He had a small role in Star Spangled Rhythm (1942), as a chauffeur of Rochester (Edward Anderson) and could be glimpsed in No Time for Love (1943). He was in a TV adaptation of Mandrake the Magician (1954), a pilot for a series that was not picked up, and had small parts in Son of Sinbad (1955), Soldiers of Fortune (1955), and Buruuba (1956) a Japanese film set in Africa. Never thought of them as brothers though. "They are not household names like Jackie Robinson. An old black cowboy named Pompey ( Woody Strode) takes Hallie on a buckboard ride into the countryside where they regard the burned-out remains of Doniphon's cottage. Publicity Listings He wrestled professionally before rapt audiences. It deals with a black U.S. Calvary sergeant of a regiment of black troops played by Woody Strode (who appeared in several later Ford films, including his last film Seven Woman playing a Chinese warlord) who is court-marshaled for raping and killing a white woman and her father as well. It was "one of the first mainstream Hollywood films to address racism frankly," the Hollywood Reporter's Seth Abramovitch wrote last year. Strode is perhaps best remembered as the stoic slave gladiator in Spartacus (1960) who tells Kirk Douglas: I dont want to be your friend. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. He was always magnificent with a no-nonsense style and quiet intellect that no athlete-turned actor has ever surpassed. Woody Strode was born in California. Stewart said that he didnt like it. There was nothing nice about it., It is believed that Strode made his film debut as early as 1939 as an unbilled extra in John Fords Stagecoach, but most work at the time saw him in blackface in jungle films. It featured African American athlete turned actor Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Strode in his major . Woodrow Wilson Woolwine Strode (July 25, 1914 - December 31, 1994) was an American athlete and actor. Strode also played the powerful gladiator who does battle with Kirk Douglas in Spartacus (1960). John Ford and John Wayne together created much of the mythology of the Old West we carry in our minds. Las Vegas authorities investigating death of UNLV's Ryan Kee UNLV freshman football player Ryan Keeler dies, The ultimate, personalized mobile sports experience, Arrest warrants issued for top prospect Carter stemming from fatal crash, Chris Ault among 3 joining CFP selection committee, NCAA football panel out to shorten games, focus on player safety, NCAA imposes show-cause penalties on 4 ex-Tennessee staffers, UNC adds former NFL coach Freddie Kitchens to staff. In the twilight of his film career, Woody Strode reflected on the opportunities he was denied and others he seized. (1978), Ravagers (1979), Jaguar Lives! The Pompey actor assessed: What a miserable film to make.. He was Cree and Blackfoot on his father's side and Cherokee on his mother's. Strode racked up 91 acting credits in six different decades, according to IMDb. [2], He attended Thomas Jefferson High School in South East Los Angeles and college at UCLA, where he was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. In a long flashback involving most of the film, Ford recalls the events leading up to that day. Professional Football Player, Actor. Tom Doniphon is a local farmer, who observes, "Liberty Valance's the toughest man south of the Picketwire--next to me." Woody Strode was born in 1914 in Los Angeles. 1951: The Lion Hunters; Bride of the Gorilla. He was a decathlete and football star who was one of the first African American players in the National Football League in the postwar era. Strode was a prolific performer, starring in his first . Strode was in Storyville (1992), and Posse (1992), working with director Mario Van Peebles. "I once played a part written for an Irish prize fighter. [3], "I got a cultural educationmajored in history and education," he said in a 1971 interview. 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. [16], In 1952, Strode wrestled almost every week from August 12, 1952, to December 10, 1952, in different cities in California. Whistlin' Dan: 1932: Stagecoach Man in saloon : 1939: Sundown Tribal Policeman: 1941: Star Spangled Rhythm Rochester's motorcycle chauffeur: 1942: Bride of the Gorilla Nedo - Policeman: 1951: Lion Hunters Walu: 1951: This page was last edited on 28 July 2021, at 02:45. Country. Youd have thought I was marrying Lana Turner, they way Whites in Hollywood acted, he recalled. He is a member of famous Actor with the age 80 years old group. "The big studios wanted an actor like Sidney [Poitier] or [Harry] Belafonte," recalled Strode. Woodrow Wilson Strode, known as Woody, was a big man on campus. After his football career, he went on to . And so the studio actually tried to trick audiences into thinking that the film was about the white characters. Additionally, the director kept mocking Wayne for not enlisting in World War II, which made the star feel guilty in his later years. [2] Following the end of his football career in 1949, he returned to wrestling part-time between acting jobs until 1962, wrestling the likes of Gorgeous George. [33], Colo. It's been 15 years since Woody Strode's prime time in Hollywood ]: [4] He did 1,000 push-ups, sit-ups, and knee bends daily. It is made clear in "Liberty Valance" that segregation was the practice in the territory. Though the film is an ambitious attempt to deal with one aspect of how this country has historically handled Native Americans (and there are several impressive scenes in the film), Cheyenne Autumn is seriously undercut by Fords ponderous direction, a wobbly, meandering script, his stilted wooden Indian characters who, a lot of the time, are standing like stoic statues, with the major speaking parts played by either Latino or Italian-American actors, and too many boring side stories involving white characters. [4][5], Strode, Kenny Washington, and Jackie Robinson starred on the 1939 UCLA Bruins football team, in which they made up three of the four backfield players. His 1968 starring role as a thinly-disguised Patrice Lumumba in Seduto alla sua destra (released in the U.S. as Black Jesus) garnered Strode a great deal of press at the time, but the film is largely forgotten now. English. Canton called this summer, feting Strode and the rest of the Forgotten Four at Johnson and Glauber's urging. Played for the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League from 1948-49 before moving back to the US and beginning his film career. However Warners obviously thought that, though a black man was the lead in their film, the audience wouldnt be able to handle it. [3], In 1941, Strode had dabbled for several months in professional wrestling. Integrating the NFL was the low point of my life. Woody Strode weighed 205 lbs (92 kg) when playing. I had the greatest Glory Hallelujah ride across the Pecos River that any black man ever had on the screen. "You can't tell the story of the National Football League without telling the story of these four men," he added. Pompey actor Woody Strode remembered that Ford kept needling Duke about his failure to make it as afootballplayer, comparing him to Strode who was a former NFL player. Strode worked in B-movies through the '70s and '80s and acted as the narrator for Mario Van Peebles' Black Western Posse in 1993. 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 . by Merdies Hayes July 21, 2016 Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Strode (1914-1994) was one of the most prolific and reliable African American actors of a generation. He attended UCLA, where he played multiple sports and starred for the track and field team. Trapped for life. Then he asked someone to blow a whistle, which they did, and he called out, Everybody, would you please gather around? So they did. Working in the restaurant is young Hallie. Decathlete who also played football professionally in the CFL, and enjoyed a successful acting career. We need him!, In the end, Wayne told Strode: We gotta work together. 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. The same thing will happen again to another black man, and he probably wont be as lucky as Rutledge was. In the article below independent historian Clarence Spigner analyzes Sergeant Rutledge and the other major films of the college football star, early National Football League player, and actor Woody Strode.. But I must say I got a little smug about it. The scripts for these were variable but Strode later said "Me, I didn't care. When he walks into a bar to fetch Tom, the bartender won't serve him, and Tom slams hard on the bar: "Give him a drink." Woody Strode Height, Weight & Measurements At 80 years old, Woody Strode height is 6' 4" (1.93 m) . After his football career, he went on to become a film actor, where he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Spartacus in 1960. He arranges his characters within the frame to reflect power dynamics--or sometimes to suggest a balance is changing. He served in the United States Army during World War II. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/WoodyStrode. "I had a certain amount of crudeness that went back a hundred years, and that's what he liked. It's clear they loved him. I'd do that if I could. Strode takes it up from there: Bob Waterfield and some guys came looking for us because theyd made arrangements for us back at the hotel, he explained. 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. Strode's other television work included a role as the Grand Mogul in the Batman episodes "Marsha, Queen of Diamonds" and "Marsha's Scheme of Diamonds". Robinson played college football at UCLA before he shifted to baseball full time and made history. He was a decathlete and football star who was one of the first Black American players in the National Football League in the postwar era. There are different takes over why, including that he thought it was a better medium. Your donation is fully tax-deductible. When World War II broke out, Strode was playing for the Hollywood Bears in the Pacific Coast Professional Football League. Strode encountered racism in the NFL. ", - IMDb Mini Biography By: There is a purity to the John Ford style. Prueba a ver si Netflix, iTunes, Amazon o cualquier otro servicio te deja reproducirlo en streaming, alquilarlo o comprarlo! In 1959 he portrayed the conflicted, some would say cowardly, Private Franklin in Pork Chop Hill, which brought him critical acclaim. He was also a professional wrestler, wrestling the likes of Gorgeous George. Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox, UCLA hires D'Anton Lynn as defensive coordinator, Harbaugh: Michigan good place to be despite challenges, Georgia's Dumas-Johnson charged with reckless driving. Kenny Washington passed away on June 24, 1971 in Los Angeles due to heart and lung issues. In 1940, UCLA and USC battled in what is believed to be the first cross-town rivalry game with championship implications. All Rights Reserved. I've done everything but play an Anglo-Saxon. [21], He had a support role in Tarzan's Fight for Life (1958) and a small part in The Buccaneer (1958). But they should be.". African American History: Research Guides & Websites, Global African History: Research Guides & Websites, African American Scientists and Technicians of the Manhattan Project, Envoys, Diplomatic Ministers, & Ambassadors, Education - Historically Black Colleges (HBCU), Political Activists - Radicals and Marxists, Foundation, Organization, and Corporate Supporters. He served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II and later went on to have a successful career as an actor. Director John Ford Writers James Warner Bellah (novel) Willis Goldbeck Stars Jeffrey Hunter Woody Strode Constance Towers See production, box office & company info Watch on Prime Video 1941:Sundown. He had a bigger role in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) for Ford, playing Pompey, John Wayne's hired hand. [7], Along with Ray Bartlett, there were four Black Americans playing for the Bruins, when only a few dozen at all played on other college football teams. Boston Globe December 20, 1981: 1. "They suffered on the field. [26][27][28] In 1982 at the age of 68, he wed 35-year-old Tina Tompson,[28] and they remained married until his death of lung cancer on December 31, 1994, in Glendora, California, aged 80. But even worse is the poster for the film (above) on which Strode appears, although his name is listed fourth and in tiny letters even smaller that the third person billed actress Billie Burke, who has a small supporting role with just a few lines. [11] UCLA teammate Jackie Robinson would go on to break the color barrier in Major League Baseball (in fact, Robinson, Strode, and Washington had all played in the semi-professional Pacific Coast Professional Football League earlier in the decade). According to Disneyland Vice President Tony Baxter, "In 1954. Who Is Woody Strode's Wife? In the late 1960s, he appeared in several episodes of the Ron Ely Tarzan television series. He once said his interracial marriage (to an Hawaiian princess)and integrating the NFLwere the few times that racism caused him concern. Ray Hamel. [25], His first wife was Princess Luukialuana Kalaeloa (a.k.a. But he also was described once as a tough, two-fisted, hard-drinking Irish sonofabitch who was known to treat actors on his films horribly, by bullying, yelling and even mocking them. It was the only picture I did with Sergio Leonethe close ups were great, Strode said. "I would have lost that role if I hadn't been in shape, and if I hadn't had a lot of experience as a wrestler," Strode told the Pittsburgh Courier after the film's release, according to Slam Wrestling. This past August in Canton, Ohio, family members accepted the Ralph Hay Pioneer Award on the players' behalf at the enshrinement gala that precedes the NFL season. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. 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. 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. Acting wasn't his first passion, however, as football at Jefferson High School and UCLA brought him initial fame. He was drafted at age 27 and soon joined the United States Army Air Corps and spent the war unloading bombs in Guam and the Marianas, as well as playing on the Army football team at March Field in Riverside, California.[10]. "Sergeant Rutledge" boosted Strode's profile but didn't catapult him to superstardom, the Times wrote in 1971, surmising "he and the film, with its sympathies strongly on the side of the Black man, were ahead of their time." Sergeant Rutledge is a 1960 western film from Warner Brothers and the director John Ford. He Wasn't the Star But He Stole the Movie", "Teammates Recall Jackie Robinson's Legacy", "The man who made the stars shine brighter: An interview with Woody Strode", "Woody Strode, Ace Negro Player, Has No Axe to Grind", "Isle families trace ties to '39 Pineapple Bowl", "Woody Strode; Ex-Athlete, Character Actor in Movies", "Like the series, 'Psych' movie a comedic romp", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Woody_Strode&oldid=1141910544, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 14:07. The 6-foot, 4-inch Strode was a world-class decathlete with a body so toned that he posed nude for an exhibition of athletic portraits shown at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. This quartet struck a blow for racial inclusiveness in pro football as Black Americans sought it nationwide. Inducted into the National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum and Hall of Fame in 2012-13. "He treated me like a son," said Strode. 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