Category: Academy Awards History

Contrary to myth, Sidney Poitier was not the first black actor to play strong, compelling characters on screen. Paul Robeson in the 1930s; Ernest Anderson, Canada Lee, James Edwards and Juano Hernandez in the 1940s all had memorable roles in major integrated Hollywood productions, but Poitier was the first to play such roles consistently over…

Born April 1, 1932 in El Paso, Texas, Mary Frances Reynolds, better known as Debbie, has been a vivacious star for so long it’s impossible for anyone under 70 to recall a time when she wasn’t around. She made her screen debut as a teenager in an un-credited role in 1948’s June Bride, but by…