Harry Belafonte
Birthday: Born in 1927-03-01 in New York City, New York, USA
Deathday: 2023-04-25
Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927 – April 25, 2023) was an American singer, actor and activist, who popularized calypso music with international audiences in the 1950s. Belafonte is one of the few performers to have received an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony (EGOT), although he won the Oscar in a non-competitive category. He earned his career breakthrough with the album Calypso (1956), which was the first million-selling LP by a single artist. Belafonte was best known for his recordings of "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)", "Jump in the Line (Shake, Senora)", "Jamaica Farewell", and "Mary's Boy Child". He recorded and performed in many genres, including blues, folk, gospel, show tunes, and American standards. He also starred in films such as Carmen Jones (1954), Island in the Sun (1957), Odds Against Tomorrow (1959), Buck and the Preacher (1972), and Uptown Saturday Night (1974). He made his final screen appearance in Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman (2018). Belafonte considered the actor, singer, and activist Paul Robeson a mentor, and he was a close confidant of Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. He was a vocal critic of the policies of the George W. Bush and Donald Trump administrations. Belafonte acted as the American Civil Liberties Union celebrity ambassador for juvenile justice issues. Belafonte won three Grammy Awards (including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award), an Emmy Award, and a Tony Award. In 1989, he received the Kennedy Center Honors. He was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1994. In 2014, he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Academy's 6th Annual Governors Awards and in 2022 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Early Influence category. Description above from the Wikipedia article Harry Belafonte, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
TV Credits
The Colgate Comedy Hour
Character: Self
The Colgate Comedy Hour is an American comedy-musical variety series that aired live on the NBC network from 1950 to 1955. The show starred many notable comedians and entertainers of the era, including Eddie Cantor, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Fred Allen, Donald O'Connor, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, Bob Hope, Jimmy Durante, Ray Bolger, Gordon MacRae, Ben Blue, Robert Paige, Tony Curtis, Burt Lancaster, Broadway dancer Wayne Lamb and Spike Jones and His City Slickers....
The Merv Griffin Show
Character: Self
The Merv Griffin Show is an American television talk show, starring Merv Griffin. The series ran from October 1, 1962 to March 29, 1963 on NBC, September 20, 1965 to August 15, 1969 in first-run syndication, from August 18, 1969 to February 11, 1972 at 11:30 PM ET weeknights on CBS and again in first-run syndication from February 14, 1972 to September 5, 1986....
CBS News Sunday Morning
Character: Self
The sparkling notes of a trumpet fanfare and the familiar logo of the sun alert viewers that it's time for CBS's Sunday morning staple. Journalist Jane Pauley helms the show, taking over hosting duties from Charles Osgood, who spent 22 years on the job. A morning talk show, this program airs at a different pace and focuses much of its attention on the performing arts. After a quick update of the day's news and national weather, correspondents offer longer-length segments on a variety of topics, ...
The Ed Sullivan Show
Character: Self
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the CBS Sunday Night Movie, which ran only one season and was eventually replaced by other shows. In 2002, The Ed Sullivan Show was ranked #15 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time....
General Electric Theater
Character: Vince
General Electric Theater is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations....
The Colbert Report
Character: Self - Guest
The Colbert Report is an American satirical late night television program that airs Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. It stars political humorist Stephen Colbert, a former correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. The Colbert Report is a spin-off from and counterpart to The Daily Show that comments on politics and the media in a similar way. It satirizes conservative personality-driven political pundit programs, particularly Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor. The show focuses on a ...
The Muppet Show
Character: Self - Special Guest Star
Go behind the curtains as Kermit the Frog and his muppet friends struggle to put on a weekly variety show....
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Character: Self
An American sketch comedy television program hosted by comedians Dan Rowan and Dick Martin....
The Flip Wilson Show
Character: Self
The Flip Wilson Show is an hour long variety show that aired in the U.S. on NBC from September 17, 1970 to June 27, 1974. The show starred American comedian Flip Wilson; the program was one of the first American television programs starring a black person in the title role to become highly successful with a white audience. Specifically, it was the first successful network variety series starring an African American. During its first two seasons, its Nielsen ratings made it the nation's second mo...
ABC Stage 67
Character: Self
ABC Stage 67 is the umbrella title for a series of 26 weekly shows that included dramas, variety shows, documentaries, and original musicals. It premiered on American Broadcasting Company on September 14, 1966 with Murray Schisgal's The Love Song of Barney Kempinksi, directed by Stanley Prager and starring Alan Arkin as a man enjoying the sights and sounds of New York City in his last remaining hours of bachelorhood. Arkin was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance By An...
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
Character: Self
In 1973 the American Film Institute initiated its Life Achievement Award, to be presented to a yearly recipient whose talent has fundamentally advanced the film art; whose accomplishments have been acknowledged by scholars, critics, professional peers and the general public; and whose work has stood the test of time....
The Steve Allen Show
Character: Self - Singer
...
The Oscars
Character: Self
An annual American awards ceremony honoring cinematic achievements in the film industry. The various category winners are awarded a copy of a statuette, officially the Academy Award of Merit, that is better known by its nickname Oscar....
The Kennedy Center Honors
Character: Self
The Kennedy Center Honors is an annual honor given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture....
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
Character: Self
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour is an American comedy and variety show hosted by the Smothers Brothers and initially airing on CBS from 1967 to 1969....
The Mike Douglas Show
Character: Self
The Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that originally aired only in the Cleveland area during much of its first two years on the air. It then went into syndication in 1963 and remained on television until 1982. It was distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting and for much of its run, originated from studios of two of the company's TV stations in Cleveland and Philadelphia....
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Character: Self
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night. For its first ten years, Carson's Tonight Show was based in New York City with occasional trips to Burbank, California; in May 1972, the show moved permanently to Burbank, California. In 2002, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was ranked #12 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time....
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Character: Self - Guest Host
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night. For its first ten years, Carson's Tonight Show was based in New York City with occasional trips to Burbank, California; in May 1972, the show moved permanently to Burbank, California. In 2002, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was ranked #12 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time....
Wetten, dass..?
Character: Self
A long-running German-language entertainment television show based on the format of the British show You Bet! and the American show Wanna Bet?....
Tanner on Tanner
Character: Self
Sixteen years ago, Jack Tanner's bid for the White House ended at the 1988 Democratic convention. Now the former congressman is the subject of a documentary film directed by his daughter Alex focusing on the toll paid by failed contenders....
When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts
Character: Self
Spike Lee's award-winning documentary follows the events that preceded and followed Hurricane Katrina's catastrophic passage through New Orleans in 2005....
Jackie Robinson
Character: Self
Jack Roosevelt Robinson rose from humble origins to cross baseball’s color line and become one of the most beloved men in America. A fierce integrationist, Robinson used his immense fame to speak out against the discrimination he saw on and off the field, angering fans, the press, and even teammates who had once celebrated him for “turning the other cheek.” After baseball, he was a widely-read newspaper columnist, divisive political activist and tireless advocate for civil rights, who later stru...
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
Character: Magic Man (voice)
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child is an American anthology animated television series....
Bobby Kennedy for President
Character: Self
Historic footage and leading voices of the era examine the "Bobby Phenomenon" of the 1960s and the legacy of the man who helped redefine the country....
TV Story Superstar
Character: Self (archive footage)
...
The Julie Andrews Hour
Character: Self
The Julie Andrews Hour is a television variety series starring Julie Andrews that was produced by ATV and distributed by ITC Entertainment. It aired on the ABC network in the United States. In order to secure Andrews for the series, Sir Lew Grade and ABC offered her an extremely lucrative contract. In 1963, when another major star, Judy Garland was signed to a weekly television variety series, it failed to catch on with the public. One of the main reasons for its demise was its constant change ...
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
Character: Self
The Rosie O'Donnell Show was an American daytime television talk show hosted and produced by actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell. It aired for six seasons from 1996 to 2002. Topics often discussed on the show include Broadway, children, extended families and charitable works, people and organizations. The show was based out of Studio 8G at NBC's Rockefeller Center studios in New York City, NY, USA and was produced and syndicated by KidRo Productions, Telepictures Productions and Warner Bros. Te...
Le Grand Échiquier
Character: Self
...
Auf los geht's los
Character: Self
...
Tony Awards
Character: Self - Presenter
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway productions and performances, and an award is given for regional theatre....
PB&J Otter
Character: The Ice Moose (voice)
Peanut, Jelly, and Baby Butter Otter live on a houseboat along with all of their friends. Whenever they get into a situation where they need to think, they perform "The Noodle Dance" until one of them gets an idea....
What's My Line?
Character: Self - Mystery Guest
Four panelists must determine guests' occupations - and, in the case of famous guests, while blindfolded, their identity - by asking only "yes" or "no" questions....
Champs-Elysées
Character: Self
...
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
Character: Self - Cameo
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour is an American comedy and variety show hosted by the Smothers Brothers and initially airing on CBS from 1967 to 1969....
The Dick Cavett Show
Character: Self - Guest
The Dick Cavett Show has been the title of several talk shows hosted by Dick Cavett on various television networks....
DAS!
Character: Self
...
Kulturplatz
Character: Self
...
Vivement dimanche
Character: Self
...
Great Performances
Character: Self
The best in the performing arts from across America and around the world including a diverse programming portfolio of classical music, opera, popular song, musical theater, dance, drama, and performance documentaries....
The Danny Kaye Show
Character: Self
The Danny Kaye Show is an American variety show hosted by Danny Kaye that aired on CBS from 1963 to 1967 on Wednesday nights. Directed by Robert Scheerer, the show premiered in black-and-white, but later switched to color broadcasts. At the time, Kaye was at the height of his popularity, having starred in a string of successful films in the 1940s and '50's, made successful personal appearances at such venues as the London Palladium, and appeared many times on television. His most recent films ha...
Heut' abend
Character: Self
...
Movie Credits
The Player
Character: Harry Belafonte
A Hollywood studio executive is being sent death threats by a writer whose script he rejected - but which one?...
Bobby
Character: Nelson
In 1968 the lives of a retired doorman, hotel manager, lounge singer, busboy, beautician and others intersect in the wake of Robert F. Kennedy's assassination at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles....
The World, the Flesh and the Devil
Character: Ralph Burton
Ralph Burton is a miner who is trapped for several days as a result of a cave-in. When he finally manages to dig himself out, he realizes that all of mankind seems to have been destroyed in a nuclear holocaust. He travels to New York City only to find it deserted. Making a life for himself there, he is flabbergasted to eventually find Sarah Crandall, who also managed to survive. Together, they form a close friendship until the arrival of Benson Thacker who has managed to pilot his small boat int...
Kansas City
Character: Seldom Seen
A pair of kidnappings expose the complex power dynamics within the corrupt and unpredictable workings of 1930s Kansas City....
White Man's Burden
Character: Thaddeus Thomas
The story takes place in alternative America where the blacks are members of social elite, and whites are inhabitants of inner city ghettos. Louis Pinnock is a white worker in a chocolate factory, loving husband and father of two children. While delivering a package for black CEO Thaddeus Thomas, he is mistaken for a voyeur and, as a result, loses his job, gets beaten by black cops and his family gets evicted from their home. Desperate Pinnock takes a gun and kidnaps Thomas, demanding justice....
Martin Luther King by Trevor Mcdonald
Character: Self - Singer
On the anniversary of Martin Luther King's death, Sir Trevor McDonald travels to the Deep South of America to get closer to the man who meant so much to him....
Buck and the Preacher
Character: Preacher
A wagon master and a con-man preacher help freed slaves dogged by cheap-labor agents out West....
Odds Against Tomorrow
Character: Johnny Ingram
An old-time crook plans a heist. When one of his two partners is found out to be a black man tensions flare....
Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism
Character: Self (archive footage)
This film examines how media empires, led by Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, have been running a "race to the bottom" in television news, and provides an in-depth look at Fox News and the dangerous impact on society when a broad swath of media is controlled by one person. Media experts, including Jeff Cohen (FAIR) Bob McChesney (Free Press), Chellie Pingree (Common Cause), Jeff Chester (Center for Digital Democracy) and David Brock (Media Matters) provide context and guidance for the story of Fox Ne...
The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson
Character: Self
While the Muppets prepare a tribute to the late Jim Henson, they learn about the life and career of the renowned puppeteer/film maker....
Uptown Saturday Night
Character: Geechie Dan Beauford
Two blue-collar buddies search the underworld for a winning lottery ticket lost in a nightclub holdup....
Island in the Sun
Character: David Boyeur
A scandalous tale of politics, social inequality, interracial romance, and murder set on a fictitious British-owned Caribbean island....
Sunday Best
Character:
The Ed Sullivan Show ran for more than a thousand episodes, and Sunday Best is packed with some of its greatest moments and performances. There are also interviews with legends like Harry Belafonte and Dionne Warwick, who offer a more intimate perspective on what Sullivan was like as a person and an ally. Within every frame of Sunday Best, there is an affection for the early days of television, but beneath the showbiz glitz, a human tenderness towards Ed Sullivan....
Carmen Jones
Character: Joe
Carmen, a seductive woman, seduces a young soldier, Joe, in order to avoid imprisonment. However, when she leaves Joe for another man, he seeks revenge....
The Muppet Revue
Character: Self
Kermit and Fozzie take a stroll down Muppet Memory Lane in this rollicking revue which contains both original production and material from the best of the Muppet Show series. Along the way, they share songs and laughs with Harry Belafonte, Rita Moreno, Linda Ronstadt and Paul Williams. Music spectaculars ranging from "Moonlight Sonata" to "Stayin' Alive" are interspersed with Muppet News, breakthroughs (and crackups) from Muppet Labs, culinary creations from the Swedish Chef, and much, much mor...
Legenden: Audrey Hepburn
Character: Self
A German documentary about the life of Hollywood icon Audrey Hepburn....
Sing Your Song
Character: Self
Most people know the lasting legacy of Harry Belafonte, the entertainer. This film unearths his significant contribution to and his leadership in the civil rights movement in America and to social justice globally....
Martin Luther King and the March on Washington
Character: Self
Documentary commemorating the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's March on Washington, a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. The film tells the story of how the march for jobs and freedom began, speaking to the people who organised and participated in it. Using rarely seen archive footage the film reveals the background stories surrounding the build up to the march as well as the fierce opposition it faced from the JFK administration, J Edgar Hoover's FBI and w...
Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes
Character: Self
The Drum Waltzes explores the life and music of legendary drummer, activist Max Roach, his creative peaks, personal struggles and re-inventions from the Jim Crow to Civil Rights eras, from heady days of post-war jazz to hip hop and beyond....
The Legendary Nat King Cole
Character: Self
The life and career of one of America's leading cultural figures, told through video clips and rare photos....
Bright Road
Character: Mr. Williams - School Principal
Teachers at an all-black school fight to save a problem child....
Mama Africa
Character: Self (archive footage)
Miriam Makeba was one of the first African musicians who won international stardom and whose music was always anchored in her traditional South African roots. Miriam Makeba was forced into exile in 1959. She sang for John F. Kennedy, performed with Harry Belafonte and Nina Simone, was married to Hugh Masekela and also Stokely Carmichael. Her life was tumultuous. She always stood for truth and justice. She fought for the oppressed most importantly for black Africans, as a campaigner against apa...
Hava Nagila: The Movie
Character: Self
A documentary on the history of the song "Hava Nagila."...
Jazz '34
Character: Self - Narrator
A recreation of 1934 Kansas City jazz jam session created by Robert Altman....
Moms Mabley
Character: Self
A feature documentary about Jackie "Moms" Mabley, an African-American stand-up comic and show-biz pioneer who emerged from the Chitlin' Circuit of African-American Vaudeville to become a mainstream star. Once billed as "The Funniest Woman in the World," Mabley pushed the boundaries of comedy by tackling topics such as gender, sex, and racism and performed up until her death in 1975. A true passion project for first-time director Whoopi Goldberg, the documentary shows Mabley's historical signific...
Prêt-à-Porter
Character: Self
During Paris Fashion Week, models, designers and industry hot shots gather to work, mingle, argue and try to seduce one another....
The Angel Levine
Character: Alexander Levine
Morris Mishkin is a elderly religious Jew in New York. His wife Fanny is very ill. He's a tailor, but he can't work because his back has given out. He doesn't even have enough money for Fanny's medicine. Finally, a black fellow appears from nowhere in the Mishkin kitchen. He says he's an angel from God, sent to help Mishkin. The black angel is even Jewish, named Alex Levine? But will Morris believe in the angel? And can the angel perform the miracle that he promises?...
Audrey Hepburn: The Fairest Lady
Character: Self
The story of how Audrey Hepburn survived World War II, became an award winning actress, and gave back to the world as a humanitarian....
Harry Belafonte: Between Calypso and Justice
Character: Self - Subject (archive footage)
Harry Belafonte wrote music history. How did the black boy from Harlem manage to become one of the greatest artists of the 20th century in the middle of racist America? The film portrait tells the story of the famous singer, actor, producer and activist....
Sidney
Character: Self
This revealing documentary honors the legendary Sidney Poitier—iconic actor, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. Featuring interviews with Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Halle Berry, and more....
Tony Curtis: Driven to Stardom
Character: Self
Tony Curtis, the man who influenced Elvis Presley and James Dean. A sex symbol, a matinee idol, a powerful and magnetic actor, Tony Curtis was the original movie star....
Is That Black Enough for You?!?
Character: Self
A look at the Black revolution in 1970s cinema, from genre films to social realism, from the making of new superstars to the craft of rising auteurs....
Mo & Me
Character:
Salim Amin, son and only child of Mohamed "Mo" Amin, undertakes a journey of recollection and reflection into the life of the frequently absent, globe-trotting father he loved, revered and feared. In his late teens, Mohamed Amin abandons his studies to pursue a career in photography which, over the course of thirty years, will turn him into a front-line cameraman extraordinaire - and, arguably, the most renowned photojournalist of his era. Training his candid lens across continents, Mo Amin's th...
Swing Vote
Character: Will Dunn
A newly-appointed Supreme Court Justice must settle a controversial moral and legal dilemma with his tie-breaking decision which may also have serious implications on his own family's harmony....
Free to Be… You and Me
Character: Self
Free to Be…You and Me, a project of the Ms. Foundation for Women, is a record album, and illustrated book first released in November 1972, featuring songs and stories from many current celebrities of the day (credited as "Marlo Thomas and Friends") such as Alan Alda, Rosey Grier, Cicely Tyson, Carol Channing, Michael Jackson, and Diana Ross, among others. An ABC Afterschool Special using poetry, songs, and sketches, followed two years later in March 1974. The basic concept is to encourage a pos...
The University of Sing Sing
Character: Self
An inside look at the notorious Sing Sing Correctional Facility, where one of the U.S.’s only in-prison college programs, Hudson Link, offers long-time inmates an education – and a new lease on life....
Nat King Cole & Friends Unforgettable Hits
Character: Self (archive footage)
Some marvelous late-fifties memories of the one and only Nat King Cole. Singing (and occasionally playing) all-time Cole classics, like When I Fall In Love, The Christmas Song, Sweet Lorraine, and A Blossom Fell. Plus, there is a stellar list of other top tunes - including Stardust, Autumn Leaves, and Makin' Whoopee - each bearing his unmistakeable imprint. Nat, in solo performance, of course, but assisted, on occasion, by fellow greats like Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Torme, Peggy Lee - and even the l...
The Greatest Night in Pop
Character: Self (archive footage)
On a January night in 1985, music's biggest stars gathered to record "We Are the World." This documentary goes behind the scenes of the historic event....
2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Character: Self - Inductee (archive footage)
The 37th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony take place on Saturday, November 5, 2022 at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California. This year’s Performer Inductees are Pat Benatar, Duran Duran, Eminem, Eurythmics, Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, and Carly Simon. Judas Priest and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis will receive the Musical Excellence Award, Harry Belafonte and Elizabeth Cotten the Early Influence Award, and Allen Grubman, Jimmy Iovine, and Sylvia Robinson the Ahmet Ertegun Awa...
The Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Concert
Character: Self
There was a time when the biggest names in pop music believed they could change the world for the better. Faced with the intolerance and excesses of the established authorities, music celebrities decided to use their prestige to draw attention to the problems that less favoured people in the world faced. Wembley Stadium, London, 1988: thousands of English people fill one of the most famous football arenas in the world to celebrate an unforgettable pop music festival, with a lofty goal above ente...
The Unforgettable Nat King Cole
Character: Self
Enjoy the smooth voice and cool rhythms of legendary American recording artist Nat "King" Cole with this music set, which includes popular hits like "Mona Lisa," "Save the Bones for Henry Jones," "Shine On Harvest Moon," "Sweet Lorraine" and more. The first African-American to host a television variety show, Cole sold millions of records throughout the course of his career and continues to possess enduring popularity worldwide....
The Man Behind the White Guitar
Character: Self
José Neto is one of the guitar world's best kept secrets. Known to a discriminating international fan base and respected by legendary musicians and producers, Neto has flown under the radar in service to the music and not to his own ego. Shot in California, in the UK, and in Brazil, the Man Behind the White Guitar follows José Neto as he revisits the people and places that formed his musical career: Harry Belafonte, Steve Winwood, Flora Purim, Airto Moreira, and Brazilian icon Filo Machado. Neto...
Following Harry
Character: Self (archive footage)
Featuring Harry Belafonte, Aja Monet, Aloe Blacc, and Jesse Williams, Following Harry explores the life and legacy of cultural and civil rights icon Harry Belafonte through the stories of those artists and activists carrying on his life’s work dedicated to social justice....
Jim Henson Idea Man
Character: Self (archive footage)
Featuring unprecedented access to Jim Henson's personal archives, filmmaker Ron Howard brings us a fascinating and insightful look at a complex man whose boundless imagination inspired the world....
King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis
Character: Self (archive footage)
Constructed from a wealth of archival footage, the documentary follows Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from 1955 to 1968, in his rise from regional activist to world-renowned leader of the Civil Rights movement. Rare footage of King's speeches, protests, and arrests are interspersed with scenes of other high-profile supporters and opponents of the cause, punctuated by heartfelt testimonials by some of Hollywood's biggest stars....
The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975
Character: Self (voice)
Examines the evolution of the Black Power Movement in US society from 1967 to 1975. It features footage of the movement shot by Swedish journalists in the United States during that period and includes the appearances of Angela Davis, Bobby Seale, Huey P. Newton, Eldridge Cleaver, and other activists, artists, and leaders central to the movement....
Anecdotes about Fidel
Character:
23 Anecdotes that reveal a personal side of Fidel Castro, told by Gabriel Garcia Márquez, Alicia Alonso, Alice Walter, Aleida, Che Guevara's daughter, Harry Belafonte, Jessie Jackson, Hank Aaron, Comandante Almeida and others....
JFK: The Private President
Character: Self
In January 1961, a new generation in the guise of John F. Kennedy moved into the White House. All of a sudden politics were youthful, dynamic and sexy. During the brief period in which he was in office, the first pop star of politics accompanied America through the darkest days of the Cold War. At the same time, his signal to embark in new directions was eagerly welcomed by younger generations all around the world. Later on, Jackie Kennedy was to compare his presidency with Camelot - the legenda...
The Strolling '20s
Character: Self
Harry Belafonte and Sidney Poitier travel down memory lane to see what life was like back in the 1920s. Harry Belafonte introduces this musical, written by poet and playwright Langston Hughes, which pays tribute to Harlem in the 1920's. Sidney Poitier provides commentary on the era throughout the program, and George Kirby and Nipsey Russell portray various Harlem characters. Program highlights include: Gloria Lynne singing "Good Ol' Wagon"; Brownie McGhee singing "Let the Deal Go Down"; Diahann ...
Nat King Cole: Afraid of the Dark
Character: Self
Take an in-depth look at the life and talent of the trailblazing musician who conquered racial barriers to leave an indelible mark on the jazz world....
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
Character: Self (archive footage)
Discover how television has reflected the African American experience in this retrospective of the medium's first half-century. Actors, writers and historians discuss the image of black America on television from Amos and Andy to the present day. The interviews accompany clips from groundbreaking shows and performances by entertainment pioneers that create a timeline of the portrayal of African Americans throughout TV history....
Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes / Feeling Heart
Character: Self
On March 11, 1959, Lorraine Hansberry’s 'A Raisin in the Sun' opened on Broadway and changed the face of American theater forever. As the first-ever black woman to author a play performed on Broadway, she did not shy away from richly drawn characters and unprecedented subject matter. The play attracted record crowds and earned the coveted top prize from the New York Drama Critics’ Circle. While the play is seen as a groundbreaking work of art, the timely story of Hansberry’s life is far less kno...
Rise Up: The Movement that Changed America
Character: Self
When Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered in Memphis, TN on April 4, 1968, he left a legacy of profound change, yet there was still much unfinished work. This one-hour documentary explores the key battles in the Civil Rights Movement that transformed American society--from the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955 to the Chicago Campaign which led to the Fair Housing Act of 1968. The special will uncover what it took to translate protest into real legislative change....
King in the Wilderness
Character: Self
A chronicle of the final chapters of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, revealing a conflicted leader who faced an onslaught of criticism from both sides of the political spectrum....
Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
Character: Self (uncredited)
The history of the irreverent "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" and the content battles it fought with its television network....
The World of Nat King Cole
Character: Self
Combining rare original archive footage, home movies and authored by 40 intimate interviews with friends and celebrity fans this feature length film charts Nat "King" Cole's battle with racist 50’s America to become a superstar. An intimate portrait, it’s filled with music and accompanied the release of the album of the same name....
Petula
Character: Self
In 1968 Harry Belafonte and Petula Clark sang together her song On the Path Of Glory for this special on NBC. Not such a remarkable event in itself, but Petula touched Harry's forearm during the duet and made TV history. It was the first time a white woman had touched a black man on US television. The sponsor insisted the touch be cut from the programme, the programme makers refused. In the decade’s “year of revolt”, Clark found herself at the centre of a media controversy involving race, censor...
BlacKkKlansman
Character: Jerome Turner
Colorado Springs, late 1970s. Ron Stallworth, an African American police officer, and Flip Zimmerman, his Jewish colleague, run an undercover operation to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan....
The Best Of Danny Kaye - The Television Years
Character: Self (archive footage)
Legendary showman Danny Kaye's greatest moments have been handpicked by Kaye's daughter, Dena, in this lighthearted compilation. Highlights ranging from Kaye's many television and film appearances are featured in all of their old Hollywood splendor, among them including his performance as a painfully shy man with the duty of escorting Lucille Ball to a restaurant, duets with Louis Armstrong and Harry Belafonte, and the famous tongue-twisting segment from The Court Jester....
Marsha Hunt's Sweet Adversity
Character: Self
In 1935, 17-year-old aspiring actress Marsha Hunt was discovered in Hollywood. She signed with Paramount Pictures and went on to a flourishing career at MGM. She made 54 films in 17 years before a series of unfortunate events led to her being unfairly blacklisted. After the blacklist, she championed humanitarian causes, forging a career as one of Hollywood's first celebrity activists. She was the FIRST Angelina Jolie. As far back as 1955, Eleanor Roosevelt was a mentor of hers as they both worke...
The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
Character: Self (archive footage)
For the first time in their careers, all the Muppets (except the ones that couldn't make it, like the Doozers, Gorgs and most of the Fraggles) have gathered together in one place to celebrate their thirtieth anniversary and honor the one who brought them together: Kermit the Frog (and by doing so, Jim Henson)....
The World of Jim Henson
Character: Self
In this episode of PBS' Great Performances, the history and legacy of puppeteer Jim Henson is explored, from his six-second commercial beginnings to a five-season run on ABC of The Muppet Show to several theatrically released films, including five Muppet movies, The Dark Crystal, and Labyrinth....
Best Ever Muppet Moments
Character: Self
A review of the most memorable Muppet moments to commemorate Kermit the Frog's 50th anniversary....
We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song
Character: Self
We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song is a documentary which examines how the song was written, how producer Quincy Jones and songwriters Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie persuaded some of the most popular performers in America to donate their services to the project, and offers a behind-the-scenes look at the marathon recording session that produced the single....
Nationtime
Character: Self
A report on the National Black Political Convention held in Gary, Indiana, in 1972, a historic event that gathered Black voices from across the political spectrum, among them Jesse Jackson, Dick Gregory, Coretta Scott King, Richard Hatcher, Amiri Baraka, Charles Diggs, and H. Carl McCall....
Life's Essentials with Ruby Dee
Character: Self
In this open-letter style documentary, Ruby Dee & Ossie Davis' rich lives guide their grandson on his personal quest to master lasting love, conscious art, and undying activism....
Dom Salvador & The Abolition
Character: Self
Dom Salvador & Abolição is a documentary about jazz pianist and composer Dom Salvador, who have been playing for 42 years at The River Café in Brooklyn. One of the architects of Bossa Nova in Brazil and a busy studio session musician and arranger, during the 60’s, Salvador played with the country's best. The man who is credited to be the pioneer of many musical styles, a name in more than a thousand records and the leader of the seminal band Abolition. After recording only one album, Salvador ab...
The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts The Tonight Show
Character: Self
For one week in February 1968, Johnny Carson gave up his chair to Harry Belafonte, the first time an African-American had hosted a late night TV show for a whole week....
The Madding Crowd
Character: Self (archive footage)
"A great many conundrums." An assemblage of found footage....
Selma
Character: Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
"Selma," as in Alabama, the place where segregation in the South was at its worst, leading to a march that ended in violence, forcing a famous statement by President Lyndon B. Johnson that ultimately led to the signing of the Voting Rights Act....
Mr. SOUL!
Character: Self
On the heels of the Civil Rights Movement, one fearless black pioneer reconceived a Harlem Renaissance for a new era, ushering giants and rising stars of black American culture onto the national television stage. He was hip. He was smart. He was innovative, political, and gay. In his personal fight for social equality, this man ensured the Revolution would be televised. The man was Ellis Haizlip. The Revolution was soul!...
I Am Not Your Negro
Character: Self (archive footage)
Working from the text of James Baldwin’s unfinished final novel, director Raoul Peck creates a meditation on what it means to be Black in the United States....
Paul Robeson: Here I Stand
Character: Self
Paul Robeson: Here I Stand presents the life and achievements of an extraordinary man. Athlete, singer, and scholar, Robeson was also a charismatic champion of the rights of the poor working man, the disfranchised and people of color. He led a life in the vanguard of many movements, achieved international acclaim for his music and suffered tremendous personal sacrifice. His story is one of the great dramas of the 20th century, spanning an international canvas of social upheaval and ideological c...
The One and Only Dick Gregory
Character: Self
This revealing portrait of comedian, activist, pop-culture icon and thought leader Dick Gregory documents his many personal reinventions throughout the decades, from celebrity to civil rights hero and beyond, while hearing from the incredible entertainers who have been inspired by his blueprint....
Night of 100 Stars
Character: Self
The most glittering, expensive, and exhausting videotaping session in television history took place Friday February 19, 1982 at New York's Radio City Music Hall. The event, for which ticket-buyers paid up to $1,000 a seat (tax-deductible as a contribution to the Actors' Fund) was billed as "The Night of 100 Stars" but, actually, around 230 stars took part. And most of the audience of 5,800 had no idea in advance that they were paying to see a TV taping, complete with long waits for set and cost...
The Tallest Tree in Our Forest
Character: Self
A detailed biography of famed singer, actor, athlete and activist Paul Robeson. Complete with several interviews and footage of concerts and film clips....
Året var 1966
Character: Self (archive footage)
1966 - when Bob Dylan visits Sweden and Prime Minister Erlander has a difficult time with questions about housing. A special evening at the opera is arranged with Harry Belafonte and Martin Luther King. Esrange is inaugurated and in China the cultural revolution is underway....
Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist
Character: Self
A look at the confluence of the Red Scare, McCarthyism, and blacklists with the post-war activism by African Americans seeking more and better roles on radio, television, and stage. It begins in Harlem, measures the impact of Paul Robeson and the campaign to bring him down, looks at the role of HUAC, J. Edgar Hoover and of journalists such as Ed Sullivan, and ends with a tribute to Canada Lee. Throughout are interviews with men and women who were there, including Dick Campbell of the Rose McLend...