Henry Hathaway' s Sundown. On Fire (TV) (1987) Thankfully, the show never subjected Woody - or viewers - to that possibility. He made more than sixty movies including his last film, The Quick and The Dead [1995]. Since 1964-when he, Examinations of masculinity in John Ford's film The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) tend to revolve around the two leading male protagonists played by John Wayne and James Stewart (Tom Doniphon, By clicking accept or continuing to use the site, you agree to the terms outlined in our. Donald Bogle, Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies & Bucks (New York: Continuum, 1992); Internet Movie Data Base (IMDB) title search by key word; Woody Strode,; The Timeout Film Guide, edited by Tom Milne, Penguin Books, 3rd Edition, 1992. Vigilante (1983) Tha Gatling Gun (1973) Thanks for reading! With a bizarre range of habits and tendencies, Woody would be a lot to handle if he were either a real person, or the series' main character. Warner Bros. wanted Sidney Poitier, but Ford pushed back, saying he wasnt tough enough to play Rutledge. During the interview, when we are alone, Strode is relaxed and easy to talk with almost as if he had discovered a long lost relative and was eager to reconstruct the past. Woody Strode Net Worth, Bio, Age, Height, Wiki [Updated 2023 January ] Actor: Spartacus. > Video Youd never see them in the big department stores. Ford proceeded to announce to the entire company that: One of the actors here doesnt like Uncle Remus. The answer is no. In 1990, Strodes autobiography, Goal Dust, was published. The leader's evil brother is plotting to prevent the youthful heir from assuming his rightful position. He died the following year at age 80. According to Kanter, Jim erroneously believed that black actor Hal Williams had been cast as a police officer in an episode where there would be a cop lashing into the professor [Jimmys] character.. Well researched! Two teammates at UCLA were Jackie Robinson and Kenny Washington. He was a good man deserving of the love and admiration that so many of us have for him. In fact, Woody was already calling someone on his cell phone: Shawn. I wanted to set the record straight, for Jim and all of us who admire his remarkable work and life. Pompey actor Woody Strode remembered that Ford kept needling Duke about his failure to make it as afootballplayer, comparing him to Strode who was a former NFL player. Thanks again for reading! He's a baffling combination of crass and innocent, and all of his interactions with every member of the series' primary cast are always guaranteed to bring a laugh. Woody Strode - Pro-Football-Reference Woody Strode and Jimmy Stewart in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). Retro book review: Strodes story a fascinating read, WOODY STRODES MOVIES In Liberty Valance, a picture I did with Duke, Stewart recounted. He was interred with military honors at Riverside National Cemetery, east of his hometown.. He became part of Hollywood lore after meeting director John Ford and becoming a part of the Ford "family," appearing in four Ford motion pictures. Hi Wyman! Also in the Munn interview, Strode relates an incident in which. > Sporting Connection Razza violenta (1984) To promote Brotherhood Week, Jimmy Stewart opened and closed a 3 minute trailer that played before feature films at theaters across the United States. But when it came to shooting 1962s The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance with Duke and Jimmy Stewart on the Paramount lot, the director opted for black and white instead. Jimmy Stewart worked with several black actors and entertainers throughout his career, including Hal Williams, Woody Strode, Lillian Randolph, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington. We dont know why Jimmy turned down Mockingbird. African Treasure (1952) Strode lived in Italy for five years and made 12 films there. In addition to the testaments of people who knew him, Jimmy Stewarts own words and actions prove he was not racist. Strode was born in Los Angeles on July 25, 1914, the son . All the while, he continued to work in often uncredited roles in Hollywood films in minor roles, before landing the role of the King of Ethiopia in the 1956 film The Ten Commandments featuring Charleton Heston. But Woody's own behaviors raise plenty of questions about his intentions, including his admission that he's "been playing with dead things since [he] was a toddler.". Saturday, 4th March 2023See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. Yet it was this famous athleteturned-actor who, with the great running back Kenny Washington, overcame the segregation hurdle in professional football when they signed with the Los Angeles Rams in the National Football League in 1946. Woody Strode, the football player turned actor who had supporting roles in John Wayne films and costume period epics such as "Spartacus" and "The Ten Commandments," has died at age 80. This story first appeared in the Nov. 3 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. African American History: Research Guides & Websites, Global African History: Research Guides & Websites, African American Scientists and Technicians of the Manhattan Project, Envoys, Diplomatic Ministers, & Ambassadors, Education - Historically Black Colleges (HBCU), Political Activists - Radicals and Marxists, Foundation, Organization, and Corporate Supporters. Aka: The Last Warrior It was on the set of 1959s Pork Chop Hill, a Korean War film, that Strode met John Ford (though Ford was not the director; Lewis Milestone and star Gregory Peck shared the credit). Aka: The Devils Backbone Due to the intense love and fandom ofPsych fans (known as Psych-os) all around the world,Psych has evolved from being a series to being a franchise that shows no sign of slowing down. Woody Strode: Pioneer of ring, field and screen | Slam Wrestling His last film was The Quick and the Dead, which starred Sharon Stone. Six decades later, the film continues to attract attention because it was one of the first mainstream films in the U.S. to treat racism frankly and to give a starring role to an African-American actor. Then, when the steeds had halted, he tried to pick a punch up with his younger co-star. The Alleged Woody Strode Interview Michael Munn's dangerous habit of mixing truth with exaggeration and fallacy calls his alleged interview with Woody Strode into question. The fame he had built through football and movies helped open up wrestling as well, and Strode wrestled white grapplers in Texas in the early 50s. ), Wrestling was next on his resume. Excellent points Dennis, thanks for commenting! Terrible rumors about Jimmy Stewarts beliefs have sprung from an interview that possibly never occurred. I am a black American who was heartbroken when I heard this aweful rumor. Katharine Hepburn & Woman of the Year, Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Chickpeas and Tarragon Tahini. Jimmy Stewart Was Not Racist. Here's Why. - Vanguard of Hollywood In 1992, he was honored by the Cauliflower Alley Club with wrestlings top award, the Iron Mike Mazurki Award. Jan. 3, 1995 12 AM PT. Genghis Khan (1965) Jims plea underscores his belief in peace, freedom, and equality for all: This is Jimmy Stewart reminding you that this is Brotherhood week; a week reminding us all that the world of the future must be built on the recognition of the rights of each individual, whatever his color, creed, or national background.
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