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Sidney Poitier
- Man, Actor, Icon
- Narrated by: J. D. Jackson
- Length: 20 hrs and 8 mins
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Publisher's Summary
In the first full biography of actor Sidney Poitier, Aram Goudsouzian analyzes the life and career of a Hollywood legend, from his childhood in the Bahamas to his 2002 Oscar for lifetime achievement. Poitier is a gifted actor, a great American success story, an intriguing personality, and a political symbol; his life and career illuminate America's racial history.
In such films as Lilies of the Field, In the Heat of the Night, and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Poitier's middle-class, mannered, virtuous screen persona contradicted prevailing film stereotypes of Blacks as half-wits, comic servants, or oversexed threats. His screen image and public support of nonviolent integration assuaged the fears of a broad political center, and by 1968, Poitier was voted America's favorite movie star.
Through careful readings of every Poitier film, Goudsouzian shows that Poitier's characters often made sacrifices for the good of whites and rarely displayed sexuality. As the only Black leading man during the civil rights era, Poitier chose roles and public positions that negotiated the struggle for dignity. By 1970, times had changed and Poitier was the target of a backlash from film critics and Black radicals, as the new heroes of "blaxploitation" movies reversed the Poitier model.In the 1970s, Poitier shifted his considerable talents toward directing, starring in, and producing popular movies that employed many African Americans, both on and off screen. After a long hiatus, he returned to starring roles in the late 1980s. More recently, the film industry has reappraised his career, and Poitier has received numerous honors recognizing his multi-faceted work for Black equality in Hollywood. As this biography affirms, Poitier remains one of American popular culture's foremost symbols of the possibilities for and limits of racial equality.
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What listeners say about Sidney Poitier
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Susie
- 01-28-13
The Man, the Star, the Lightning Rod
The best biographies place their subjects in the culture of their times. They give a picture of the world around the subject in addition to the facts of their inner life. This is the first full bio of Sidney Poitier, and it excels at doing just that.
Poitier’s career spanned one of our most revolutionary, tumultuous, and polarizing times in history. From the birth of the Civil Rights Movement to Black Power, to his well-deserved late career veneration, Poitier has been both an icon and a lightning rod. He went from being criticized by whites for acting in movies with racial conscience— to being chastised by some in the Black community for selling out, for portraying his movie characters as noble and sexless.
With Goudouzian’s fluid, gripping writing, this is one of the best "page-turning" Hollywood biographies ever.
1 person found this helpful
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- Quentin MEzetin
- 07-05-22
perfection
I love each hour of this book..so detailed. It's like you were present in that particular moment in time. I have even more respect for Mr Sidney Poitier than I ever did before. All black kids should read about this and see what he had to endure
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- Big CG
- 03-01-22
Historic
I loved the historical aspect of the books perspective on race and culture. From humble beginnings to walking with kings, I could see and feel the journey. Thanks
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Narrator ruined what should have been a great book
- By Debra Gaskill on 07-27-21
By: Joyce Milton
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We'll Always Have Casablanca
- The Life, Legend, and Afterlife of Hollywood's Most Beloved Movie
- By: Noah Isenberg
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 8 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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We'll Always Have Casablanca is celebrated film historian Noah Isenberg's rich account of this most beloved movie's origins. Through extensive research and interviews with filmmakers, film critics, family members of the cast and crew, and diehard fans, Isenberg reveals the myths and realities behind Casablanca's production, exploring the transformation of the unproduced stage play into the classic screenplay, the controversial casting decisions, and the effect of the war's progress on the movie's reception.
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Good for fans, would've liked more insider info
- By Buretto on 07-30-17
By: Noah Isenberg
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Robert Redford
- The Biography
- By: Michael Feeney Callan
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 17 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Among the most widely admired Hollywood stars of his generation, Redford has appeared onstage and on-screen, in front of and behind the camera, earning Academy, Golden Globe, and a multitude of other awards and nominations for acting, directing, and producing, and for his contributions to the arts. His Sundance Film Festival transformed the world of filmmaking; his films defined a generation.
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disappointed
- By John on 02-29-12
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Camera Man
- Buster Keaton, the Dawn of Cinema, and the Invention of the Twentieth Century
- By: Dana Stevens
- Narrated by: Dana Stevens
- Length: 12 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Born the same year as the film industry in 1895, Buster Keaton began his career as the child star of a family slapstick act reputed to be the most violent in vaudeville. Beginning in his early 20s, he enjoyed a decade-long stretch as the director, star, stuntman, editor, and all-around mastermind of some of the greatest silent comedies ever made, including Sherlock Jr., The General, and The Cameraman.
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Worth a listen, but only as a postscript to Curtis
- By Vikon on 05-05-22
By: Dana Stevens
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American Titan
- Searching for John Wayne
- By: Marc Eliot
- Narrated by: Pete Larkin
- Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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As he did in his bestselling biographies of Jimmy Stewart and Clint Eastwood, acclaimed Hollywood biographer Marc Eliot digs deep beneath the myth in this revealing look at the most legendary Western film hero of all time; the man with the distinctive voice, walk, and demeanor who was an inspiration to many and a symbol of American masculinity, power, and patriotism.
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Perspective of Duke
- By Mr W. on 07-11-18
By: Marc Eliot
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Paul Newman
- A Life
- By: Shawn Levy
- Narrated by: Marc Cashman
- Length: 16 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Paul Newman, the Oscar-winning actor with the legendary blue eyes, achieved superstar status by playing charismatic renegades, broken heroes, and winsome antiheroes in such revered films as The Hustler, Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Verdict, The Color of Money, and Nobody’s Fool. But Newman was also an oddity in Hollywood: The rare box-office titan who cared about the craft of acting, the sexy leading man known for the staying power of his marriage, and the humble celebrity who made philanthropy his calling card.
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Charismatic subject makes for great reading
- By Glory on 07-25-09
By: Shawn Levy
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Right Turns
- Unconventional Lessons From a Controversial Life
- By: Michael Medved
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 16 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Michael Medved is an orthodox Jew whose popular radio show is a favorite with evangelical Christians. As a nationally syndicated movie reviewer he made headlines with a controversial book titled Hollywood vs. America. He is a fervent and committed conservative who once worked 18-hour days in Bobby Kennedy's presidential campaign. And he counts among his friends both Rush Limbaugh and Hillary Clinton. He is a unique man, with a unique story to tell.
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Great for liberals and conservatives
- By Ryan on 01-03-05
By: Michael Medved
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De Niro
- A Life
- By: Shawn Levy
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 21 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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In this elegant and compelling biography, best-selling writer Shawn Levy writes of these many De Niros - the characters and the man - seeking to understand the evolution of an actor who once dove deeply into his roles as if to hide his inner nature, and who now seemingly avoids acting challenges, taking roles which make few apparent demands on his overwhelming talent.
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As meticulous as its subject
- By Scott on 11-11-14
By: Shawn Levy
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Stephen Colbert
- Beyond Truthiness
- By: Bruce Watson
- Narrated by: Stephen Bowlby
- Length: 2 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Stephen Colbert is far more than a comedian and improv genius. As head of his fanciful Colbert Nation, the quick-witted host of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and former host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report has delighted fans with his wit, audacity, and innovative uses of language and the media.
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Stephen! Stephen! Stephen!
- By GrammieR on 04-24-18
By: Bruce Watson
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Ava Gardner
- A Life in Movies
- By: Kendra Bean, Anthony Uzarowski
- Narrated by: Lisa Flanagan
- Length: 5 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Ava is a tribute to a legendary life. Authors Kendra Bean and Anthony Uzarowski take a closer look at the Academy Award-nominated actress' life and famous screen roles. They also shed new light on the creation and maintenance of her glamorous image, her marriages, and friendships with famous figures such as Ernest Hemingway, John Huston, and Tennessee Williams.
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An enjoyable shorter book about Ava
- By Kindle Customer on 04-18-21
By: Kendra Bean, and others
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American Rebel
- The Life of Clint Eastwood
- By: Marc Eliot
- Narrated by: Marc Eliot
- Length: 12 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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From the New York Times best-selling author Marc Eliot comes the definitive biography of one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful actors, producers, and directors in the history of American motion pictures. Marc Eliot examines the ever-exciting, often tumultuous arc of Eastwood's life and career, from his days as a disaffected college dropout, to his rise to fame as the archetypal loner, to his acceptance into the pantheon of the Academy as a multiple Oscar Award winner.
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I learned the hard way.
- By Ty Pritchard on 07-23-10
By: Marc Eliot
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Enchantment
- The Life of Audrey Hepburn
- By: Donald Spoto
- Narrated by: Kimberly Farr
- Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Her name is synonymous with elegance, style, and grace. Over the course of her extraordinary life and career, Audrey Hepburn captured hearts around the world and created a public image that stands as one of the most recognizable and beloved in recent memory. But despite her international fame and her tireless efforts on behalf of UNICEF, Audrey was also known for her intense privacy.
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Wow - What a Story!!
- By Tim on 03-05-09
By: Donald Spoto
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James Baldwin
- A Biography
- By: David Leeming
- Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin
- Length: 17 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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This is a biography of James Baldwin, author, one-time preacher, and civil rights activist. He chose David Leeming, a close friend and colleague, to write his biography and granted him access to his correspondence. Leeming traces his life from his birth in Harlem in 1924 to his self-imposed exile in Europe, his later years as political activist, and his public funeral in 1987.
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A great biography of a great man
- By Dioge