He had a problem with a black guy doing that. Id play a Viking with blue contact lenses and a blond wig if I could. (Proving the point: In Androcles and the Lion, Strode actually dressed as the lion.). He wasnt just an athlete on a scholarship at UCLA, he was an academic. 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. He lives in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, with his wife and son. 1936 Strode posed for one of two paintings commissioned by Adolf Hitler for the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. The answer is no. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. Required fields are marked *. Scream (1985) According to Kanter, Jim was chagrined by his mixup. Spartacus (1960) best of friends ever since they were children, Psych 2: Lassie Come Home: 10 Easter Eggs You Totally Missed. 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. Jimmy Stewart was a remarkable man who loved all his fellowman. Munn is the author of over 25 books, most of which are built on the intimate and often shocking revelations that, according to Munn, these stars were all anxious to share with him. 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. Was Hal Williams ever contacted regarding the contriversy kanter mentioned? According to Woody, he's even less in control of himself, and all of his faculties, when tickling is involved. 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. Shawn and Gus try to convince Woody to keep quiet, but Woody warns them that he will tell anyone who he comes across. 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. Sergeant Rutledge - Wikipedia Besides Ford, Strode also worked with storied directors Cecil B. The Last Rebel (1971) > WrestleMania, Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, Hockey injury led to wrestling for Karl Von Stroheim. 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. Strode played as an End with the Rams in 1946, playing in 10 games that season. Er verffentlichte theologische und philosophische Schriften, Arbeiten zur Musik, insbesondere zu Johann Sebastian Bach, sowie autobiographische Schriften in zahlreichen und vielbeachteten Werken.. The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. The spiritual leader of an oriental country is dying. Wrestling: Shocking Stories from the Squared Circle; Benoit: Wrestling with the Horror That Destroyed a Family and Crippled a Sport (with Steven Johnson, Heath McCoy and Irv Muchnick); He can be emailed at goliver845@gmail.com, you can follow him on Twitter @gregmep, and visit www.oliverbooks.ca. Its such a demoralizing rumor. ), Wrestling was next on his resume. According to Peter Fonda, the sheer fact that Jimmy Stewart was best friends with Peters father, Henry Fonda, proves that Jim was not racist. Blacks usually sat at the back of the bus. As an actor, Strode is forever tied to John Ford (see our Pepper Martin biography for some stories that involve both Strode and Ford). Woody Strode - Pro-Football-Reference Film historian and author Donald Bogle explains Fords handling of race in the film compared to his previous work and the representation of the real life Buffalo Soldiers of the Old West. Its such a disheartening rumor, and Im so glad you did your own research and came across my article. Thanks for commenting! American actor Woody Strode on the set of Sergeant Rutledge, directed by John Ford. Woody Strode movie reviews & film summaries | Roger Ebert 7 Women (1966) > Video 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. ", Strode blamed Ford for almost all the tension on The Man From Liberty Valances set. But as a key supporting player, Woody is absolutely perfect, and his many oddities are all the more welcome because of that. Of course, Robinson would go on to break major league baseballs colour barrier in 1947. De Mille (The Ten Commandments as the King of Ethiopia); Stanley Kubrick (Spartacus); and Sergio Leone (Once Upon a Time in the West). Strode worked in B-movies through the '70s and '80s and acted as the narrator for Mario Van Peebles' Black. Woody Strode: Hollywood Star - YouTube Vigilante (1983) Thanks for reading Brian! Genghis Khan (1965) Tarzans Fight for Life (1958) Aka: Black Kingpin > Collectibles In Liberty Valance, a picture I did with Duke, Stewart recounted. On Fire (TV) (1987) Thanks to the passionate insistence of director Otto Preminger, the controversial scene stayed in the film [aff. Strode served in the Air Force from 1942 to 1946, including time in Guam and the Marianas where he unloaded bombs. Next James Bond: Tom Hardy leapfrogged by 007 outsider, Robert Shaw Harrison Ford fury on Force 10 From Navarone 'total bull', John Wayne was really p***ed off: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance was miserable shoot, John Wayne was constantly mocked by John Ford and even Jimmy Stewart was attacked too, Rio Bravo: Angie Dickinson on cute John Wayne being so different', Pompey star Woody Strode on John Wayne's left, John Wayne felt he couldn't hit back at John Ford since the director made him a star, John Wayne: The Searchers set revelation that saw John Ford speechless, How the West Was Won: Idiot drunk producer, near-death and more, John Wayne: Why Elvis turned down Dukes offer to co-star in Western, John Wayne: She Wore a Yellow Ribbon set feud that led to best scene, John Waynes final movie was NOT The Shootist Duke was in Star Wars, John Wayne never learnt his lesson over Hollywood roles. But it still doesn't make a whole lot of sense for him to make his first logical leap either. Cutting Her Down to Size? It would be interesting to hear Janes thoughts. Noi non siamo angeli (1975) It needed to be done. Woody Strode? He Wasn't the Star But He Stole the Movie' Thanks for reading Brice! 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. Michael Munns books are unreliable. Strode made a successful transition from sports hero to the movie screen, though Hollywood seemed more predisposed to his magnificent physique and gallant stride than his acting ability. The episode "Last Night Gus" isn't just a real highlight for Psych but for Woody's character and his bizarre humor, too. 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.. Thanks so much for your kind words, and for reading! Strode was born in Los Angeles on July 25, 1914, the son . Every day, someone was at the bottom of the list in the barrel, as you say, Stewart said of Fords tendency to take his frustrations out on his underlings. Frye admits as much at the end of the quote. Reviews. But Stewart, an Oscar winner known for such timeless hits as The Philadelphia Story, Vertigo and Mr. Decathlete who also played football professionally in the CFL, and enjoyed a successful acting career. An athlete turned actor, Strode was a top-notch decathlete and a football star at UCLA. Mar 5: AEW Revolution 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.. Los tres desafos de Tarzn: Dirigido por Robert Day. RELATED:10 Witty Buddy Comedies To Watch If You Love 'Psych'. 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.. Storyville (1992) To promote Brotherhood Week, Jimmy Stewart opened and closed a 3 minute trailer that played before feature films at theaters across the United States. So thank you for this I really really appreciate it. Thanks for clearing that up. I was too young at the time to realize Ford was using me to get at Stewart. An Interview with Woody Strode - JSTOR Ive updated the section to include more facts specific to the show. And he was dressed in blue overalls, a blue work shirt and boots. 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. Which is sort of remarkable, because they love each other. In the absence of evidence to support your various claims about Jimmy Stewart, they cannot be taken as fact. How much did Woody Strode weigh when playing? By 1960, he was starting to garner more attention from Hollywood producers, and after roles inPork Chop Hill (1959), The Last Voyage (1960), andSpartacus(1960), Hollywood deemed he was no longer an extra and deserved more attention. Your email address will not be published. debut in 1941 in Henry Hathaway' s Sundown. In 1992, he was honored by the Cauliflower Alley Club with wrestlings top award, the Iron Mike Mazurki Award. Strode would play two more seasons in Calgary before an injury ended his football life. At many times throughout the stressful saga, Woody is also fearing for his life, even pleading desperately with his captor and the episode's villain. This story first appeared in the Nov. 3 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. In 1939 he played for one of UCLA's greatest football teams ever, alongside future baseball legend Jackie Robinson. I read that Stewart was a racist a few weeks ago and fell for it hook line and sinker. 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. The season seven episode "Office Space" is another memorable episode in the series' run. Im delighted to put the rumors about him to rest. NWA USA: Tag team main event is full of SVGS, SmackDown: Rhodes and Reigns lay WrestleMania goals, Mat Matters: Forecasting the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2023, Drago and Aero Star showcasing lucha libre abroad. Another reliable source for Woody Strodes feelings towards Jimmy Stewart is a, If we are to take Michael Munns 1976 interview with Woody Strode as fact, then Munns alleged interview with. What is it whats the idea? And I said, I dont know!, And I didnt know, Stewart added. Theyre like father and son.. I dont know if Stewart was a racist but he was a staunch supporter of Nixon, Reagan and the illegal US invasion of Vietnam. He made more than sixty movies including his last film, The Quick and The Dead [1995]. That doesnt sound like a racist! (Episode 6). As James Stewart explained it, Woody Strode, the actor who was playing Waynes characters best friend, was part of the scene. I might have to kill you. He appeared in any number of other films, among them The Ten Commandments (1956). I would have lost that role if I hadnt been in shape, and if I hadnt had a lot of experience as a wrestler, Strode told the Pittsburgh Courier in 1961. 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. Thats my take. RELATED:Psych: 10 Best Gus Nicknames, Ranked. Forego a bottle of soda and donate its cost to us for the information you just learned, and feel good about helping to make it available to everyone. He was not racist, and your essay more than demonstrates this. Part African American and part Native American, Strodes first big break was in 1960s Spartacus, as the Ethiopian gladiator whose death sparks a rebellion. Once Upon A Time in the West (1968) Well, perhaps desperately isn't the right word. Strode continued acting for decades his final film was as Charlie Moonlight in the 1995 film,The Quick and the Deadthat also featured Leonardo Di Caprio, Sharon Stone, and Gene Hackman sadly, Strode passed away from lung cancer in late 1994 before the film was released and the film was dedicated to him upon release. City Beneath the Sea (1953) "I was lucky enough this time to have John Ford as my director. 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. Then he asked Stewart to come over. 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 would retire from pro football after that first season. May Mr. Stewart Rest In Peace. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. 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. 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. ", NEXT:Psych 2: Lassie Come Home: 10 Easter Eggs You Totally Missed. Well written, thank you. Woody Strode (1914-1994) That was one of the great days in my life and I can remember it very clearly, Strode told the Toronto Stars George Gamester in 1977. Regarding your claim that the FBI agent character was written out of The Jimmy Stewart Show after Stewart objected to NBC: in my extensive research on the subject, Ive never found any evidence to support this. Strode appeared in at least 90 films, from Sunrise in 1941 to his last, The Quick and the Dead, released in 1995. > Obituary Archive Spartacus is probably Strodes most famous role as the warrior Kirk Douglas refuses to kill. Strode praised Ford in a 1960 interview. 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. Aka:The Violent Breed Hi Wyman! 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? Never had so much fun as I did in Canada. Strode, doing his part, is reported to have ridden a horse in the famed Royal York hotel. WOODY STRODE, ACTOR, IS DEAD - Buffalo News Stay tuned to theLast Word on Pro Wrestlingfor more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. 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.. I was a big James Stewart fan until I read he was racist. Woody 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. Request Permissions. I really cried for days because hes one of my favorite actors and I am African-American. Speaking of Woody not being the most socially aware person in the world, look no further than his lack of understanding when it comes to chat speak as yet another example of that fact. The show keeps things as PG as it can when it comes to his involvement with the cadavers he analyzes. It took skill to do that fight scene without actually hurting myself or hurting Douglas., Kirk Douglas faces off with Woody Strode in Spartacus, He left for Italy in 1969, frustrated with the lack of meaty roles as an African-American. This unnamed actor used the n word to refer to Woody Strode. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. As an African American, the rumor was disturbing which is why I searched for the facts behind the rumor. He was interred with military honors at Riverside National Cemetery, east of his hometown.. John Wayne 'was really p***ed off': The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance Hi James, thanks for commenting. So yes, Woody's idea of the "snoafer" might not be the best concept in the world. While at UCLA, he met his future wife when the football team was playing the University of Hawaii in Honolulu Hawaiian princess Luukialunan Kalaeloa. Jungle Man-Eaters (1954) Aka: Chuck Moll Thanks for reading, James. Thanks for setting me straight. I once played a part written for an Irish prize fighter. Woody Strode was born in Los Angeles, CA. Woody Strode - actor - biography, photo, best movies and TV shows Scipione detto anche lafricano (1971) Strode was a gladiator in Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954) and was in Jungle Man-Eaters (1954), a Jungle . Great Movies Collections TV/Streaming Interviews Movie Reviews Chaz's Journal Contributors Cast and Crew Woody Strode Find on IMDB. I am an African American woman who had stopped watching his films when I heard about his overt racism. We both gotta be professionals. Woody's whispered warning - "Don't pick up" - is easily one of the series' best line deliveries. 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The Sins of Rachel Cade (1961) Im so glad you searched for the facts and came across my article. In this, the last interview Strode ever gave, he expresses only respect for Jimmy Stewart, calling Jim one of the screens greatest actors.. But Kanter says that Jimmy mixed up the roles: he explained to Jim that Hal Williams had not been cast as a police officer, but as an FBI agent in a different episode. Apr 2: WWE WrestleMania In fact, Woody was already calling someone on his cell phone: Shawn. Strode lived in Italy for five years and made 12 films there. In addition to his WWII record, Jimmy was a member of The American Brotherhood of Christians and Jews, which he encouraged others to join. Woody Strode 22 languages View history Woodrow Wilson Woolwine Strode (July 25, 1914 - December 31, 1994) was an American athlete and actor. To promote Brotherhood Week, Jimmy Stewart opened and closed a 3 minute trailer that played before feature films at theaters across the United States. Its such a disheartening rumor thats unfortunately made its way across the internet. Cowboysan (1977) According to Woody, he's even less in control of himself, and all of his faculties, when tickling is involved. And when we lost, we cried like babies.. The Professionals (1966) Colpo in canna (1975) Your donation is fully tax-deductible. > Sporting Connection > Music BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. And I agree, it would be illogical to assume that Jimmy Stewart was racist based on his support of Nixon, Reagan, and US troops in Vietnam. And he said loudly, We have an actor here who objects to the costume on Woody Strode. He then proceeded to suggest that Stewart was prejudiced Strode, who also has since died, was African-American and added that he just wanted to share Stewarts objection to Strodes costume with the whole cast. Never thought of them as brothers though. I'm glad you made it.. Jimmy Stewart worked with several black actors and entertainers throughout his career, including Hal Williams, Woody Strode, Lillian Randolph, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington. Aka: The Last Warrior There's no easier way to put it: Woody is weird. 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. His wrestling career? I am a black American who was heartbroken when I heard this aweful rumor. 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. So it's not entirely out of the ordinary for Woody to believe that they're siblings. For Jims take on working with John Ford and the Uncle Remus incident, listen to his 1969 account below. Psych: Woody's 10 Most Hilarious Quotes - ScreenRant The Stampeder supporters invaded Toronto and a national party was created. Jungle Gents (1954) Id do that if I could. 9 Black Athletes Who Integrated Professional Sports - HISTORY When Strode tried to help him, Duke knocked his co-star away. Warner Bros. wanted Sidney Poitier, but Ford pushed back, saying he wasnt tough enough to play Rutledge. 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. Stewart was never rude to mehe was never rude to anyone. La mala ordina (1972) > The Artist Canvas Jimmy Stewart was not racist. 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). We need him!, In the end, Wayne told Strode: We gotta work together. But I could tell he preferred to be around Lee Marvin or [John] Wayne than me., Also in the Munn interview, Strode relates an incident in whichLiberty Valance director, John Ford, asked Jim what he thought of Woodys costume, which consisted of old overalls an equally old hat.