Even in his later films, like Vigilante (1982) and Jungle Warriors (1984), the 70 year-old Strode looks An Interview with Woody Strode INTRODUCTION by Frank Manchei interview is with Woody Strode, called by JET magazine, "the Jackie Robinson of cinema." Strode made his film debut in 1941 in Henry Hathaway' s Sundown. Holmes. You can unsubscribe at any time. > Career Records All I heard was Ford saying that Stewart didnt like Negroes, and that made me mad at Stewart, and Stewart was just even more uncomfortable around me.. Thanks for reading, James. The leader's evil brother is plotting to prevent the youthful heir from assuming his rightful position. Once Upon A Time in the West (1968) Strode, doing his part, is reported to have ridden a horse in the famed Royal York hotel. Woody Strode | American actor and athlete | Britannica His words, actions, and moral code prove the fallacy of any rumor to the contrary. Every old Hollywood fan should read this. So it's not entirely out of the ordinary for Woody to believe that they're siblings. Angkor: Cambodia Express (1982) After World War II Woody and Kenny Washington became the first blacks to play in the NFL. Working with quarterback Keith Spaith, he excelled as a receiver, and did double duty on the defensive side as an end as the Stamps compiled an unbeaten record. Woody Strode movie reviews & film summaries | Roger Ebert. Wayne and Stewart felt Johnson had destroyed the United States with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. According to Woody, he's even less in control of himself, and all of his faculties, when tickling is involved. 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. In his role as the Coroner (and later Assistant Coroner) for the Santa Barbara Police Department, Woody often gets far too involved and far too close for comfort with all of the dead bodies that come his way. 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. Or taken out of the script altogether. A recently posed question casts a shadow on the otherwise pristine legacy of. In the alleged interview, Woody Strode never uses the word racist to describe Jimmy Stewart. And, as my article highlights, Hal Williams was not fired from The Jimmy Stewart Show. If Jim had an issue with casting a black actor, why was Williams not fired? After handing over ME duties to Alex Richards, he remains a frequent contributor to the site. 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.. 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. Aka: The Last Warrior Im delighted that you took the time too elaborate on its origins. Its such a disheartening rumor thats unfortunately made its way across the internet. 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. 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. 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. Thanks for commenting! Aug 5: WWE SummerSlam, > Archives Ravagers (1979) That tendency to be excluded, either intentionally or unthinkingly, clearly plays a major part in his excitement whenever he's actually looped into any episodic adventure - even if it means the friendship group may have killed someone. So yes, Woody's idea of the "snoafer" might not be the best concept in the world. He was interred with military honors at Riverside National Cemetery, east of his hometown.. Aka: The Million Dollar Fire Its why Stewart agreed to campaign strongly for Reagan in 1966, despite feeling the candidate was not conservative enough as he had remained a Democrat until 1962. 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. Then he asked someone to blow a whistle, which they did, and he called out, Everybody, would you please gather around? So they did. Here's why. ), Wrestling was next on his resume. Sergeant Rutledge is a 1960 American Technicolor Western film directed by John Ford and starring Jeffrey Hunter, Constance Towers, Woody Strode and Billie Burke. In 1939 he played for one of UCLA's greatest football teams ever, alongside future baseball legend Jackie Robinson. Another reliable source for Woody Strodes feelings towards Jimmy Stewart is a 1994 interview with Lee Marvin biographer, Dwayne Epstein. Jimmy Stewart Was Not Racist. Here's Why. - Vanguard of Hollywood 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.. 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. According to Kanter, Jim was chagrined by his mixup. But Ford had a cruel streak, PBS reports, and it emerged on the set of his movies. Woody Strode; Ex-Athlete, Character Actor in Movies 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. As the two actors filmed an exterior shot on a horse-drawn cart, Wayne was close to losing control of the horses. 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. 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. 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.. Youd never see them in the big department stores. 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. Strode also played the powerful gladiator who does battle with Kirk Douglas in Spartacus (1960)." Required fields are marked *. ", Strode blamed Ford for almost all the tension on The Man From Liberty Valances set. In 1992, he was honored by the Cauliflower Alley Club with wrestlings top award, the Iron Mike Mazurki Award. There's no easier way to put it: Woody is weird. I really cried for days because hes one of my favorite actors and I am African-American. > Photo Galleries In Liberty Valance, a picture I did with Duke, Stewart recounted. 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. "I know Gus well." "Shawn." "Him too. Strode worked in B-movies through the 70s and 80s and acted as the narrator for Mario Van Peebles Black Western Posse in 1993. 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. While Bill Fryes comment cannot be used as evidence that Jimmy Stewart was uncomfortable with racial advancement and equality, theres abundant evidence that Jim was not racist. Jimmy Stewart voiced his support for this goal in a 16 second radio campaign that played the week of February 16-23, 1947. Shalako (1968) But I gradually learned L.A. was heavily segregated. 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. That means everything, working with a man like that." Hal Kanter is our only primary source on the alleged conversation. Apr 1: WWE WrestleMania He served as a caregiver to Ford in his final years and was at Fords deathbed in 1973. 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. Woody Strode: Hollywood Star - YouTube (See The American Creed video in my article above.). Hal Kanter is our only primary source to say that Jimmy had an issue with the casting of Hal Williams. Strode played as an End with the Rams in 1946, playing in 10 games that season. He majored in history and education. Im so glad you found my article, and Im beyond happy to hear that you can enjoy Jimmys films once more. How much did Woody Strode weigh when playing? > Movies & TV 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. Woody Strode was born in Los Angeles, CA. Michael Munns dangerous habit of mixing truth with exaggeration and fallacy calls his alleged interview with Woody Strode into question. The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. For nearly two decades he remained a pio- neer against racism in the film and television industry. > Video He had not a problem with a white guy playing the police officer giving Jimmys character a tongue-lashing. In addition to his WWII record, Jimmy was a member of The American Brotherhood of Christians and Jews, which he encouraged others to join. He died the following year at age 80. RELATED:10 Witty Buddy Comedies To Watch If You Love 'Psych'. For Jims take on working with John Ford and the Uncle Remus incident, listen to his 1969 account below. Tarzans Deadly Silence (1970), Ciakmull Luuomo della vendetta (1970) Con Jock Mahoney, Woody Strode, Tsu Kobayashi, Earl Cameron. Lee Marvin was impressed by Jimmys impassioned response: I liked Jimmy before that incident, but after it, I liked him a whole lot more.. Im glad that it clears up that rumor about him. He's a baffling combination of crass and innocent, and all of his interactions with every member of the series' primary cast are always guaranteed to bring a laugh. At the time Ford yelled: Dont hit him Woody! 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. Woodrow Wilson Woolwine "Woody" Strode (July 25, 1914 - December 31, 1994) born in Los Angeles, was a football and track star at UCLA, playing alongside Jackie Robinson on the Bruins squad. But one anecdote Kanter shared has since been used as evidence that Jimmy Stewart was racist. 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. Despite his romance with Dinah Shore in the 1940s Stewart was also known to express some mildly anti-Semitic views during the counterculture movement. Spartacus (1991) Im so glad that you decided to do your own research, and that you came across my article. An Interview with Woody Strode - JSTOR Woody Strode Career Stats | NFL.com Aka: Boot Hill RELATED:Psych: 10 Best Gus Nicknames, Ranked. 1995 Taylor & Francis, Ltd. As an African American, the rumor was disturbing which is why I searched for the facts behind the rumor. 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. 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. Is Woody Strode in the Hall of Fame? No Time for Love (1943) He competed in track and field and played football as a tight-end at UCLA. Woody Strode. Watch Jim and Duke at the piano in the scene below: Sharing hotel, meals, and a piano jam session on and off film with Duke Ellington. Battle scars and violent interludes: Point blank with definitive Was Hal Williams ever contacted regarding the contriversy kanter mentioned? Woody Strode, Black Representation and John Ford's SERGEANT RUTLEDGE - YouTube John Ford wasn't afraid to explore bigotry in his films, but Sergeant Rutledge is a standout and the first. Strode was a gladiator in Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954) and was in Jungle Man-Eaters (1954), a Jungle . TIMES STAFF WRITER. 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. His wrestling career? Lust in the Dust (1985) 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. Ford discovered Wayne, then Marion Morrison, when the latter was a University of Southern California student with a summer job on a studio lot. He was a good man deserving of the love and admiration that so many of us have for him. All Rights Reserved. Just ask fans of the Calgary Stampeders. Woody Strode - actor - biography, photo, best movies and TV shows Hi Yolanda, it is such a disturbing rumor. 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. And strangely enough, Duke Wayne who, over the years, you know, has made lots of pictures with Ford Duke Wayne has been at the bottom of the list, in the barrel, more than anybody else. Androcoles and the Lion (1952) Among other dubious claims, Munn insists that at age 17, he and Ava Gardner became lovers, not long after George Raft ran Munn over with his Rolls Royce, at which point they became close. Colpo in canna (1975) 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. 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. May Mr. Stewart Rest In Peace. The two became friends, and Ford later gave Wayne his breakthrough role in Stagecoach, the film that launched Wayne to Hollywood stardom. Star Spangled Rhythm (1942) Hal Kanter is our only primary source on the alleged conversation. Woody Strode's extraordinary career led him from football field to wrestling ring to Hollywood. I find a lot of this evidence unconvincing. Aka:The Violent Breed Two Rode Together (1961) 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. Strode, 32 when he signed, never got a chance to prove himself and was released after one season. 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. The FBI agent character was written out of The Jimmy Stewart Show after Stewart objected to NBC. He was always magnificent with a no-nonsense style and quiet intellect that no athlete-turned actor has ever surpassed. Thanks for reading Tracy! > Canadian Hall of Fame As a 70 year old black man who grew up watching and loving Jimmy Stewart i can only hope he wasnt a racist like so many Americans of his era ! And according to the actor, Ford froze, then walked away. He's also written for Pro Wrestling Illustrated, WrestleZone, The Windsor Star, and other publications. You could smell the orange blossoms. Woody Strode, byname of Woodrow Wilson Woolwine Strode, (born July 28, 1914, Los Angeles, California, U.S.died December 31, 1994, Glendora, California), American character actor who was part of director John Ford's "family" of actors, appearing in nearly a dozen of Ford's films. Under coach Les Lear, the young team made it to the Grey Cup, November 27, 1948, set to face the Ottawa Roughriders. I once played a part written for an Irish prize fighter. Ford was so impressed with Strode, he gave him the starring role in 1960's Sergeant Rutledge, a Technicolor Western about a U.S. Cavalry sergeant falsely accused of raping a white woman and . In director John Fords Sergeant Rutledge (1960), a western where he depicted a soldier on trial for two murders and the rape of a white woman, when Strode bared his chest to a white woman (actress Constance Towers), even the movie audiences gasped. In addition to the testaments of people who knew him, Jimmy Stewarts own words and actions prove he was not racist. Thanks for setting me straight. But i am so glad to find out it was not true. Ive updated the section to include more facts specific to the show. It was Donald Deweys 1997 biography of Jimmy Stewart [aff. See SERGEANT RUTLEDGE (60) on 7/31 at 10:45pm ET as we continue our spotlight Directed by John Ford.Look for this films on Watch TCM at http://tcm.com/watch.Connect with Turner Classic Movies:Visit TCM WEBSITE: http://myt.cm/TCMwebsiteFollow TCM on INSTAGRAM: http://myt.cm/TCMinstagramLike TCM on FACEBOOK: http://myt.cm/TCMfacebookFollow TCM on TWITTER: http://myt.cm/TCMtwitterSubscribe now to watch more classic film content from TCM http://spr.ly/6017cTBT This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. American Brotherhood Week, sponsored by the National Conference of Christians and Jews, was meant to encourage not just religious tolerance, but acceptance and equality for all races and nationalities. 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. But after reading your entire article I know Mr. Stewart was a decent human being and my admiration for him has grown after reading your article. The Ravagers, The Professionals) Fall victim to a spider attack, entomologist Diane Ashley (Tiffany Bolling, Wild Party) arrives and tries to help Rack deal with the crisis. And he was dressed in blue overalls, a blue work shirt and boots. Strode appeared in at least 90 films, from Sunrise in 1941 to his last, The Quick and the Dead, released in 1995. Woody Strode: The Definition Of Alpha Phi Alpha Badass Despite these flaws, Kanters anecdote is cited as evidence that Jimmy Stewart was racist. Hi Pete, thanks for your comment. No freeways. 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.). Woody Strode, the square-jawed, muscular former UCLA athlete who became a character actor with supporting roles in films for nearly a half century, has . Thanks for your kind words, and for reading Damon! 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. Race is not a factor in the world market, he said in a 1982 interview with the Globe and Mail.