woody strode interview woody strode interview

In 1941, he began working as a professional wrestler, and in 1946, he and Washington became the first two African-American football players to play in the NFL, when they signed with the Los Angeles Rams. While his pro wrestling career lasted two decades from the 1940s to 1960s, his impact not only on the NFL and in Hollywood was a groundbreaker, making him a pioneer in many genres outside of the squared ring. His last film was The Quick and the Dead, which starred Sharon Stone. I almost died inside when I heard he was a racist. (Episode 6). Euer Weg fhrt durch die Hlle (1984) Also in the Munn interview, Strode relates an incident in which. If the interview did in fact occur, Munn quotes Strode as saying that, on the set of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Jimmy Stewart was too decent a person to be a hard-case racist, but that Strode believed Jim was uncomfortable around him. Aka: Scipio the African Your donation is fully tax-deductible. link], repeats The Jimmy Stewart Show casting misunderstanding, citing it as evidence of, in Munns own words, Jims racist spirit. Munn also claims that a 1976 interview he conducted with black actor Woody Strode, Jims co-star in 1962s The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, further proves that Jimmy Stewart was a racist. A hilarious subplot within the episode finds Woody and Carlton "Lassie" Lassiter waking up snuggled up together, and left to wonder exactly what transpired between the two of them the night before. According to Peter Fonda, the sheer fact that Jimmy Stewart was best friends with Peters father. The Last Rebel (1971) Thanks for reading Tracy! He made more than sixty movies including his last film, The Quick and The Dead [1995]. A rumor casts a shadow on the legacy of Jimmy Stewart. best of friends ever since they were children, Psych 2: Lassie Come Home: 10 Easter Eggs You Totally Missed. Bit of a game changer." Though Woody usually means well, he's not always the . Ford proceeded to announce to the entire company that: One of the actors here doesnt like Uncle Remus. He was the African antagonist in Tarzan Fights for Life (1958) and an Apache chief who took on Sean Connery in the western, Shalako (1968). Actually, I had been rassling in the off-season anyhow, Strode told the late, great Canadian newspaper columnist Jim Proudfoot. Your email address will not be published. John Wayne was a supporter of Israel, but is known to have made several anti-Semitic remarks. Strode played college football for the UCLA Bruins, the most integrated collegiate team in the nation in 1939, which included future NFL running back Kenny Washington and future Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Jackie Robinson. Tarzan and the Perils of Charity Jones (1967) He had not a problem with a white guy playing the police officer giving Jimmys character a tongue-lashing. Santa Barbara Coroner Woodrow "Woody" Strode may have been a late addition to the world ofPsych, but there's no denying that he's arguably one of the series' weirdest and most memorable characters. American actor Woody Strode on the set of Sergeant Rutledge, directed by John Ford. > Books 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. Theyre like father and son.. 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. A Los Angeles native, he excelled in athletics at UCLA in the late 1930s, where he was explosive as a decathlete as well as part of the college football team that also included Jackie Robinson he, Robinson, and future NFL starKenny Washington made up three of the four backfields and were dubbed the Gold Dust Gang by the press. Jimmy Stewart was not racist. I am so glad that I read this article. He served as a caregiver to Ford in his final years and was at Ford's deathbed in 1973. Thanks for reading David! We need him!, In the end, Wayne told Strode: We gotta work together. Strode praised Ford in a 1960 interview. I read an article a few weeks ago about him being racist and I couldnt believe it. While at UCLA, he met his future wife when the football team was playing the University of Hawaii in Honolulu Hawaiian princess Luukialunan Kalaeloa. With a bizarre range of habits and tendencies, Woody would be a lot to handle if he were either a real person, or the series' main character. It needed to be done. According to Strode: Stewart was never rude to mehe was never rude to anyone. In 1946, Jimmy Stewart led a small group of stars who vocalized their support for brotherhood among all Americans. Jimmy Stewart was not racist. Er verffentlichte theologische und philosophische Schriften, Arbeiten zur Musik, insbesondere zu Johann Sebastian Bach, sowie autobiographische Schriften in zahlreichen und vielbeachteten Werken.. For nearly two decades he remained a pio- neer against racism in the film and television industry. Im glad that it clears up that rumor about him. Decathlete who also played football professionally in the CFL, and enjoyed a successful acting career. Strode played as an End with the Rams in 1946, playing in 10 games that season. The Harder They Fall, the Black Western in theaters now and on Netflix on Nov. 3, owes a tip of the Stetson to Woody Strode, one of the NFLs first Black players (he signed briefly with the Los Angeles Rams in 1946), who later found a niche playing strong, silent types in Westerns. Jim and Duke upset distributors of the film for a scene in which the two are seated next to each other on a piano bench, jamming at the piano of a bar filled with dancers. He's also written for Pro Wrestling Illustrated, WrestleZone, The Windsor Star, and other publications. From Andre the Giant inThe Princess Brideto Roddy Piper inThey Livesto the expanding resumes of Dwayne The Rock Johnson and Dave Bautista to John Cena, pro wrestlers have found a way to transition to cinema. Afterwards, Lee Marvin remembered seeing both John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart lunge for the offending actor. It would be interesting to hear Janes thoughts. Strode was in City Beneath the Sea (1953) directed by Budd Boetticher, and The Royal African Rifles. Additionally, 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). Donald Deweys 1997 biography of Jimmy Stewart, journalist James Bawden between 1971 and 1983, Thanks to the passionate insistence of director Otto Preminger. Munn insists that he was the confidant of nearly every great Classic Hollywood Star, a declaration he made only after all of these stars passed. Lets go behind the origin of the rumor that Jimmy Stewart was racist, and the evidence that refutes it. > The Artist Canvas A small donation would help us keep this available to all. This story first appeared in the Nov. 3 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Im delighted to put the rumors about him to rest. For nearly two decades he remained a pioneer against racism in the film and television industry. Im so happy you came across my article. An athlete turned actor, Strode was a top-notch decathlete and a football star at UCLA. Son of Sinbad (1955) ", NEXT:Psych 2: Lassie Come Home: 10 Easter Eggs You Totally Missed. All Rights Reserved. Jim hit it off particularly well with Duke Ellington during filming of 1959s Anatomy of a Murder, for which Ellington made history as the first black musician to compose the score for a major Hollywood production. > Sporting Connection Not many sports historians report, No one is more deserving than Frank Manchel, Emeritus Professor of English and Film at the University of Vermont, to be recognized by Film & History as a pioneer in film studies. It is such a terrible rumor. Ive done everything but play an Anglo-Saxon. He shared a story from the set of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Fords 1962 film about an attorney (Stewart) who, robbed and left for dead by a notorious outlaw, is saved by a rancher (Wayne) and has to start over from scratch. Great Movies Collections TV/Streaming Interviews Movie Reviews Chaz's Journal Contributors Cast and Crew Woody Strode Find on IMDB. Strode praised Ford in a 1960 interview. 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. But only Woody could think up this "footwear mullet," and that's what makes it great. The Buccaneer (1958) Is Woody Strode in the Hall of Fame? The show keeps things as PG as it can when it comes to his involvement with the cadavers he analyzes. Michael Munns 2005 biography, Jimmy Stewart: The Truth Behind the Legend[aff. I am a black American who was heartbroken when I heard this aweful rumor. Find on Wikipedia. We both gotta be professionals. In fact I dont think he even likes Negroes.. I am an African American woman who had stopped watching his films when I heard about his overt racism. I wanted to crawl into a mouse hole, Stewart recalled. The two became friends, and Ford later gave Wayne his breakthrough role in Stagecoach, the film that launched Wayne to Hollywood stardom. The Black Stallion Returns (1983) Cuba Crossing (1980) 20072023 Blackpast.org. Then he asked someone to blow a whistle, which they did, and he called out, Everybody, would you please gather around? So they did. Woody eventually becomes a major player in the world ofPsych, but he's also clearly not part of the main friendship group for most of the series' run. Despite his romance with Dinah Shore in the 1940s Stewart was also known to express some mildly anti-Semitic views during the counterculture movement. There's no easier way to put it: Woody is weird. Deweys book was published early in 1996 when Stewart was still alive. Thankfully, the show never subjected Woody - or viewers - to that possibility. Shawn and Gus try to convince Woody to keep quiet, but Woody warns them that he will tell anyone who he comes across. After Gus and Shawn are implicated in yet another murder scene, they scramble to cover up the evidence which Woody is already all too keenly aware of. 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. After being cut by the Rams after just a season, Strode headed north to Canada, where he suited up for the Calgary Stampeders. Lust in the Dust (1985) The season eight episode "Someone's Got A Woody" finds poor Woody being held captive in the morgue, even as he works to help prove his abductor's innocence. 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. Due to the intense love and fandom ofPsych fans (known as Psych-os) all around the world,Psych has evolved from being a series to being a franchise that shows no sign of slowing down. Thanks again for reading, and thanks so much for commenting! He often offers his opinions and most candid thoughts at the least appropriate moments. Over the past several decades, more and more pro wrestlers are capitalizing on their work in pro wrestling to work in Hollywood as bonafide stars in the movie industry. Jim and Duke got to know each other during filming in Marquette County, Michigan, where the entire company stayed at the same hotel and shared meals. That year, he would head to Canada to work for Stu Hart in his Klondike Wrestling promotion in Calgary, Alberta (later renamed Stampede Wrestling), before returning to the US to work for his hometown NWA Los Angeles. Bow Wow Set To Train With Rikishi To Become A Wrestler, Preview: AEW Dark (02/16/21) Jon Moxley headlines a 12 match card. Woody Strode in Spartacus July 1952 found Barbara still impersonating a human ping pong ball as she bounced back - you guessed it - to the ever unreliable Mr Neal. In Liberty Valance, a picture I did with Duke, Stewart recounted. Mar 5: AEW Revolution Much in the same vein as Phil Dunphy ofModern Family failing to understand what "WTF" stands for, Woody apparently believes "TMI" means "Tell More Information." Producer Julian Blaustein, who produced Jims 1950 film, Broken Arrow, also knew that Jimmy Stewart was not racist: I never knew Jimmy to do or say anything that was racist.. After World War II Woody and Kenny Washington became the first blacks to play in the NFL. Woody Strode 22 languages View history Woodrow Wilson Woolwine Strode (July 25, 1914 - December 31, 1994) was an American athlete and actor. 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. The Ten Commandments (1956) 10 Witty Buddy Comedies To Watch If You Love 'Psych', Psych: Ranking The Main Characters By Intelligence. There are different takes over why, including that he thought it was a better medium. Blacks usually sat at the back of the bus. 1936 Strode posed for one of two paintings commissioned by Adolf Hitler for the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. 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. "I was lucky enough this time to have John Ford as my director. That means everything, working with a man like that. Ford and Strode would also work together on Two Rode Together, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. I am so glad that I can watch his movies again! 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. Before becoming one of the first big, black movie stars thanks in large part to legendary director John Fords faith in him Woody Strode was a star on the gridiron. Was Hal Williams ever contacted regarding the contriversy kanter mentioned? (After she died in 1980, Strode would marry Tina in 1982, and they were together until his death.). 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. Jimmy Stewart was a remarkable man who loved all his fellowman. He also did professional wrestling and reportedly tussled with the renowned Gorgeous George. He went on to play in the Canadian Football League before becoming a prolific Hollywood actor,. 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. In the interview, Marvin relates an incident where Jimmy Stewart actively opposed the racist behavior of another actor on set. Colpo in canna (1975) Was Vera-Ellen Anorexic in White Christmas? He lives in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, with his wife and son. For terms and use, please refer to our Terms and Conditions He majored in history and education. All the while, he continued to work in often uncredited roles in Hollywood films in minor roles, before landing the role of the King of Ethiopia in the 1956 film The Ten Commandments featuring Charleton Heston. Actor: Spartacus. I find a lot of this evidence unconvincing. Washington and Strode? The Pioneers is an on-going series looking at some of the earliest pioneers of professional wrestling as we know it, from the wrestlers to promoters to trainers who helped shape professional wrestling around the world. But its possible the interview never occurred. Ive updated the section to include more facts specific to the show. Michael Munns dangerous habit of mixing truth with exaggeration and fallacy calls his alleged interview with Woody Strode into question. The Black Scholar My grandparents were not especially anti-Semitic, but admitted they would not support Jewish political candidates. > Collectibles They were married in 1940 in Las Vegas. Afterwards, Lee Marvin remembered seeing both. Saturday, 4th March 2023See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. In 2020, Bob Glauber, a Newsday reporter, wanted to write a book about Kenny Washington and Woody Strode, whose signings to the Los Angeles Rams in 1946 broke an effective ban on Black players. It is like when people try to pretend John Wayne and Winston Churchill were not racist. His recollection of several details that are easily checked is inaccurate. No Time for Love (1943) Since 1964-when he, Examinations of masculinity in John Ford's film The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) tend to revolve around the two leading male protagonists played by John Wayne and James Stewart (Tom Doniphon, By clicking accept or continuing to use the site, you agree to the terms outlined in our. On Fire (TV) (1987) Jimmys words and actions prove that he was not racist. Woody Strode was a Black Indian (his grandmother was Black Cherokee and his grandfather was Black Muscogee) and an outstanding athlete. In comparison, Ford had made combat documentaries for the Office of Strategic Services and had been wounded at the Battle of Midway, while Ranse star Stewart had been a bomber pilot who served with distinction. According to the Munn interview, it took Woody Strode years to realize that it was John Fords cruel maneuverings, not anything Jimmy Stewart actually said, that created the tension Strode felt on the Liberty Valance set: I was too young at the time to realize Ford was using me to get at Stewart. Here's why. 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. A decorated football player at UCLA before joining teammate Kenny Washington in breaking the NFL's color barrier in 1946, Strode eventually drew the attention of . He was a good man deserving of the love and admiration that so many of us have for him. Spartacus (1960) May Mr. Stewart Rest In Peace. Jimmy Stewart worked with several black actors and entertainers throughout his career, including Hal Williams, Woody Strode, Lillian Randolph, Jim hit it off particularly well with Duke Ellington during filming of 1959s. Woody Strode weighed 205 lbs (92 kg) when playing. debut in 1941 in Henry Hathaway' s Sundown. Strode gave the Hollywood establishment what they demanded and appeared in some of the best and the worst of what they offered him. Strode would play two more seasons in Calgary before an injury ended his football life. Jaguar Lives! Youre so right, Jims own words and actions prove that he was not racist. RELATED:Psych: Ranking The Main Characters By Intelligence. The spiritual leader of an oriental country is dying. Williams has never addressed Kanters allegations, nor has he said that Jimmy mistreated him. 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. Though he was a conservative unlike his friend Henry Fonda who was a liberal and despised racism, I doubt if their life long friendship wouldve lasted if Fonda discovered he had racist views. Required fields are marked *. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. Youd never see them in the big department stores. But i am so glad to find out it was not true. Of course, Robinson would go on to break major league baseballs colour barrier in 1947. La spina dorsale del diavolo (1971) Strodes family came from New Orleans and he was Black Indian many Southern Native American tribes had welcomed slaves and free folk into their communities in the 1800s. Strode also played the powerful gladiator who does battle with Kirk Douglas in Spartacus (1960)." Played . Michael Munns integrity as a biographer has been questioned. For Jimmy Stewart, Duke Ellington was responsible for the best part of each evening: [Duke] played for us in the dining room at night, until ten, eleven, which was great fun for us.. To promote Brotherhood Week, Jimmy Stewart opened and closed a 3 minute trailer that played before feature films at theaters across the United States. 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. A recently posed question casts a shadow on the otherwise pristine legacy of Jimmy Stewart. I was lucky enough this time to have John Ford as my director. 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. Producer Julian Blaustein, who produced Jims 1950 film, Jim spoke of his Hollywood career in a series of interviews with. 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. The Man Who Made The Stars Shine Brighter: An Interview with Woody Strode. Building on two centuries' experience, Taylor & Francis has grown rapidlyover the last two decades to become a leading international academic publisher.The Group publishes over 800 journals and over 1,800 new books each year, coveringa wide variety of subject areas and incorporating the journal imprints of Routledge,Carfax, Spon Press, Psychology Press, Martin Dunitz, and Taylor & Francis.Taylor & Francis is fully committed to the publication and dissemination of scholarly information of the highest quality, and today this remains the primary goal. Sharing hotel, meals, and a piano jam session on and off film with Duke Ellington. Strode lived in Italy for five years and made 12 films there. So yes, Woody's idea of the "snoafer" might not be the best concept in the world. Its further worth noting that in his 1990 autobiography [ aff. Aka:The Violent Breed I read that Stewart was a racist a few weeks ago and fell for it hook line and sinker. In 1962, he retired from pro wrestling to concentrate on his film career, which exploded after his role in John Fords Sergeant Rutledge, and then his first starring role in the Western The Professionalsthat starred Lee Marvin and Burt Lancaster in 1966. I can find no evidence to suggest that Jimmys support of Barry Goldwater in the 1964 presidential election was based on Goldwaters civil rights voting record. Released in 1960, when the U.S. was in the early stages of the Civil Rights Movement, the film confronted racial injustice head on. According to Strode, John Ford then called the whole cast and crew over, and twisted the comment into something Jimmy Stewart never said. Its such a disheartening rumor thats unfortunately made its way across the internet. Woody Strode was born in California on July 25, 1914. 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. In an interview given before he died, Stewart once described the toll that Fords meanness took on Wayne. Razza violenta (1984) Cowboysan (1977) Thanks to the passionate insistence of director Otto Preminger, the controversial scene stayed in the film [aff. Warner Bros. wanted Sidney Poitier, but Ford pushed back, saying he wasnt tough enough to play Rutledge. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. As an actor, Strode is forever tied to John Ford (see our Pepper Martin biography for some stories that involve both Strode and Ford). 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. Stewart said that he didnt like it. Thanks for commenting. Woody's whispered warning - "Don't pick up" - is easily one of the series' best line deliveries. As the two actors filmed an exterior shot on a horse-drawn cart, Wayne was close to losing control of the horses. Hi Rosemary, Thanks for reading! In addition to the testaments of people who knew him, Jimmy Stewarts own words and actions prove he was not racist. 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. Im so glad you found my article, and Im beyond happy to hear that you can enjoy Jimmys films once more. 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. Woody Strode's extraordinary career led him from football field to wrestling ring to Hollywood. The evidence proves that Jim was not racist. The Stampeder supporters invaded Toronto and a national party was created. 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.. > Gaming Founded in 1969 and hailed by The New York Times as a journal in which the writings of many of todays finest black thinkers may be viewed, THE BLACK SCHOLAR has firmly established itself as the leading journal of black cultural and political thought in the United States and remains under the editorship of Robert Chrisman, Editor-In-Chief, Robert Allen, Senior Editor, and Maize Woodford, Executive Editor. Woody Strode movie reviews & film summaries | Roger Ebert. 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