By: Jenny Castro
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 10/1/24 – “We are all made of the same stuff – weaknesses and strengths, hopes and dreams, and a need to leave evidence of our existence etched on the walls of our time. Art and culture will speak the loudest and the longest of our moment in the sun.” Sidney Poitier
A new book compiled by Joanna Poitier in partnership with Hachette Book Group: Running Press has been released today titled, “Sidney Poitier: The Great Speeches Of An Icon Who Moved Us Forward. With a foreword by Oprah Winfrey, the book takes a fascinating look inside the mind and intellect of Sidney Poitier, a once in a lifetime man, talent, and actor who made history by becoming the first Black man to win an Academy Award in 1964 for his role in Lilies of the Field. Poitier’s groundbreaking career also included notable films such as Blackboard Jungle, Band of Angels alongside Clark Gable and Yvonne DeCarlo, The Defiant Ones, To Sir, with Love, A Patch of Blue, and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner with Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn. Poitier was known for breaking stereotypes in the Black community and portraying sophisticated and dignified characters against the backdrop of tense race relations in the U.S. He is also known for advocating for civil rights and paving the way for Black actors and actresses in Hollywood who came after him.
Passing away at the age of 94 in 2022, he has left behind an iconic legacy including films, books, and the many mesmerizing speeches which his widow Joanna Poitier stumbled upon while cleaning up his office. “After Sidney died, I had to go through his office and clean up and get rid of a lot of stuff and I came across a whole drawer full of speeches,” said Joanna Poitier. Adding, “There’s still about 50-60 more that we didn’t put in the book, but I thought it would be a waste not to do something about it. So, I put it out there and Running Press came along and wanted to do it, and that’s how it all happened.” The book features iconic photography from Poitier’s films, along with photos with family and with fellow colleagues and friends from Hollywood.
Readers can expect to find many insightful and wonderful speeches from Poitier given at college commencement ceremonies, awards shows, and memorials including speaking at the memorial for Dorothy Dandridge, Sarah Vaughan, and Spencer Tracy. Compiling the book was memorable for Joanna as she recalls, “It was a lot of work because you have to go through all the speeches and then I sent a whole bunch that were chosen and then you have to get the photos relating to it, and so it took a lot of time and effort, but it was definitely worth it. I think people can probably learn from just reading what he has to say. A lot of them were about our friends too. He was just very prolific and wonderful and a person who was self-educated” she said.
Leaving Canada at the age of 18, Joanna landed modeling gigs in Paris and was featured in Elle Magazine, “One thing led to another, and I just never left Paris and stayed there for 8 years. After having modeled for a few years, somebody saw my photo and a director asked to see me, and I made a film with Jean-Luc Godard who was a famous French director and that was my first film.” Joanna would go on to star in other films and eventually one with Poitier.
Married for over 40 years, A Patch of Blue had been the first film that Joanna had ever seen Poitier in, “I had lived in Paris, and they asked me to do a film with him, and I had never seen any of his movies because I was speaking French and watching French movies. So I went to London, and it was playing there and that’s the first movie I saw him in and I thought “oh he’s so sweet,” she recalls. The two would eventually meet as Joanna landed a role in the film titled, “The Lost Man,” from 1969 alongside Poitier. Reflecting on meeting Sidney, Joanna recalls the first moment, “I was like “Oh my God” I’m going to have lunch at the university commissary with the producer and the director and Sidney comes walking in and he had on this pale blue suit, and he was very sweet and very nice and wonderful, and I got the job.” Marrying in 1976, Joanna would go on to have two daughters with Poitier named Sydney and Anika. The couple also never experienced discrimination as Joanna recalls, “I don’t know why but nobody ever touched him, and nobody ever bothered with us either. The fact that we were an interracial couple, and it was the 60s and there was a lot of tension in the 60s but nobody ever had a problem with us,” she said. Speaking of their daughters, Joanna admits they were largely unaware of their father’s status while growing up, “I don’t think they really knew he was an actor at some point, but he was a wonderful dad and very hands-on.”
Regarding a favorite project of Poitier’s, Joanna says he thoroughly enjoyed a variety of hobbies and activities including literature, “He enjoyed writing as he wrote several books. He also liked a lot of his films, but never chose a film for the money. He only chose it if he felt good about it and understood what was going on in the film. He was very particular,” Joanna said.
Takeaways for readers? “I think basically just that Sidney was a very interesting man and totally self-taught. He was one of the smartest people I’ve ever known and just the most incredible human being and father. He was very caring, loving and very understanding for most people.” Advice for young women out there pursuing a career, Joanna says, “I would say to pursue whatever makes your heart feel good, and hope for the best.”
Sidney Poitier: The Great Speeches Of An Icon Who Moved Us Forward” is available viz Amazon and via Hachette Book Group: Running Press.
