November 20, 2024 • 24 mins
Actress and Co-Author Joanna Poitier discusses her new book, "Sidney Poitier: The Great Speeches of an Icon Who Moved Us Forward," with a foreword by Oprah Winfrey! "Sidney Poitier: The Great Speeches of an Icon Who Moved Us Forward" is available for purchase where books are sold.
The speeches of film legend Sidney Poitier—given at commencement addresses, awards shows, memorials, and more, on topics ranging from entertainment history to filmmaking, civil rights, and parenthood—come to vibrant life in this inspirational and stunningly packaged volume from the Poitier estate that sheds new light on the trailblazing artist's life and culture of the past century.
The speeches of film legend Sidney Poitier—given at commencement addresses, awards shows, memorials, and more, on topics ranging from entertainment history to filmmaking, civil rights, and parenthood—come to vibrant life in this inspirational and stunningly packaged volume from the Poitier estate that sheds new light on the trailblazing artist's life and culture of the past century.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The jam Right Show, All about movies.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
You're listening to the jam Pray Show, All about movies,
and today I'm honored to have actress Joanna Poitier on
the show to talk about this wonderful, wonderful book entitled
Sidney Potier, The Great Speeches of an icon who moved
us forward. Welcome to the show, Joanna, Thank you so
lovely to have you. And by the way, happy birthday.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
I know eighty one. I don't know happy that is,
but I'm happy to be alive. That's a good thing.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
You look fabulous. You look fabulous. Today is my brother's
and my niece's birthday, so it's a good day for birthday.
Oh good day. This book is so beautiful, such a
wonderful tribute to your husband and your beloved husband. We
all love Sidney Potier. I remember seeing Lily to the
Field when I was very very little, and too with
(00:53):
that the first one you saw too.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
One of the first ones.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Yeah, So how did this book? I'm going to hold
it up for everyone. This is the book. It's a
beautiful book. How did it all come about? What made
you decide to put this book? Because it's you know,
he was prolific as far as wonderful speeches. So what
made you decide to create this book.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Well, when Sydney died, I'm in his office now this
was his office, and I was going through all the
papers and stuff, and I came about upon a whole
big drawer full. I mean hundreds of speeches, a lot
of them. I wasn't priviaging some of them. I was
because I was there, but most of them were done
many years ago. Plus Anyway, it was like I started
(01:31):
reading them and I thought, oh, they're so beautiful because
some of the words are I mean, he just was amazing.
And I said, it's a shame to waste them. And
I thought, well, maybe I'll try and see if anybody's interested.
And I put it out there with his what used
to be his agent at CIA, and they found running Press,
the Hashet people who were interested. So we did the book. Yeah,
(01:54):
we only have a certain amount of speeches in the book.
Hundreds more. I mean, it's like unbelievable what we have here.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
You know there's more, because there's a lot in this book.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Oh yeah, there's a whole bunch more. The drawer is
still half full.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Well in volume two, well, volume too, get this one
out there. Well, this is a way we'll talk about.
You know, it's a great gift. It's a wonderful gift.
Certainly the holidays coming up. This would be a wonderful
gift for anyone who loves Sidney Pontier and loved movies.
And it just brings back you hear his boy well,
the fact.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
That he was very very little educated and he was amazing.
I mean, he is self taught, and I just don't
he amazing.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
I don't think any of us knew that he was
so taught because he was so eloquent and everything that
he ever did that was remarkable to know that also
that he have much of an education. Yet we always
felt very educated and certainly an intellectual draw Well. Oprah
Winfrey did the introduction the forward to this book, and
I know that she and Sidney were very close. Can
(02:57):
you talk a little bit about that relationship that they had.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
They had a really wonderful relationship. And I'm glad I'm
not a jealous person because she loved him a lot
and he loved her. And every Sunday they would have
this phone call and she would call out by Joanna,
is my boyfriend there and they would talk for like
an hour. I don't know what they talked about, but
they had so much to say to each other. But
(03:21):
she loved sitting from the time that she was a
little girl. And she saw him get the Academy award
and she said, wow, you know, if he can do it,
I can do it kind of thing. So they had
a very very special relationship. And it didn't make me jealous.
It made me happy, I know.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
And she said in the forward that she regretted that
she didn't record those phone call with his permission, as
she says, you know, because there were so many wonderful
things in them. And I guess she wrote notes that
she said, not enough to do a book. So I'm
glad that you have all these speeches.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Yeah, she really, really, really had a long relationship with him.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
One of the things he personified Elik went integrity and
great and also that we get a glimpse of his wisdom,
his wit, his great and his word is his book.
So it's a wonderful gift for all of us who
loved him so much to read great speeches. One that
I was particularly drawn to was the one with George
Stephens Junior because I've had George Stevens Junior on my
(04:17):
show twice. He came on when he wrote his autobiography,
and then when he did the audio book. He came
back on the show a year later. So because his life,
his book's super thick, I got it. So I was like,
there's lots to talk about it in his life and
so and he realized how close they were. George Stevens
Sidney Plantier were so close. Can you talk a little
(04:37):
bit more about their relationship? I didn't get George Stevens Junior.
He founded the AFI American Film Institute.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
I don't really know about the relationship, so I really
couldn't say very much. But oh, are you're talking about George.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Stevens George Stevens Junior yet.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Okay, I didn't get that. I'm sorry. Yeah, they've had
a long relationship and it was between the two of them. Actually,
I never really was rivy to all of it, but
they did have a very long, loving relationship.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
He's a lovely, lovely man. Also, George Junior, wonderful. Is
there a particular speech for you that stood out that
one that really touched you more than some of the others.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
One of the best speech, well, obviously the one that
he did for my daughter when she was married and
when they got graduated. You know, they graduated from college,
all of them. They're all pretty amazing. I mean, you know,
it's like it was hard to choose. It was hard
to choose, you know, which ones to send off. And
mostly they chose the ones that we sent, but some
were rejected and some were asked and they asked for
(05:36):
different ones and we just did it. But I still
have a whole drawer full. So we'll see what happens
with that.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Definitely, definitely talk about how you met your husband and
about you because you had a lot, you know, you
had the love of his life and you were with
him well over fifty years. Yeah, quite amazing, and talk,
you know, talk about how you met him and your
love story if you don't mind.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Well, I lived in Paris and I made bench movies.
I was a model first and then I was asked
to do some movies and I made some movies, and
I guess the director of The Lost Man, his wife
saw the movie. One of the movies was playing in
New York and she went to see it and they
asked me if I would come and test for a
movie with Sydney Poitier. Now I had never seen any
(06:18):
of Sydney's films at that point because I lived in Paris,
and you know, we didn't go to the movies for
some reason. I don't know why. But I saw that
he was playing in a movie in London, the one
with the Blind Girl, A Patch.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Of Patrick Blue, Patch of Blue, Patch of.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Blue, and so I saw it and I go, oh god,
he's really really good, you know. But so then they
I said, okay, and they wanted me to come and test,
and I said, I don't like to test, so I
don't want to test, thank you very much. But you
want me, fine, but I'm not going to test. So
they called me back and they said, okay, you don't
have to test, and you come and come and meet him.
And I had to come and do costumes. I think
(06:52):
I think it was Edith Head or something. And I
went to Los Angeles Universal Studios commissary and had lunch
with the producers and Sid he walks in and he's
got this pale blue suit on it, a little ascot
and you looked kind of cute actually, and he was
very sweet and we had a nice nudge and we
talked and I thanked him. And funnily enough, in his book,
(07:13):
when he wrote his first book, This Life, he talks
about this little Paris model, meaning me who wouldn't test.
We also said about Diane Carroll, the beautiful Diane Carroll,
you know. But anyway, we talked and he said he
was coming to Paris in there was June, and so
I said, oh, okay, well, if you do, come give
me a call. And I gave him my phone number.
(07:34):
And in June he came and he called me and
he said he'd like to go to the Louver and
have lunch. Have lunch and go to the Louver, and
I said okay. So I went to the hotel to
meet him. And he was at the Hotel de la
Tremois at the time, and he was in a suite.
And I went up to the suite and rang the
bell and he opened the door and he was in
his pj's, his pajamas. I said, okay. He said, I overslept,
(07:58):
you know, he was jetlag. Guess, he said, but we
can have lunch here and then we'll think about going
to the loover. I said okay, And we had lunch
and It was very nice and we talked and stuff,
but he decided he didn't want to go to the louver.
He would go tomorrow the day next day. So I
said okay, and leaving the suite and I'm walking towards
the elevator and he's at the door and he said,
(08:20):
has anybody ever told you you have child bearing hips?
I thought, what a thing to say, Oh my god,
you know, I mean I was one hundred and twenty
pounds and I'm one hundred and fifty sixty or something,
so it was like it wasn't like I was chubby.
Oh anyway, I said no, and then I got in
the elevator and left. The next day, we had lunch
and then he went back. I think he went to
(08:41):
Rome someplace. But then I didn't see him again until
we met in Philadelphia to do the movie, which was
in September. I think, yeah, end of September. And what
was the movie, The Lost Man The Last Man? I
think it was a remake of another movie a long
time ago. But anyway, we did the movie and we'd
have dinner and you know, lunch, and spent a lot
(09:01):
of time together, and I was engaged to be married
to an Englishman at the time, and I don't know,
one thing led to another and that was it. That
was it.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
That was it. You both knew.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
Yeah, it was amazing. How ah, I mean we've had
an amazing, long, wonderful, happy life. I mean we never
really fought. We never really. It was kind of interesting.
He was always like we called each other dad and mom.
I guess it was like he was just that, you know.
He wasn't Sidney Partier, the big deal, you know. To me,
he was just a really wonderful, extraordinary human being.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Yeah, he was.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
I was blessed to have him, to know him and
to be with him.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
You were definitely watching over you now for sure. How
are you doing since his past?
Speaker 1 (09:43):
How am I doing?
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Yet?
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Am I doing now?
Speaker 2 (09:45):
I mean he passed away in January.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
No, I'm eighty one years old. I have to have
two hip replacements, and I keep putting it off, but
I have to do it, and I think I'm doing it.
I have I think of December the thirtieth, they want
to do it or something like that, and I thought,
oh god, well, it's the new year, and maybe it's
a good thing, new hips, new year, you know, but
it's it's different. It's different. It's just different. A lot together,
(10:10):
always together, even although I never want on any of
the sets that when he made movies, I never went
on a set, but I was always there, you know, cooking.
I cooked for them all the time.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Yeah, that's wonderful, that's wonderful. Well, that's any My girlfriend
just had our hippily place. She's just doing fine with it.
And I've had several other friends who've had hip replacements too.
They all think to be just fine.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
So that's what everybody says. But I'm not into. I mean,
I don't want to be put out. I don't like
to be put out. So I'm doing a spinal what
do you call it, spinal thing? Epidural and epiduralodural.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Okay, good, we'll hold you in our thoughts for that
that it all goes well for sure. Sure what's your
life like now? Was this book cathartic for you when
you were putting it together?
Speaker 1 (11:00):
Well? Not really. I mean there's so many things in
here when we look around. I mean, it's all about
Sydney and all the people he you know, it was
all of his friends and a lot of Oprah, a
lot of Mandela a lot of a lot of his awards,
all of his awards, so it's like he's still here
(11:22):
kind of. You know. Yeah, I'm blessed. I'm blessed to
have had him in my life, and I am appreciative
of all the time we had. We had a long
life together.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
So yeah, we're lucky and very blessed. I had the
honor of They showed the documentary Sydney that Oprah produced,
and Oprah was here, I live in Santa Barbaras. It
was the International of Santa Barbara International Film Festival at
Riviera Theater. They had a special screening and Oprah came,
there's a motes set it was, you know, and Reggie
(11:56):
Hudlind came and spoke afterwards and did a Q and
A with Rogerdermy, our executive director, and that was just
a beautiful documentary about his life. There was much afterwards.
We were saying our new phrase became, what would Sidney
do in this situation? Whatever situation came up. He became
(12:19):
our new benchmark for how to live our lives. After
watching that film. It was so beautifully done and that
so we would something would come up and go okay,
so what would Sidney do in this situation or what
would Sidney say in this situation?
Speaker 1 (12:37):
That was an amazing person and totally self taught, and
he was loyal. His ex wife is one of my
best friends, Waneda, and he had four beautiful daughters with
her and beautiful grandchildren. I'm great grandchildren and I'm I'm
in contact with them all the time. And then we
(12:59):
have two beautiful, wonderful children and grandchildren together, So there's
like a lot of connection. And I'll due to Sydney
because that's the way he was. That was his thing.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Yeah, yeah, you know, he was a beautiful soul inside
and out and as I said, benchmark for all of us.
Were you involved at all in the documentary that and
obviously they started this before he passed away, because it
came out in twenty twenty two.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
Yeah. No, they asked me, you know it was okay
to do it, but of course I said yes, you know,
and that was it. I didn't really have that much
to do with it.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Well, it was certainly Oprah's love letter, Oprah's love letter
to Sydney, There's no question about it.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
The whole thing was when she did that interview with
him for her show, a long time ago. She used
that too, which was how part of the documentary. And
uh yeah, so yeah, she loved him, she loved him.
I'm glad she loved him. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
Well he was like a father to her, you know,
in many ways? Was it wasn't he.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Well, I'm not sure about a father thing more than that. Yeah,
she had a big crush on him.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
Yeah, yeah, who wouldn't.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Yeah he was cute. He was cute.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
And Reggie Hudland, who directed the film, he and his
wife are instrumental in introducing not many people know this,
I don't think introducing Kamala Harris and Doug Emahak. Did
you know that? No, Yeah, they were both responsible for Actually,
(14:50):
Reggie Hudland's wife, Chrissette, was the one that introduced them.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Well, she's doing great. We'll keep our fingers crossed and
see what happens. Yeah, be wonderfuls of But and then
Reggie did for the Democratic uh convention, he did the
video on her life.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Story, on Kamala's life story. So that was done by Reggie.
I don't know either, but he's he's an excellent you
know director himself too. There's so many people in this
book that didn't he. I mean, this is only part
of it. I can't imagine what else you have, because
this is the table of contents in this book is
(15:34):
pretty pretty big. But he, you know, he he did
so many. I mean, he's twenty Jones and Diane Carroll
and Laurence Fishburn and of course Denzel Washington, Mark, Melvin Bond,
people's uh the third grade Marshall Tribute. Do you do
you remember going to these and seeing him? I mean.
Speaker 1 (15:57):
Most of them did not go to because they were
out of own, you know, and we really never traveled
together because of our children, so we would go on
separate planes. And I'm not that crazy about flying. So
and he was gone for a day or two. That
was about the most About all the others I did,
the Quincy Jones and all of our friends. You know, yes,
(16:18):
I remember going to them. But he was an amazing writer, wellerfect,
he was wonderful, He was good.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
He was amazing writer. When you when you read me,
as I said, when you're when you're reading it, his
voices was in my head. I could hear his voice
saying these words and and so it was so beautiful,
you know, But he did he take it seems like
he took a long time to write these. Do you
(16:54):
remember doing the process when he was going he.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
Wrote everything, and it did take a long time. And yeah,
but he was he was very amazing. I mean when
you consider he had hardly any education. I think he
had three or four years of schooling and he's totally
self taught. And you know, had a behavian accent and
got rid of it by listening to I forget who
(17:18):
the guy was on the radio, and he he was,
you know, and he was not like today, the actors
today make a whole bunch of money because they do
commercials and they do that all this other stuff. He
never did that. He always said, I'm an actor, that's it,
that's it. I'm not so he never did a commercial.
I think he was offered a lot of money and
(17:39):
I would think, oh my god, why not. You know,
but he was that way. He was very He was
very special. He was a very special person, one of
a kind. And you know, he was born prematurely. He
only weighed like two and a half or three pounds,
and his mother was very sad and was like they
(17:59):
were thinking he wouldn't make it, and so she went
to see a sooth sayer in Miami because he was
born prematurely. In Miami. There were tomato farmers who went
to Miami to sell their tomatoes, and the soothsayer said
to him, do not worry. He will live a long
life and he will walk with kings. I'll get chills
every time I say that.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
I just got chills when you said it. Amazing.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
Yeah. So, and he's like in this whole family, everybody's
like maybe five eight five ten. He was six three,
six feet three inches and he was a little, tiny,
tiny baby, you know. Amazing. So he was he was
meant to be and very special.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Yeah. Yeah, and you know, to be the first black
actor ever to win an Academy Award and led the
way and as you say it, you know Oprah saw
that it was inspired by it, as well as you know,
Denzel Washington, any other actors who wanted to follow in
his footsteps, because he paid the way for all of
(19:05):
them to know, do it, I do it too. And
that's inspiring.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
Yes, he was amazing.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
Yes, he was a very inspiring man on his own,
just by himself. What he did, go ahead.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
The funny thing is his best friend is Harry was
Harry Belafante, and you know they're they were the same
age and that the you know, the Negro the Negro
Ensemble or something like that. And he was the understudy
for Harry and Harry was out one night because his
(19:45):
father was sick and he was a janitor, so Harry
had to take over and Sidney went on stage and
that's how his whole career started. But they remained friends
all that time, even though Sydney kind of stole Harry's
career that way.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Well, you know, Harry's more I mean, he is an
actor too, but you know it's singing. He also had that.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
Then they couldn't sing never, I mean he was totally
tone deaf. And uh, I think it was in what
is it in the Lilies of the Field where he
had to sing? Yeah, it wasn't his He couldn't sing.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Now did he have some trouble with that then?
Speaker 1 (20:26):
Huh?
Speaker 2 (20:27):
Did he have trouble doing that? And in the Lilies
of the Field.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
I don't know because that was before my time, but yeah, no,
he didn't have a voice.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
So after you met him, and did you continued with
your career? Correct? Did you? Did you continue to act afterwards?
Speaker 1 (20:52):
No? I did when I first met him. I did
a couple of other films, and but after that one
he had children. You know, my mother worked all of
my life and I was like a latchkey kid, so
I never had a mother or father home until like
seven o'clock at night and then it was time to
(21:13):
go to bed. So I decided not to do that
with my children. I wanted to be the mother that
I never had, so I gave up my career. And
it was you know, I don't think there's room for
two people in a in a movie. You know, Yeah,
it's hard.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
It's hard, especially when you have children.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
And also you have to travel and you know, be
away from each other. And we never actually spent any
time away really, maybe the most of two days at
a time if he had to go and do his
speech or something. But basically we were together as a family.
He was more like just dad. He was dad. That
(21:53):
was it. He wasn't City Poidier the actor a big
deal and yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
Well do you think he had his ego in check?
He wasn't one that didn't seem like he had a
big ego. And that's great, you know, ego whatsoever, down
to earth, rounded that's why we You know, you have
certain actors you can see their souls when they're on
the screen, and he was one of those actors where
(22:21):
you could see his soul, his spirit, and that's what
came through, and that's why we loved him no matter
what kind of role he was doing. You know, we
just in love with who he was on that screen.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
And I think so you know, we met in nineteen
sixty eight, and that was the time when you know,
blacks and whites were really nobody ever. Ever, we had
no problem whatsoever.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
Oh, that's wonderful.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
Nobody, nobody sort of patches to me, you know really,
I mean, he never had any real problems.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Yeah, yeah, that's great. It's great to say.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
I think it was blessed.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
Yes than you and you were too, And thank you
so much for being on my show today on your birthday.
I really appreciate you taking the time out of your
damn But hold up the book again, uh, Sydney Potier,
The Great Speeches of an Icon who moved us forward.
It's a fabulous, fabulous book and it's a great gift.
(23:24):
So as we're coming into the holidays, the birthday gift,
you know, anniversary present, and you know, Christmas, Hanukah whatever,
it's a great gift and it's beautifully.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
And your background looks like my background The Metal Have
Sidney Poitiers. Anyway, it was wonderful to meet you.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
And to Joanna. I wish you much success with your
surgery and everything and with the book for sure, for sure,
So thank you so much for being here. Uh for
all my loyal listeners. If you would like to support
The jam Price Show All About Movies now you can
give a tax freed donation. Go to Creative visions dot org.
(24:08):
That's Creative visions dot org and find the jam Price
Show in the podcast section where you can make a
tax freed donation. Thank you in advance for all of
your support.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
Thank you, Anna, thank you. That's a love The jam
Wright Show All About Movies.
The jam Right Show, All about movies.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
You're listening to the jam Pray Show, All about movies,
and today I'm honored to have actress Joanna Poitier on
the show to talk about this wonderful, wonderful book entitled
Sidney Potier, The Great Speeches of an icon who moved
us forward. Welcome to the show, Joanna, Thank you so
lovely to have you. And by the way, happy birthday.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
I know eighty one. I don't know happy that is,
but I'm happy to be alive. That's a good thing.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
You look fabulous. You look fabulous. Today is my brother's
and my niece's birthday, so it's a good day for birthday.
Oh good day. This book is so beautiful, such a
wonderful tribute to your husband and your beloved husband. We
all love Sidney Potier. I remember seeing Lily to the
Field when I was very very little, and too with
(00:53):
that the first one you saw too.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
One of the first ones.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Yeah, So how did this book? I'm going to hold
it up for everyone. This is the book. It's a
beautiful book. How did it all come about? What made
you decide to put this book? Because it's you know,
he was prolific as far as wonderful speeches. So what
made you decide to create this book.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Well, when Sydney died, I'm in his office now this
was his office, and I was going through all the
papers and stuff, and I came about upon a whole
big drawer full. I mean hundreds of speeches, a lot
of them. I wasn't priviaging some of them. I was
because I was there, but most of them were done
many years ago. Plus Anyway, it was like I started
(01:31):
reading them and I thought, oh, they're so beautiful because
some of the words are I mean, he just was amazing.
And I said, it's a shame to waste them. And
I thought, well, maybe I'll try and see if anybody's interested.
And I put it out there with his what used
to be his agent at CIA, and they found running Press,
the Hashet people who were interested. So we did the book. Yeah,
(01:54):
we only have a certain amount of speeches in the book.
Hundreds more. I mean, it's like unbelievable what we have here.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
You know there's more, because there's a lot in this book.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Oh yeah, there's a whole bunch more. The drawer is
still half full.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Well in volume two, well, volume too, get this one
out there. Well, this is a way we'll talk about.
You know, it's a great gift. It's a wonderful gift.
Certainly the holidays coming up. This would be a wonderful
gift for anyone who loves Sidney Pontier and loved movies.
And it just brings back you hear his boy well,
the fact.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
That he was very very little educated and he was amazing.
I mean, he is self taught, and I just don't
he amazing.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
I don't think any of us knew that he was
so taught because he was so eloquent and everything that
he ever did that was remarkable to know that also
that he have much of an education. Yet we always
felt very educated and certainly an intellectual draw Well. Oprah
Winfrey did the introduction the forward to this book, and
I know that she and Sidney were very close. Can
(02:57):
you talk a little bit about that relationship that they had.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
They had a really wonderful relationship. And I'm glad I'm
not a jealous person because she loved him a lot
and he loved her. And every Sunday they would have
this phone call and she would call out by Joanna,
is my boyfriend there and they would talk for like
an hour. I don't know what they talked about, but
they had so much to say to each other. But
(03:21):
she loved sitting from the time that she was a
little girl. And she saw him get the Academy award
and she said, wow, you know, if he can do it,
I can do it kind of thing. So they had
a very very special relationship. And it didn't make me jealous.
It made me happy, I know.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
And she said in the forward that she regretted that
she didn't record those phone call with his permission, as
she says, you know, because there were so many wonderful
things in them. And I guess she wrote notes that
she said, not enough to do a book. So I'm
glad that you have all these speeches.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Yeah, she really, really, really had a long relationship with him.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
One of the things he personified Elik went integrity and
great and also that we get a glimpse of his wisdom,
his wit, his great and his word is his book.
So it's a wonderful gift for all of us who
loved him so much to read great speeches. One that
I was particularly drawn to was the one with George
Stephens Junior because I've had George Stevens Junior on my
(04:17):
show twice. He came on when he wrote his autobiography,
and then when he did the audio book. He came
back on the show a year later. So because his life,
his book's super thick, I got it. So I was like,
there's lots to talk about it in his life and
so and he realized how close they were. George Stevens
Sidney Plantier were so close. Can you talk a little
(04:37):
bit more about their relationship? I didn't get George Stevens Junior.
He founded the AFI American Film Institute.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
I don't really know about the relationship, so I really
couldn't say very much. But oh, are you're talking about George.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Stevens George Stevens Junior yet.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Okay, I didn't get that. I'm sorry. Yeah, they've had
a long relationship and it was between the two of them. Actually,
I never really was rivy to all of it, but
they did have a very long, loving relationship.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
He's a lovely, lovely man. Also, George Junior, wonderful. Is
there a particular speech for you that stood out that
one that really touched you more than some of the others.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
One of the best speech, well, obviously the one that
he did for my daughter when she was married and
when they got graduated. You know, they graduated from college,
all of them. They're all pretty amazing. I mean, you know,
it's like it was hard to choose. It was hard
to choose, you know, which ones to send off. And
mostly they chose the ones that we sent, but some
were rejected and some were asked and they asked for
(05:36):
different ones and we just did it. But I still
have a whole drawer full. So we'll see what happens
with that.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Definitely, definitely talk about how you met your husband and
about you because you had a lot, you know, you
had the love of his life and you were with
him well over fifty years. Yeah, quite amazing, and talk,
you know, talk about how you met him and your
love story if you don't mind.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Well, I lived in Paris and I made bench movies.
I was a model first and then I was asked
to do some movies and I made some movies, and
I guess the director of The Lost Man, his wife
saw the movie. One of the movies was playing in
New York and she went to see it and they
asked me if I would come and test for a
movie with Sydney Poitier. Now I had never seen any
(06:18):
of Sydney's films at that point because I lived in Paris,
and you know, we didn't go to the movies for
some reason. I don't know why. But I saw that
he was playing in a movie in London, the one
with the Blind Girl, A Patch.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Of Patrick Blue, Patch of Blue, Patch of.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Blue, and so I saw it and I go, oh god,
he's really really good, you know. But so then they
I said, okay, and they wanted me to come and test,
and I said, I don't like to test, so I
don't want to test, thank you very much. But you
want me, fine, but I'm not going to test. So
they called me back and they said, okay, you don't
have to test, and you come and come and meet him.
And I had to come and do costumes. I think
(06:52):
I think it was Edith Head or something. And I
went to Los Angeles Universal Studios commissary and had lunch
with the producers and Sid he walks in and he's
got this pale blue suit on it, a little ascot
and you looked kind of cute actually, and he was
very sweet and we had a nice nudge and we
talked and I thanked him. And funnily enough, in his book,
(07:13):
when he wrote his first book, This Life, he talks
about this little Paris model, meaning me who wouldn't test.
We also said about Diane Carroll, the beautiful Diane Carroll,
you know. But anyway, we talked and he said he
was coming to Paris in there was June, and so
I said, oh, okay, well, if you do, come give
me a call. And I gave him my phone number.
(07:34):
And in June he came and he called me and
he said he'd like to go to the Louver and
have lunch. Have lunch and go to the Louver, and
I said okay. So I went to the hotel to
meet him. And he was at the Hotel de la
Tremois at the time, and he was in a suite.
And I went up to the suite and rang the
bell and he opened the door and he was in
his pj's, his pajamas. I said, okay. He said, I overslept,
(07:58):
you know, he was jetlag. Guess, he said, but we
can have lunch here and then we'll think about going
to the loover. I said okay, And we had lunch
and It was very nice and we talked and stuff,
but he decided he didn't want to go to the louver.
He would go tomorrow the day next day. So I
said okay, and leaving the suite and I'm walking towards
the elevator and he's at the door and he said,
(08:20):
has anybody ever told you you have child bearing hips?
I thought, what a thing to say, Oh my god,
you know, I mean I was one hundred and twenty
pounds and I'm one hundred and fifty sixty or something,
so it was like it wasn't like I was chubby.
Oh anyway, I said no, and then I got in
the elevator and left. The next day, we had lunch
and then he went back. I think he went to
(08:41):
Rome someplace. But then I didn't see him again until
we met in Philadelphia to do the movie, which was
in September. I think, yeah, end of September. And what
was the movie, The Lost Man The Last Man? I
think it was a remake of another movie a long
time ago. But anyway, we did the movie and we'd
have dinner and you know, lunch, and spent a lot
(09:01):
of time together, and I was engaged to be married
to an Englishman at the time, and I don't know,
one thing led to another and that was it. That
was it.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
That was it. You both knew.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
Yeah, it was amazing. How ah, I mean we've had
an amazing, long, wonderful, happy life. I mean we never
really fought. We never really. It was kind of interesting.
He was always like we called each other dad and mom.
I guess it was like he was just that, you know.
He wasn't Sidney Partier, the big deal, you know. To me,
he was just a really wonderful, extraordinary human being.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Yeah, he was.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
I was blessed to have him, to know him and
to be with him.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
You were definitely watching over you now for sure. How
are you doing since his past?
Speaker 1 (09:43):
How am I doing?
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Yet?
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Am I doing now?
Speaker 2 (09:45):
I mean he passed away in January.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
No, I'm eighty one years old. I have to have
two hip replacements, and I keep putting it off, but
I have to do it, and I think I'm doing it.
I have I think of December the thirtieth, they want
to do it or something like that, and I thought,
oh god, well, it's the new year, and maybe it's
a good thing, new hips, new year, you know, but
it's it's different. It's different. It's just different. A lot together,
(10:10):
always together, even although I never want on any of
the sets that when he made movies, I never went
on a set, but I was always there, you know, cooking.
I cooked for them all the time.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Yeah, that's wonderful, that's wonderful. Well, that's any My girlfriend
just had our hippily place. She's just doing fine with it.
And I've had several other friends who've had hip replacements too.
They all think to be just fine.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
So that's what everybody says. But I'm not into. I mean,
I don't want to be put out. I don't like
to be put out. So I'm doing a spinal what
do you call it, spinal thing? Epidural and epiduralodural.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Okay, good, we'll hold you in our thoughts for that
that it all goes well for sure. Sure what's your
life like now? Was this book cathartic for you when
you were putting it together?
Speaker 1 (11:00):
Well? Not really. I mean there's so many things in
here when we look around. I mean, it's all about
Sydney and all the people he you know, it was
all of his friends and a lot of Oprah, a
lot of Mandela a lot of a lot of his awards,
all of his awards, so it's like he's still here
(11:22):
kind of. You know. Yeah, I'm blessed. I'm blessed to
have had him in my life, and I am appreciative
of all the time we had. We had a long
life together.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
So yeah, we're lucky and very blessed. I had the
honor of They showed the documentary Sydney that Oprah produced,
and Oprah was here, I live in Santa Barbaras. It
was the International of Santa Barbara International Film Festival at
Riviera Theater. They had a special screening and Oprah came,
there's a motes set it was, you know, and Reggie
(11:56):
Hudlind came and spoke afterwards and did a Q and
A with Rogerdermy, our executive director, and that was just
a beautiful documentary about his life. There was much afterwards.
We were saying our new phrase became, what would Sidney
do in this situation? Whatever situation came up. He became
(12:19):
our new benchmark for how to live our lives. After
watching that film. It was so beautifully done and that
so we would something would come up and go okay,
so what would Sidney do in this situation or what
would Sidney say in this situation?
Speaker 1 (12:37):
That was an amazing person and totally self taught, and
he was loyal. His ex wife is one of my
best friends, Waneda, and he had four beautiful daughters with
her and beautiful grandchildren. I'm great grandchildren and I'm I'm
in contact with them all the time. And then we
(12:59):
have two beautiful, wonderful children and grandchildren together, So there's
like a lot of connection. And I'll due to Sydney
because that's the way he was. That was his thing.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Yeah, yeah, you know, he was a beautiful soul inside
and out and as I said, benchmark for all of us.
Were you involved at all in the documentary that and
obviously they started this before he passed away, because it
came out in twenty twenty two.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
Yeah. No, they asked me, you know it was okay
to do it, but of course I said yes, you know,
and that was it. I didn't really have that much
to do with it.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Well, it was certainly Oprah's love letter, Oprah's love letter
to Sydney, There's no question about it.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
The whole thing was when she did that interview with
him for her show, a long time ago. She used
that too, which was how part of the documentary. And
uh yeah, so yeah, she loved him, she loved him.
I'm glad she loved him. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
Well he was like a father to her, you know,
in many ways? Was it wasn't he.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Well, I'm not sure about a father thing more than that. Yeah,
she had a big crush on him.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
Yeah, yeah, who wouldn't.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Yeah he was cute. He was cute.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
And Reggie Hudland, who directed the film, he and his
wife are instrumental in introducing not many people know this,
I don't think introducing Kamala Harris and Doug Emahak. Did
you know that? No, Yeah, they were both responsible for Actually,
(14:50):
Reggie Hudland's wife, Chrissette, was the one that introduced them.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Well, she's doing great. We'll keep our fingers crossed and
see what happens. Yeah, be wonderfuls of But and then
Reggie did for the Democratic uh convention, he did the
video on her life.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Story, on Kamala's life story. So that was done by Reggie.
I don't know either, but he's he's an excellent you
know director himself too. There's so many people in this
book that didn't he. I mean, this is only part
of it. I can't imagine what else you have, because
this is the table of contents in this book is
(15:34):
pretty pretty big. But he, you know, he he did
so many. I mean, he's twenty Jones and Diane Carroll
and Laurence Fishburn and of course Denzel Washington, Mark, Melvin Bond,
people's uh the third grade Marshall Tribute. Do you do
you remember going to these and seeing him? I mean.
Speaker 1 (15:57):
Most of them did not go to because they were
out of own, you know, and we really never traveled
together because of our children, so we would go on
separate planes. And I'm not that crazy about flying. So
and he was gone for a day or two. That
was about the most About all the others I did,
the Quincy Jones and all of our friends. You know, yes,
(16:18):
I remember going to them. But he was an amazing writer, wellerfect,
he was wonderful, He was good.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
He was amazing writer. When you when you read me,
as I said, when you're when you're reading it, his
voices was in my head. I could hear his voice
saying these words and and so it was so beautiful,
you know, But he did he take it seems like
he took a long time to write these. Do you
(16:54):
remember doing the process when he was going he.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
Wrote everything, and it did take a long time. And yeah,
but he was he was very amazing. I mean when
you consider he had hardly any education. I think he
had three or four years of schooling and he's totally
self taught. And you know, had a behavian accent and
got rid of it by listening to I forget who
(17:18):
the guy was on the radio, and he he was,
you know, and he was not like today, the actors
today make a whole bunch of money because they do
commercials and they do that all this other stuff. He
never did that. He always said, I'm an actor, that's it,
that's it. I'm not so he never did a commercial.
I think he was offered a lot of money and
(17:39):
I would think, oh my god, why not. You know,
but he was that way. He was very He was
very special. He was a very special person, one of
a kind. And you know, he was born prematurely. He
only weighed like two and a half or three pounds,
and his mother was very sad and was like they
(17:59):
were thinking he wouldn't make it, and so she went
to see a sooth sayer in Miami because he was
born prematurely. In Miami. There were tomato farmers who went
to Miami to sell their tomatoes, and the soothsayer said
to him, do not worry. He will live a long
life and he will walk with kings. I'll get chills
every time I say that.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
I just got chills when you said it. Amazing.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
Yeah. So, and he's like in this whole family, everybody's
like maybe five eight five ten. He was six three,
six feet three inches and he was a little, tiny,
tiny baby, you know. Amazing. So he was he was
meant to be and very special.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Yeah. Yeah, and you know, to be the first black
actor ever to win an Academy Award and led the
way and as you say it, you know Oprah saw
that it was inspired by it, as well as you know,
Denzel Washington, any other actors who wanted to follow in
his footsteps, because he paid the way for all of
(19:05):
them to know, do it, I do it too. And
that's inspiring.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
Yes, he was amazing.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
Yes, he was a very inspiring man on his own,
just by himself. What he did, go ahead.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
The funny thing is his best friend is Harry was
Harry Belafante, and you know they're they were the same
age and that the you know, the Negro the Negro
Ensemble or something like that. And he was the understudy
for Harry and Harry was out one night because his
(19:45):
father was sick and he was a janitor, so Harry
had to take over and Sidney went on stage and
that's how his whole career started. But they remained friends
all that time, even though Sydney kind of stole Harry's
career that way.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Well, you know, Harry's more I mean, he is an
actor too, but you know it's singing. He also had that.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
Then they couldn't sing never, I mean he was totally
tone deaf. And uh, I think it was in what
is it in the Lilies of the Field where he
had to sing? Yeah, it wasn't his He couldn't sing.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Now did he have some trouble with that then?
Speaker 1 (20:26):
Huh?
Speaker 2 (20:27):
Did he have trouble doing that? And in the Lilies
of the Field.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
I don't know because that was before my time, but yeah, no,
he didn't have a voice.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
So after you met him, and did you continued with
your career? Correct? Did you? Did you continue to act afterwards?
Speaker 1 (20:52):
No? I did when I first met him. I did
a couple of other films, and but after that one
he had children. You know, my mother worked all of
my life and I was like a latchkey kid, so
I never had a mother or father home until like
seven o'clock at night and then it was time to
(21:13):
go to bed. So I decided not to do that
with my children. I wanted to be the mother that
I never had, so I gave up my career. And
it was you know, I don't think there's room for
two people in a in a movie. You know, Yeah,
it's hard.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
It's hard, especially when you have children.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
And also you have to travel and you know, be
away from each other. And we never actually spent any
time away really, maybe the most of two days at
a time if he had to go and do his
speech or something. But basically we were together as a family.
He was more like just dad. He was dad. That
(21:53):
was it. He wasn't City Poidier the actor a big
deal and yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
Well do you think he had his ego in check?
He wasn't one that didn't seem like he had a
big ego. And that's great, you know, ego whatsoever, down
to earth, rounded that's why we You know, you have
certain actors you can see their souls when they're on
the screen, and he was one of those actors where
(22:21):
you could see his soul, his spirit, and that's what
came through, and that's why we loved him no matter
what kind of role he was doing. You know, we
just in love with who he was on that screen.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
And I think so you know, we met in nineteen
sixty eight, and that was the time when you know,
blacks and whites were really nobody ever. Ever, we had
no problem whatsoever.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
Oh, that's wonderful.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
Nobody, nobody sort of patches to me, you know really,
I mean, he never had any real problems.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Yeah, yeah, that's great. It's great to say.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
I think it was blessed.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
Yes than you and you were too, And thank you
so much for being on my show today on your birthday.
I really appreciate you taking the time out of your
damn But hold up the book again, uh, Sydney Potier,
The Great Speeches of an Icon who moved us forward.
It's a fabulous, fabulous book and it's a great gift.
(23:24):
So as we're coming into the holidays, the birthday gift,
you know, anniversary present, and you know, Christmas, Hanukah whatever,
it's a great gift and it's beautifully.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
And your background looks like my background The Metal Have
Sidney Poitiers. Anyway, it was wonderful to meet you.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
And to Joanna. I wish you much success with your
surgery and everything and with the book for sure, for sure,
So thank you so much for being here. Uh for
all my loyal listeners. If you would like to support
The jam Price Show All About Movies now you can
give a tax freed donation. Go to Creative visions dot org.
(24:08):
That's Creative visions dot org and find the jam Price
Show in the podcast section where you can make a
tax freed donation. Thank you in advance for all of
your support.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
Thank you, Anna, thank you. That's a love The jam
Wright Show All About Movies.
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