SIDNEY POITIER
THE MEASURE OF A MAN
Sidney Poitier is a name that will be instantly recognized by so many of you, but may not at all be known by some readers.
For many film buffs; his name brings to mind a man who has brought pride and substance to his roles.
His part in film history cannot be overstated, especially his contribution in the second half of the twentieth century.
He was one of the first African American actors whose profile was on a par with any other in Hollywood.
His autobiography, The Measure of a Man follows his life from very humble beginnings in the Bahamas, to being the first African American male to win an Oscar for best lead performance in a motion picture.
In 1958 he received a nomination for his role alongside Tony Curtis for his part in, The Defiant Ones, In fact the title of the film could be a term coined especially for many of the characters Poitier would play in subsequent films. Poitier place in the annals of film history is secured.
Most of the roles portrayed by Poitier were of characters that had great dignity.
We are often told that life copies art, but in Poitier case his art was very much influenced by his life, this has got to be seen in the context of the time in which he was plying his trade.
It was the Civil Rights era, when blacks were seen as being less than equal to whites.
As a young man Poitier found his way to New York via some time spent with one of his brothers in Florida, like many other young men of his generation from the Caribbean, he found getting a job to be quite difficult to come by in the Islands.
After working at numerous low paid jobs, he fell into acting almost by accident; having read an add in a local paper for actors to join to join a small black theatre company.
Poitier felt he had nothing to lose and went for an audition, after many false starts, he eventually got a minor part with the company. From that small start the acting bug took hold, thereafter there was no looking back.
At times he was working at more than one jobs to make ends meet.
An incident that was to define Poitier acting career took place, still a struggling actor his agent asked him to audition for a part, although it was offered to him; he refused the part.
In his own mind Poitier believed that the type of character he was asked to play did not feel right to him, he told his unbelieving agent that he was not taking the part.
Six months later the same agent got in touch with Poitier, he was still intrigued to know why he had rejected the part.
Poitier said that the character simply had not measured up, he didn’t behave with dignity.
Poitier father was a poor tomato farmer back on Cat Island in the Bahamas, though poor he had brought his family up with strong values and he (Poitier) wasn’t going to play any part that might dishonour values his Father had passed down.
The agent realized he had someone who was quite special on his hands, thereafter he did whatever he could to help Poitier, Others in the film industry was also drawn to Poitier because of these qualities, and many life long friendships were formed.
In his first big film, The Defiant Ones, the issue of race was confronted head on, this was thought provoking for many in America at that time.
In 1964 Poitier won his Oscar for his part in, Lilies of the Field.
The African American actors, who had paved the way in an earlier time, were very much in his thoughts, the night he picked up his Oscar. He is now thought to be a forerunner; by today’s actors and directors.
However in the late civil rights period Poitier was not immune from criticism, in some quarters he was seen as playing non threatening roles, as he was later to say, he was being taken to task for playing exemplary human beings.
One of his most outstanding roles was as Police Detective Tibbs; alongside Rod Steiger, in the film, In the Heat of the Night.
He found this to be an illuminating experience and called it one of his best acting displays.
Reading this biography is like reading a philosophical textbook, full of carefully thought out observations and reasoning.
During his long and illustrious career he has starred in more than forty films, including Blackboard Jungle, To Sir, With Love and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.
He is also a Director and is the recipient of the Screen Actors Guild’s highest honour,
the Life Achievement Award for an outstanding career and humanitarian accomplishment.
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