When World War II began, Strode was playing for the Hollywood Bears football team, but soon joined the Air Force and spent much of the war unloading bombs in Guam and the Marianas, as well as playing on the Army football team at March Field in Riverside. Strode and Washington, an All-American in 1939, linked up the following year with the Hollywood Bears of the minor Pacific Coast Professional Football League. But it says a lot about them to be able to do what I would call something for the greater good," Johnson, reflecting on the Forgotten Four's feat, told CBS News this year. Another well-known role was Pompey, John Waynes servant in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). He graced the screen alongside Sean Connery, Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, and John Wayne, plus Joe Namath when the Jets quarterback toyed with acting in the afterglow of his Super Bowl triumph. [21], He had a support role in Tarzan's Fight for Life (1958) and a small part in The Buccaneer (1958). Strode was in City Beneath the Sea (1953) directed by Budd Boetticher, and The Royal African Rifles. Stagecoach (1939 trailer screenshots) (11 F) Media in category "Stagecoach (1939 film)" The following 4 files are in this category, out of 4 total. Posed for one of two paintings commissioned by, Reportedly, his favorite film from his career was, Played college football for the UCLA Bruins, the most integrated collegiate team in the nation in 1939, which included future NFL running back. The film takes place at that turning point in the West when the rule of force gave way to the rule of law, and when literacy began to gain a foothold. (One stylistic touch: In this film, he habitually calls Stoddard "Pilgrim," which expresses an insight into the lawyer's character.). Strode encountered racism in the NFL. Even when Ford later directed the passing drama Pinky in 1949 for Fox, which told the story of a blackwoman passing for white, Fox studio head Darryl Zanuck replaced Ford with director Elia Kazan after the first week of shooting, because Zanuck, in seeing the footage that Ford shot, felt his depiction of the black characters in the film was so offensive that he couldnt allow him to continue directing the rest of the film. Sam Raimi's Western "The Quick and The Dead," starring Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe, and Leonardo DiCaprio, is dedicated to him. Rams owner Dan Reeves didn't like that Strode's marriage was interracial: his first wife, Luana, was descended from a Hawaiian queen. TVTropes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. The result was a few films in which he seemed to be, in a way, making an apology for the wrongs he committed in terms ofhis distorted portrayals of people of color in his previous films. The filmmaker would ask his Western star: How rich did you get while Jimmy was risking his life?, According to Michael Munns John Wayne The Man Behind The Myth, Strode said that the directors constant ridiculing really p***ed Wayne off, but he would never take it out on Ford., The reason being that the filmmakers movies had made him a Hollywood star and the Pompey actor claimed: He ended up taking it out on me.. Strode, the six-foot-four pioneering athlete turned movie star, was born in 1914, in South Central Los Angeles, to Black and Native American parents. In 1964, there was his penultimate work, the nearly three-hour-long roadshow western epic Cheyenne Autumn, complete with an intermission, a70MM Super Panavision print, released by Warners, which told the true story of a Cheyenne tribe who travel by foot across 1,500 miles back to their ancestral hunting grounds, while US Army troops are ordered to send them back by force if necessary. Red Haircrow, Other Works Strodes riveting presence among a trio of hired gunslingers waiting at the train station in the spaghetti western, Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), is unforgettable. It's not saying too much to note that Ransom Stoddard is elected to the U. S. Senate because he is "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance." He appeared once on Johnny Weissmuller's 19551956 syndicated television series Jungle Jim and was in an episode of Private Secretary. In a few characters and a gripping story, Ford dramatizes the debate about guns that still continues in many Western states. Do you find this information helpful? As the film opens, U. S. Senator Ransom Stoddard (James Stewart) arrives in Shinbone by the new railroad with his wife Hallie (Vera Miles) to attend the funeral of a man named Tom Doniphon (John Wayne). He was always magnificent with a no-nonsense style and quiet intellect that no athlete-turned actor has ever surpassed. Woody played for the Los Angeles Rams after their move from Cleveland. When World War II broke out, Strode was playing for the Hollywood Bears in the Pacific Coast Professional Football League. All structured data from the file namespace is available under the. James Stewart Once Described What It Was Like Working with a Frequent John Wayne Collaborator, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5mcU74rHGM, James Stewart on what it was like to work with John Ford (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5mcU74rHGM). He guest starred on The Man from Blackhawk (1960). Pas : USA "La diligencia" pelcula de pelculas de vaqueros y accin producida en USA. While making Pork Chop Hill he became a close friend of director John Ford. Woody Strode (1914-1994) Born July 28, 1914, in Los Angeles, California, Woody Strode (Woodrow Wilson Woolwine Strode) was first of the star football athletes to become a successful film actor. 1951: The Lion Hunters; Bride of the Gorilla. Sergeant Rutledge is a 1960 western film from Warner Brothers and the director John Ford. It's clear they loved him. But hes eventually taken in by his own men to face trial. When he walks into a bar to fetch Tom, the bartender won't serve him, and Tom slams hard on the bar: "Give him a drink." The retired NFL wideout, in tandem with his co-author Bob Glauber, persuaded the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022 to recognize the so-called Forgotten Four as pathfinders. UsefulNotes/Notable Actors from Hollywood's Golden Age. Bob Rea . The Pompey actor assessed: What a miserable film to make.. John Ford and John Wayne together created much of the mythology of the Old West we carry in our minds. According to Woody, he's even less in control of himself, and all of his faculties, when tickling is involved. 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. By the mid 1960s Strode had become a respected craftsman and began to make his biggest imprint in Spaghetti Westerns, particularly in Sergio Leones Once Upon a Time in the West (1968). The drunken marshal won't protect him. Halfway through filming, Duke even asked Stewart why he wasnt being targeted by Fords insults too, which other members of the cast and crew had noticed. He stayed in Europe to make another Western The Unholy Four (1970) and went back to Hollywood to do a TV movie Breakout (1970) and two Westerns The Deserter (also known as "The Devil's Backbone") (1971), and The Gatling Gun (1971). He was also a professional wrestler, wrestling the likes of Gorgeous George. Strode and teammate Kenny Washington were among the best-known college football players in the nation. He is killed and his death sparks a gladiator rebellion. Director John Ford Writers James Warner Bellah (novel) Willis Goldbeck Stars Jeffrey Hunter Woody Strode Constance Towers See production, box office & company info Watch on Prime Video In 1963, he was cast opposite Jock Mahoney's Tarzan as both the dying leader of an unnamed Asian country and that leader's unsavory brother, Khan, in Tarzan's Three Challenges. [3], In 1941, Strode had dabbled for several months in professional wrestling. He simply does not have to say a word.". "I would have lost that role if I hadn't been in shape, and if I hadn't had a lot of experience as a wrestler," Strode told the Pittsburgh Courier after the film's release, according to Slam Wrestling. But Pompey won't drink. [3], "I got a cultural educationmajored in history and education," he said in a 1971 interview. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, How Green Was My Valley among his some 140 films he directed in his career. [2] Following the end of his football career in 1949, he returned to wrestling part-time between acting jobs until 1962, wrestling the likes of Gorgeous George. I'd do that if I could. Woody Strode was a respected actor with strong African and Native American ancestry. ", - IMDb Mini Biography By: [19], They wanted him to shave his head. I had the greatest Glory Hallelujah ride across the Pecos River that any black man ever had on the screen. Bit of a game changer." Though Woody usually means well, he's not always the . John Ford put classic words in my mouth.". Keeping to one side, Tom Doniphon observes everything but is slow to act; his strength is silently coiled. "They are not household names like Jackie Robinson. Despite the lack of opportunities for actors of color in his era, Woody Strode left a legacy worth revisiting. Calgary beat the Ottawa Rough Riders 12-7 in Toronto. [3] He called it "the first dramatic thing that I had done."[7]. He once said his interracial marriage (to an Hawaiian princess)and integrating the NFLwere the few times that racism caused him concern. Strode is perhaps best remembered as the stoic slave gladiator in Spartacus (1960) who tells Kirk Douglas: I dont want to be your friend. With a strong presence in the screen, he. ", Also online in my Great Movies Collection: John Ford's "The Grapes of Wrath," "Stagecoach," "The Searchers," "Rio Bravo" and "My Darling Clementine," and John Wayne in Howard Hawk's "Red River.". Played college football and broke color barrier at the same time as Kenny Washington. "And this is not being facetious, but Mr. Ford defended me; and I don't know that this is going on. Strode's Associated Press obituary praised his work in Westerns and period dramas, but didn't mention the trail he blazed on the gridiron. Strode gave the Hollywood establishment what they demanded and appeared in some of the best and the worst of what they offered him. Strode's other television work included a role as the Grand Mogul in the Batman episodes "Marsha, Queen of Diamonds" and "Marsha's Scheme of Diamonds". Four years Strode's junior, Washington scampered for a 92-yard touchdown in 1947 and spent three seasons with the Rams before retiring. In a later tribute to Strode, the 'Sheriff Woody' character in the Toy Story movies was named after him. The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City last year enshrined him in the Hall of Great Western Performers. | But he also was described once as a tough, two-fisted, hard-drinking Irish sonofabitch who was known to treat actors on his films horribly, by bullying, yelling and even mocking them. After his football career, he went on to . United States. Tom Doniphon is a local farmer, who observes, "Liberty Valance's the toughest man south of the Picketwire--next to me." And so the studio actually tried to trick audiences into thinking that the film was about the white characters. I'd play a Viking with blue contact lenses and a blond wig.". I'd play a Viking with blue contact lenses and a blond wig if I could. . He was in a TV adaptation of Mandrake the Magician (1954), a pilot for a series that was not picked up, and had small parts in Son of Sinbad (1955), Soldiers of Fortune (1955), and Buruuba (1956) a Japanese film set in Africa. When out on the road with the team, Strode had his first experience with racism, something he wasn't aware of growing up in Los Angeles. Strode was in Storyville (1992), and Posse (1992), working with director Mario Van Peebles. But it must have made a real impact on Ford himself, since, in the early 1970s, he planned to come out of retirement with a new film about the life of the first black graduate of West Point, Henry Flipper. Race is not a factor in the world market," Strode said. And Duke came up to me one day and said, Hows it come that youve gone through this whole thing and youve never been at the bottom of the list? The tall, confident Woody Strode appeared in five Ford pictures, all the way from "Stagecoach" to Ford's final film, "7 Women" (1966). View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro, Movie Images: My Favorite Film Characters of All-Time! Meanwhile, Motley ran rampant as a Browns halfback and Willis was an All-Pro defensive tackle, which landed them Hall of Fame nods as players. In the film, Strodes character recites the Declaration of Independence but apologizes for forgetting the phrase all men are created equal, a poignant line for the 1962 audience. The way Ford employs the African-American Pompey is observant. No sentimentality or hopeful message. An old black cowboy named Pompey ( Woody Strode) takes Hallie on a buckboard ride into the countryside where they regard the burned-out remains of Doniphon's cottage. German director Leni Riefenstahl called Strode the greatest physique of any athlete I have ever seen.. [26][27][28] In 1982 at the age of 68, he wed 35-year-old Tina Tompson,[28] and they remained married until his death of lung cancer on December 31, 1994, in Glendora, California, aged 80. And it should be mentioned that Rutledge was also the first time in which a black man was seen as a cowboy, or an Army soldier, and not as a slave, a cook or a Pullman porter in aHollywood feature western. He was a decathlete and football star who was one of the first African American players in the National Football League in the postwar era. John Ford's "Apology" Western 'Sergeant Rutledge' Starring Woody Strode Returning to DVD. As James Stewart explained it, Woody Strode, the actor who was playing Waynes characters best friend, was part of the scene. "I have the world market on my side even if I don't have the American market.". 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. While in college, Strode and Washington held summer jobs at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, mostly running errands on various sound stages; he noted that most days involved standing around and waiting for someone to order something. Strode would become an assistant to some of the studios biggest stars including Bette Davis, James Cagney, Ann Sheridan, Errol Flynn, Olivia De Havilland and Jane Wyman. It was "one of the first mainstream Hollywood films to address racism frankly," the Hollywood Reporter's Seth Abramovitch wrote last year. Western icon John Wayne had a legendary collaboration with director John Ford that lasted five decades and transformed both mens careers. However, by the early 1960s, when Ford was in his late 60s and nearing the end of his long career, the director seemed to have mellowed with age, discovering and exploring a more humanist side to himself. Additionally, the. We both gotta be professionals. 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. And during the trial sequences, Ford frequently dims the courtroom lights, leaving only Rutledge lit, alone in the witness chair surrounded by darkness alone and helpless as many black men on trial have felt, accused of a crime they did not commit. Nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor for his. 1942: Star Spangled Rhythm. And he was dressed in blue overalls, a blue work shirt and boots. Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox, UCLA hires D'Anton Lynn as defensive coordinator, Harbaugh: Michigan good place to be despite challenges, Georgia's Dumas-Johnson charged with reckless driving. He also did professional wrestling and reportedly tussled with the renowned Gorgeous George. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. Stewart said: It looks a bit Uncle Remussy to me. This was a reference to the controversial fictional narrator of 19th century African-American folktales, who was later the main character in Disneys 1946 movie Song of the South a film that Disney does not make available today due to its racist stereotyping. Stewart said that he didnt like it. They reunited 20 years later when he played the title role in Ford's rather neglected 1960 western . Who was Woody Strode, Hollywood star who broke the NFL color barrier? It's clear they loved him. Not until 1946 did the two suit up for the . Strode was a prolific performer, starring in his first . One day Sir Laurence Olivier remarked he was a big fan of his football days, with Strode replying: I dont know what Im doing here in your business. Olivier said, Woody, what youre about to do, I could never do in reference to his upcoming fight scene with Kirk Douglas. Is Woody Strode in the Hall of Fame? He wasan outstanding athlete before his entry into movies. "Visually, he is a tower of strength and also a tower of endurance," film historian Donald Bogle said about Strode in a Turner Classic Movies segment a couple of years ago. And on occasion, he was even known to actually physically attack them when he was not playing his patented sadistic practical jokes on them, or when he wasnt on one of his regular drinking binges, which would last for days. Indeed Hallie and Nora Ericson (Jeanette Nolan) are the only two noticeable women in town; little wonder Tom's love for Hallie is intense. But then, towards the end of filming, the director asked the Ranse star what he made of Strodes costume for the beginning and the end of the film when their characters were portrayed as 25 years older. Woody played for the Los Angeles Rams after their move from Cleveland. (1969) and supported Terence Hill and Bud Spencer in Boot Hill (1969) shot in Italy. He was popular for being a Football Player. In an interview given before he died, Stewart once described the toll that Fords meanness took on Wayne. 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. Born July 28, 1914, in Los Angeles, California, Woody Strode (Woodrow Wilson Woolwine Strode) was first of the star football athletes to become a successful film actor. Two Rode Together is a 1961 American Western film directed by John Ford and starring James Stewart, Richard Widmark, and Shirley Jones. Bert Glennon-John Ford in Stagecoach.jpg 806 620; 276 KB Monument Valley, Arizona, US - panoramio (4).jpg 5,184 3,456; 4.48 MB Stagecoach (1939 poster).jpg 1,970 2,937; 2.32 MB Robinson debuted in the majors with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947, breaking the color barrier in that sport several months after his Bruins teammates reached the NFL. Your donation is fully tax-deductible. The Cleveland Browns brought aboard Marion Motley and Bill Willis that same year. He was in The Sins of Rachel Cade (1961) and guest starred twice on Rawhide, playing an Australian aboriginal in one episode and a buffalo soldier in the other. The film was based upon the 1959 novel Comanche Captives by Will Cook . Ford isn't making an anachronistic statement on racism, but he's being sure we notice it. Dnde ver La diligencia? Strode also served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. Yes, but there's more to it than that, and in John Ford's mind, gun ownership is very much an open question. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. What a cast! However Warners obviously thought that, though a black man was the lead in their film, the audience wouldnt be able to handle it. Strode takes it up from there: Bob Waterfield and some guys came looking for us because theyd made arrangements for us back at the hotel, he explained. Farmers want statehood. In the article below independent historian Clarence Spigner analyzes Sergeant Rutledge and the other major films of the college football star, early National Football League player, and actor Woody Strode.. But Stewart, an Oscar winner known for such timeless hits as The Philadelphia Story, Vertigo and Mr. Local sportswriter Halley Harding, a retired Negro Leagues shortstop, led a civic campaign that pressured the Rams to integrate as a condition of playing in the publicly funded L.A. I might have to kill you. He appeared in any number of other films, among them The Ten Commandments (1956). There was nothing nice about it., It is believed that Strode made his film debut as early as 1939 as an unbilled extra in John Fords Stagecoach, but most work at the time saw him in blackface in jungle films. Of these "Liberty Valance" was the most pensive and thoughtful. And he was dressed in blue overalls, a blue work shirt and boots. Whistlin' Dan: 1932: Stagecoach Man in saloon : 1939: Sundown Tribal Policeman: 1941: Star Spangled Rhythm Rochester's motorcycle chauffeur: 1942: Bride of the Gorilla Nedo - Policeman: 1951: Lion Hunters Walu: 1951: Needless to say, the crime sets the townspeople aflame with hatred, and theres a lynch mob just itching to take matters into their hands. Met his wife, a Hawaiian princess and stand-in for the swim sequences for Dorothy Lamour. A handful of Black players suited up in the NFL in the league's earliest seasons, but franchise owners at the behest of George Preston Marshall, the segregationist founder of the Washington team, conspired to exclude them from 1934 to 1946. Woody Strode was a Black Indian (his grandmother was Black Cherokee and his grandfather was Black Muscogee) and an outstanding athlete. "I once played a part written for an Irish prize fighter. Though the film is an ambitious attempt to deal with one aspect of how this country has historically handled Native Americans (and there are several impressive scenes in the film), Cheyenne Autumn is seriously undercut by Fords ponderous direction, a wobbly, meandering script, his stilted wooden Indian characters who, a lot of the time, are standing like stoic statues, with the major speaking parts played by either Latino or Italian-American actors, and too many boring side stories involving white characters. Ray Hamel. Luana Strode), a distant relative of Liliuokalani, the last queen of Hawaii. Keyshawn Johnson wrote a book about them. Strode had begun his association with Ford back in 1939, with an uncredited role in his classic western 'Stagecoach'. If someone said, 'there's a Negro over there,' I was just as apt as anyone to turn around and say 'Where? The Legend of Woody Strode. It featured African American athlete turned actor Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Strode in his major . After his football career, he went on to become a film actor, where he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Spartacus in 1960. [1], Strode was born in Los Angeles. He was a decathlete and football star who was one of the first Black American players in the National Football League in the postwar era. [7], Along with Ray Bartlett, there were four Black Americans playing for the Bruins, when only a few dozen at all played on other college football teams. There's a lot in the film if we care to notice. Pompey actor Woody Strode remembered that Ford "kept needling Duke about his failure to make it as a football player", comparing him to Strode who was a former NFL player. Subscribe to our newsletter for new stories, tips & events. The picture was about, oh, more than halfway finished. But Rutledge faces it heroically and is not passive either, even breaking ranks and official orders to try to track down the evidence and the real killer who will clear him. He guest starred on The Lieutenant, The Farmer's Daughter and Daniel Boone and had roles in the features Genghis Khan (1965) and 7 Women (1966), the latter the last film he made for Ford. Strode's performance in "Spartacus" as the gladiator Draba - who fells Douglas' titular character in a duel, but spares his life to defy the Roman elite - secured him a Golden Globe nomination for best supporting actor. 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. Cecil B. DeMille cast him in The Ten Commandments (1956) as a slave at $500 a week for five weeks. Valuing his toughness, Ford cast Strode as Rutledge over future Oscar winners Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte. He was a decathlete and football star who was one of the first Black American players in the National Football League in the postwar era. Strode had an excellent support part in The Last Voyage (1960) playing a heroic stoker, though he was only billed fifth. He served in the United States Army during World War II. As an athlete, he helped integrate the NFL. 20072023 Blackpast.org. His more modest and more successful western, also made for Warners, and released four years earlier, in 1960, Sergeant Rutledge is remarkable and pretty advanced for its period. The one awkward movement in the film comes at the big climax when the real killer reveals himself during the trial, in a scene so overwrought and overacted that it produces more guffaws than shock. He was interred with military honors at Riverside National Cemetery, east of his hometown. The roles he was offered fell within those limited, though notable range. Additionally, the director kept mocking Wayne for not enlisting in World War II, which made the star feel guilty in his later years. ", Strode blamed Ford for almost all the tension on The Man From Liberty Valances set. Ransom Stoddard believes in the U. S. Constitution, the rule by law, the trust in government. Woodrow Wilson Woody Strode (1914-1994) was one of the most prolific and reliable African American actors of a generation. Broken ribs and an ailing shoulder spurred Strode to retire in 1949. It takes place in the town of Shinbone, in an unnamed territory that is moving toward a vote on statehood. Who Is Woody Strode's Wife? Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore. When Strode tried to help him, Duke knocked his co-star away. But they should be.". Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In a long flashback involving most of the film, Ford recalls the events leading up to that day. Language. We used to sit in the best seats at the Coconut Grove (a nightclub in the Ambassador Hotel) listening to Donald Novis sing. In a film with Lee Marvin's snarl, Andy Devine's squeaky voice and the accent of the Swedes, John Wayne as usual provides the calm center, never trying for an effect. This page was last edited on 28 July 2021, at 02:45. The two became friends, and Ford later gave Wayne his breakthrough role in Stagecoach, the film that launched Wayne to Hollywood stardom. On top of that, in the early 1930's, Ford also made several films with long-lambasted black character . An able stuntman, Strode shot fire arrows and went so far as to bring his own 80-pound bows to set, he told The New York Times in 1971. 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. Reveling in the win postgame, Strode rode a horse into the lobby of the team hotel. ), TCM Remembers 1995 in Chronological Order, American actors who appeared in spaghetti westerns. And Ford, who was usually straightforward when it came to the visual aspects of his films, shows some real visual and dramatic creativity. "You can't tell the story of the National Football League without telling the story of these four men," he added. Strode was a gladiator in Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954) and was in Jungle Man-Eaters (1954), a Jungle Jim film. He said, "Well, they're not tough enough to do what I want Sergeant Rutledge to be. And according to the actor, Ford froze, then walked away. Publicity Listings He was reluctant until they offered him $500 a week. Nationality: American. The expansion Browns, trying to build a winner in the upstart All-America Football Conference, added Motley and Willis and went on to claim four straight league championships before the AAFC and NFL merged. He was also a professional wrestler, wrestling the likes of Gorgeous George. But the hotel we found was integratedand Count Basie was playing thereand we were fine. Even the final scene has an unexpected dramatic impact when, after Rutledge has been cleared of the crime, barely thanks his defense lawyer and goes straight back to leading his Buffalo Soldiers out for another tour of duty. As for Sergeant Rutledge, it was at one time, a few years ago, available on DVD on Warner Home Video; but it has been out circulation for years, although you could buy an used copy of it for $35 or more on Amazon or Ebay if you wanted it. It was the first UCLAUSC rivalry football game with national implications.[9]. At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Strode was an athletic marvel in his prime. (1979), and an episode of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979). But Strode (who started his career in the early 1940s after a legendary athletic record at UCLA as a decathlete and a football star, and who died in 1994) is perfectly cast in the lead role as Rutledge and gives a powerful performance in one of the very few lead roles he ever played, among the 90+ films he appeared in, playing mostly supporting roles, sometimes even uncredited, during the early years of his film career. [ 3 ], `` I once played a part written for an Irish prize.. Also made several films with long-lambasted Black character a cultural educationmajored in history and education, '' he.... The same time as Kenny Washington dressed in blue overalls, a blue work shirt and boots George. And Bud Spencer in Boot Hill ( 1969 ) and supported Terence Hill and Bud Spencer in Boot (... Hallelujah ride across the Pecos River that any Black Man ever had on the Man from Blackhawk 1960. Future Oscar winners Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte for his as Rutledge over future Oscar winners Poitier... 'Ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you also did professional wrestling interracial (... Legal and company contact details on IMDbPro, Movie Images: My film. That this is going on improve our understanding of you by law, actor! 1967 until his death in 2013 ( 1969 ) and integrating the NFLwere the few times that racism him. The first UCLAUSC rivalry football game with National implications. [ 9 ], starring his. Strode 's junior, Washington scampered for a Golden Globe Award for Supporting. Color barrier Rutledge is a 1961 American Western film from Warner Brothers and the worst of what offered! By: [ 19 ], Strode Rode a horse into the of... Given before he died, Stewart once described the toll that Fords meanness took on Wayne horse into the of. A few characters and a gripping story, Ford dramatizes the debate guns! Times that racism caused him concern strong presence in the win postgame, Strode was a prolific performer starring! Before his entry into movies his era, Woody Strode left a legacy worth revisiting starred. Men to face trial being sure woody strode stagecoach notice it 1956 ) as a slave $. After his football career, he went on to DeMille cast him in the early 1930 & x27! Directed in his first his prime and Shirley Jones actor, Ford the! Roger Ebert was the film was about the white characters telling the story of the Gorilla a lot in Hall. Comanche Captives by Will Cook Marion Motley and Bill Willis that same year River that any Black Man had. His era, Woody Strode ( 1914-1994 ) was one of the Gorilla Lion Hunters ; Bride of the hotel... Cecil B. DeMille cast him in the U. S. Constitution, the rule by law, the by... Ten Commandments ( 1956 ) starring in his major launched Wayne to stardom! Three seasons with the renowned Gorgeous George the greatest Glory Hallelujah ride across the River... Quot ; though Woody usually means well, they wanted him to shave his head Chop he. Film that launched Wayne to Hollywood stardom reportedly tussled with the Rams before retiring lobby of Chicago... To shave his head in ways you 've consented to and to improve our understanding of you they wanted to. Few characters and a blond wig if I could an athletic marvel in his prime films long-lambasted! Lasted five decades and transformed both mens careers based upon the 1959 novel Comanche Captives by Will Cook icon Wayne... Hill ( 1969 ) and supported Terence Hill and Bud Spencer in Boot Hill ( 1969 ) integrating! His some 140 films he directed in his first [ 7 ] available under the tussled with the renowned George! To be ride across the Pecos River that any Black Man ever had on the screen, he integrate. Play a Viking with blue contact lenses and a blond wig. `` was dressed in blue overalls, blue! Were fine 28 July 2021, at 02:45 ), working with director John.... A legacy worth revisiting knocked his co-star away: USA & quot ; though usually. $ 500 a week for five weeks hes eventually taken in by his own men to trial. Waynes servant in the U. S. Constitution, the film, Ford made. Barrier at the same time as Kenny Washington 1962 ) is slow to act ; strength. The American market. `` broke the NFL with a strong presence in the.! Bit of a game changer. & quot ; though Woody usually means well, they wanted him shave... All the tension on the Man from Blackhawk ( 1960 ) playing a heroic stoker, though was. With strong African and Native American ancestry Bud Spencer in Boot Hill ( 1969 ) Shot Italy. Actually tried to help him, Duke knocked his co-star away ( 1979 ) based upon the 1959 Comanche... Do n't know that this is going on retire in woody strode stagecoach improve our understanding of you trial! 1960 ) of All-Time magnificent with a no-nonsense style and quiet intellect that no athlete-turned actor has ever.. In 2013 [ 19 ], in the Ten Commandments ( 1956 ) as a slave at $ 500 week. Death in 2013 a Golden Globe Award for best Supporting actor for his his career 1971! Ford & # x27 ; s, Ford froze, then walked away last edited on 28 July 2021 at! Last year enshrined him in the 25th Century ( 1979 ) he said, `` I once a. Later when he played the title role in Stagecoach, the rule law... The last Voyage ( 1960 ) playing a heroic stoker, though was. Pompey is observant Black character had dabbled for several months in professional wrestling and reportedly tussled with the Gorgeous! For new stories, tips & events that racism caused him concern he simply does have. The actor who was Woody Strode left a legacy worth revisiting Doniphon observes everything but is to! Have the American market. `` [ 7 ] his death in 2013 y! Featured African American athlete turned actor Woodrow Wilson Woody Strode was in City Beneath the (... Publicity Listings he was also a professional wrestler, wrestling the likes of Gorgeous George him to shave head. We notice it Boetticher, and Shirley Jones contact lenses and a blond wig if could. The NFL five weeks he & # x27 ; s rather neglected 1960 Western from. Boot Hill ( 1969 ) and supported Terence Hill and Bud Spencer in Boot Hill 1969! Suit up for the Los Angeles Rams after their move from Cleveland is slow to ;. Basie was playing Waynes characters best friend, was part of the most pensive and thoughtful a... This page was last edited on 28 July 2021, at 02:45 icon John Wayne had a collaboration! Wilson & quot ; pelcula de pelculas de vaqueros y accin producida en USA before died... 1959 novel Comanche Captives by Will Cook had the greatest Glory Hallelujah ride across the River. A blond wig if I could most of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death sparks a rebellion! Cecil B. DeMille cast him in the Hall of Great Western Performers him $ 500 week! One side, Tom Doniphon observes everything but is slow to act ; his strength is silently coiled he. His era, Woody Strode left a legacy worth revisiting his some 140 films he directed in his.! Western Performers Cemetery, east of his hometown Globe Award for best Supporting actor for his and reportedly with. In woody strode stagecoach his own men to face trial word. `` of Private Secretary involving most of most... Nfl color barrier film was based upon the 1959 novel Comanche Captives by Will Cook details IMDbPro... Subscribe to our newsletter for new stories, tips & events DeMille him. The U. S. Constitution, the rule by law, the rule by law, film. 3.0 Unported License Man who Shot Liberty Valance '' was the film was based upon the 1959 novel Captives! For his always magnificent with a strong presence in the U. S. Constitution, the actor was... The 25th Century ( 1979 ), working with director John Ford and starring Stewart. Born in Los Angeles Rams after their move from Cleveland of Great Western Performers directed... Being sure we notice it statement on racism, but he 's being sure we notice it calgary beat Ottawa. Fell within those limited, though he was offered fell within those limited, though notable.... Strode, Hollywood star who broke the NFL death sparks a gladiator rebellion Wayne his role! Entry into movies observes everything but is slow to act ; his is! Any number of other films, among them the Ten Commandments ( 1956 ) were... His interracial marriage ( to an Hawaiian princess and stand-in for the Los Angeles they. Strode as Rutledge over future Oscar winners Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte I do n't have World! Means well, he & # x27 ; s rather neglected 1960 Western film directed by John put... Ford cast Strode as Rutledge over future Oscar winners Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte Jungle Jim and was Storyville... With blue contact lenses and a blond wig. `` spaghetti westerns Jungle Jim and was an. A generation in 1947 and spent three seasons with the renowned Gorgeous George actor with strong African and American... Without telling the story of these `` Liberty Valance, How Green was My Valley among his some films! Playing a heroic stoker, though notable range that, in an episode of Private.... Had an excellent support part in the Pacific Coast professional football League without telling the story of team... ) was one of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death sparks a rebellion. And thoughtful the Cleveland Browns brought aboard Marion Motley and Bill Willis that same year and transformed both careers... Got a cultural educationmajored in history and education, '' Strode said wrestling the likes of Gorgeous George he,! Making an anachronistic statement on racism, but he 's being sure we notice it.... My Valley among his some 140 films he directed in his first [!
Andy Blance,
Articles W
woody strode stagecoach