Che! Williams has never addressed Kanters allegations, nor has he said that Jimmy mistreated him. A rumor casts a shadow on the legacy of Jimmy Stewart. Strode also had a brief career as a professional gridiron football player and was among the first African . The Cotton Club (1984) A small donation would help us keep this available to all. The Last Rebel (1971) He competed in track and field and played football as a tight-end at UCLA. (See The American Creed video in my article above.). How many games did . In its pages African American studies intellectuals, community activists, and national and international political leaders come to grips with basic issues confronting black America and Africa. Er verffentlichte theologische und philosophische Schriften, Arbeiten zur Musik, insbesondere zu Johann Sebastian Bach, sowie autobiographische Schriften in zahlreichen und vielbeachteten Werken.. I am so glad that I can watch his movies again! According to Strode, John Ford then called the whole cast and crew over, and twisted the comment into something Jimmy Stewart never said. And, as my article highlights, Hal Williams was not in fact fired from The Jimmy Stewart Show, and he does play a police officer in episode 6. On top of this, Reese actor Lee Van Clef who went on to star in Clint Eastwood Spaghetti Westerns said that Ford resented the meddling and so would take out his annoyance on Wayne, whose casting as Doniphon was demanded by the studio. Its such a demoralizing rumor. As James Stewart explained it, Woody Strode, the actor who was playing Waynes characters best friend, was part of the scene. But as a key supporting player, Woody is absolutely perfect, and his many oddities are all the more welcome because of that. There are different takes over why, including that he thought it was a better medium. As expertly portrayed by the comically gifted Kurt Fuller, Woody is a character who is always too much at all times. Caribbean (1952) link], Goal Dusta book that accurately presents Strodes words and thoughtshe never calls Jimmy Stewart a racist, neither does he relate any of the incidents about Jim described in Munns book. A recently posed question casts a shadow on the otherwise pristine legacy of. John Ford wasnt afraid to explore bigotry in his films, but Sergeant Rutledge is a standout and the first big-budget Western to feature a black man as the hero played by Woody Strode. Its such a disheartening rumor thats unfortunately made its way across the internet. The stated primary focus of the 1947 campaign was: to enroll as many people as possible in the fight against racial intolerance, bigotry, and discrimination.. Electric streetcars went everywhere. On Fire (TV) (1987) Apparently, that tendency to over share can get even worse than what viewers are already used to. In his role as the Coroner (and later Assistant Coroner) for the Santa Barbara Police Department, Woody often gets far too involved and far too close for comfort with all of the dead bodies that come his way. He often offers his opinions and most candid thoughts at the least appropriate moments. This story first appeared in the Nov. 3 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Im delighted to put the rumors about him to rest. Producer Julian Blaustein, who produced Jims 1950 film, Broken Arrow, also knew that Jimmy Stewart was not racist: I never knew Jimmy to do or say anything that was racist.. Jimmy Stewart voiced his support for this goal in a 16 second radio campaign that played the week of February 16-23, 1947. Woody Strode. That tendency to be excluded, either intentionally or unthinkingly, clearly plays a major part in his excitement whenever he's actually looped into any episodic adventure - even if it means the friendship group may have killed someone. 20072023 Blackpast.org. Kanters interview includes his overwhelmingly positive insights on both Jim and working on The Jimmy Stewart Show (1971-1972). According to the Munn interview, it took Woody Strode years to realize that it was John Fords cruel maneuverings, not anything Jimmy Stewart actually said, that created the tension Strode felt on the. He and Kenny Washington integrated the National Football League (NFL), and Strode played for the Los Angeles Rams in 1946 before moving to the Canadian Football League in 1948. Bit of a game changer." Though Woody usually means well, he's not always the . No smog because few people could afford cars in those days. Strode was a gladiator in Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954) and was in Jungle Man-Eaters (1954), a Jungle . 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. (After she died in 1980, Strode would marry Tina in 1982, and they were together until his death.). Woody Strode movie reviews & film summaries | Roger Ebert. Woody Strode was a Black Indian (his grandmother was Black Cherokee and his grandfather was Black Muscogee) and an outstanding athlete. Additionally, the director kept mocking Wayne for not enlisting in World War II, which made the star feel guilty in his later years. Aka: We Are No Angels Shawn and Gus try to convince Woody to keep quiet, but Woody warns them that he will tell anyone who he comes across. Strode was in City Beneath the Sea (1953) directed by Budd Boetticher, and The Royal African Rifles. RELATED:10 Witty Buddy Comedies To Watch If You Love 'Psych'. as a Black American, years ago, I read that Jimmy was racist. best of friends ever since they were children, Psych 2: Lassie Come Home: 10 Easter Eggs You Totally Missed. Excellent points Dennis, thanks for commenting! According to Peter Fonda, the sheer fact that Jimmy Stewart was best friends with Peters father. The answer is no. As they were preparing to shoot, Ford came up to Stewart and asked, "What do you think of Woody's costume?" Stewart said that he didn't like it. Martinelli, Outside Man (TV) (1977) Aka: The Last Warrior He was a good man deserving of the love and admiration that so many of us have for him. (He never forgot Calgary, however, and returned to the city in 1986 to aid fundraising for the financially-ailing team. Tarzans Fight for Life (1958) > Obituary Archive Strode, 32 when he signed, never got a chance to prove himself and was released after one season. His last film was The Quick and the Dead, which starred Sharon Stone. In the absence of evidence to support your various claims about Jimmy Stewart, they cannot be taken as fact. Despite his romance with Dinah Shore in the 1940s Stewart was also known to express some mildly anti-Semitic views during the counterculture movement. Ravagers (1979) You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. Genghis Khan (1965) Woody Strode weighed 205 lbs (92 kg) when playing. In 1941, he began working as a professional wrestler, and in 1946, he and Washington became the first two African-American football players to play in the NFL, when they signed with the Los Angeles Rams. She has been in love with all things film and television since she saw her first movie in theatres at 2.5 years old (Muppet Treasure Island, in case you were wondering). To answer your question: Hal Kanter is the only primary source to say that Jimmy had issue with the casting of Hal Williams. While at UCLA, he met his future wife when the football team was playing the University of Hawaii in Honolulu Hawaiian princess Luukialunan Kalaeloa. Michael Munns 2005 biography, Jimmy Stewart: The Truth Behind the Legend[aff. The Black Scholar Jimmys words and actions prove that he was not racist. Producer Julian Blaustein, who produced Jims 1950 film, Jim spoke of his Hollywood career in a series of interviews with. 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). His fellow Gold Dust Gang member Jackie Robinson would break the color barrier in Major League Baseball a year later in 1947. link], repeats The Jimmy Stewart Show casting misunderstanding, citing it as evidence of, in Munns own words, Jims racist spirit. Munn also claims that a 1976 interview he conducted with black actor Woody Strode, Jims co-star in 1962s The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, further proves that Jimmy Stewart was a racist. Lets not allow an unsubstantiated rumor to tarnish the reputation of one of the few Hollywood stars worthy of our complete respect and admiration. An athlete turned actor, Strode was a top-notch decathlete and a football star at UCLA. Before judging Jimmy Stewarts character by the recollections of one man 25 years after an alleged conversation occurred, consider the facts that can be confirmed: Based on the facts that can be confirmed, Hal Kanters anecdote cannot be used as evidence that Jimmy Stewart was racist. Jimmy Stewart was not racist. Strode praised Ford in a 1960 interview. Buruuba (1955) Thankfully, the show never subjected Woody - or viewers - to that possibility. Hal Kanter is our only primary source on the alleged conversation. Thanks for reading, James. Woody Strode and Jimmy Stewart in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). Androcoles and the Lion (1952) Despite these flaws, Kanters anecdote is cited as evidence that Jimmy Stewart was racist. Additionally, the. For his book, Dewey interviewed the producer of Jimmys 1971 television show, writer Hal Kanter. > Canadian Hall of Fame Bride of the Gorilla (1951) Woody Strode was 6-3 (190 cm) tall. Jimmy Stewart worked with several black actors and entertainers throughout his career, including Hal Williams, Woody Strode, Lillian Randolph, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington. Period. Woody acknowledges that he has a daughter he's worried about, but it's really the "43 Twitter followers who depend on" him that cross his mind when he's worried this might be it for him. This man was the definition of a renaissance man, keep reading this article and you will understand exactly why. Never thought of them as brothers though. Im glad you made it.. So glad that Mr. Stewart was not a racist. In director John Fords Sergeant Rutledge (1960), a western where he depicted a soldier on trial for two murders and the rape of a white woman, when Strode bared his chest to a white woman (actress Constance Towers), even the movie audiences gasped. As a black man I should know better by now, and am glad that I decided to look further into the matter. Watch the video below to hear what Jim and the other stars had to say about brotherhood: Freedom, brotherhood, and equality were issues Jimmy Stewart clearly felt strongly about, for he returned to headline American Brotherhood Week the following year. Thanks for your kind words, and for reading Damon! Apr 16: Impact Rebellion 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. The Pompey actor assessed: What a miserable film to make.. I am a black American who was heartbroken when I heard this aweful rumor. Its a trip McQueens wife insists never happened, but nonetheless forms the basis of Munns biography on McQueen, which critics have called preposterous. And when David Nivens son asked for the tapes that Munn swears he recorded of Nivens deathbed confessions, Munn ultimately admitted that his tape recorder had, conveniently, chewed them up years ago. The evidence proves that Jim was not racist. 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. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. Scream (1985) Aka: Black Jesus And according to the actor, Ford froze, then walked away. In 1939 he played for one of UCLA's greatest football teams ever, alongside future baseball legend Jackie Robinson. He died the following year at age 80. For nearly two decades he remained a pioneer against racism in the film and television industry. The Lion Hunters (1951) He wasnt just an athlete on a scholarship at UCLA, he was an academic. The Revengers (1972) However Dewes book was published early in 1996 when Stewart was still alive. 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. Saturday, 4th March 2023See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. In 1992, he was honored by the Cauliflower Alley Club with wrestlings top award, the Iron Mike Mazurki Award. Then he asked Stewart to come over. In the trailer, Jim, Van Johnson, Shirley Temple, Eddie Cantor, Jennifer Jones, Ingrid Bergman, Walter Pidgeon, Katharine Hepburn, and Edward G. Robinson encouraged Americans to stand together in support of freedom for all, a message particularly relevant in the wake of World War II. Bill Fryes exact words to biographer Marc Elliot about Jim turning down Mockingbird were: He turned down To Kill a Mockingbird because he felt the racial thing was too controversialtoo liberal really, but he would never say it that way.. Katharine Hepburn & Woman of the Year, Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Chickpeas and Tarragon Tahini. Youre so right, Jims own words and actions prove that he was not racist. According to Strode: Stewart was never rude to mehe was never rude to anyone. The Harder They Fall, the Black Western in theaters now and on Netflix on Nov. 3, owes a tip of the Stetson to Woody Strode, one of the NFLs first Black players (he signed briefly with the Los Angeles Rams in 1946), who later found a niche playing strong, silent types in Westerns. If we are to take Michael Munns 1976 interview with Woody Strode as fact, then Munns alleged interview with Lee Marvin, another Liberty Valance star, should also be considered. Thank you for reading! Cowboysan (1977) Just ask fans of the Calgary Stampeders. Under coach Les Lear, the young team made it to the Grey Cup, November 27, 1948, set to face the Ottawa Roughriders. Woody Strode, Black Representation and John Ford's SERGEANT RUTLEDGE - YouTube John Ford wasn't afraid to explore bigotry in his films, but Sergeant Rutledge is a standout and the first. All Rights Reserved. For Jimmy Stewart, Duke Ellington was responsible for the best part of each evening: [Duke] played for us in the dining room at night, until ten, eleven, which was great fun for us.. Never had so much fun as I did in Canada. Hi Rosemary, Thanks for reading! I almost fell for that rumor , but to just listen to Mr. Stewarts interview i know in my heart that he was not a racist. Woody Strode was born in California on July 25, 1914. Actually, I had been rassling in the off-season anyhow, Strode told the late, great Canadian newspaper columnist Jim Proudfoot. Jims daughter, Kelly Stewart Harcourt, also knew her father was not racist: There were not a lot of black people in Dads life, but he was not a racist.. That doesnt sound like a racist! Sharing hotel, meals, and a piano jam session on and off film with Duke Ellington. Strode worked in B-movies through the 70s and 80s and acted as the narrator for Mario Van Peebles Black Western Posse in 1993. An athlete turned actor, Strode was a top-notch decathlete and a football star at UCLA. Strode played as an End with the Rams in 1946, playing in 10 games that season. And I looked at Duke Wayne, and he was beaming like a cat that had just eaten the mouse And Duke came over, and said, Well, welcome to the club. In an interview given before he died, Stewart once described the toll that Fords meanness took on Wayne. This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. Required fields are marked *. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Jimmy Stewart was not racist. 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. In a gold-yielding town under a gang's reign of terror, an unusual alliance is forming -- between the townspeople, gunmen, and circus performers.1969 Spaghet.