10 More Milestone Movies

Sidney Poitier and Lilia Skala in Lilies of the Field (1963). — Courtesy Everett Collection

The Entire Sidney Poitier Superstar Oeuvre
By the time he filmed Raisin, Poitier had been in movies for more than a decade, had his Defiant Ones Oscar nomination and had even been top-billed in the screen version of Porgy and Bess. But by giving his all to Sun's charismatic role, he made the leap to a new screen plateau — and was subsequently asked to carry a huge burden of "firsts" or near firsts. Cast as a drifter/handyman helping nuns build a church in low-budget Lilies of the Field (1963, MGM/Fox, $14.98), Poitier became the first black performer to win a nonsupporting Oscar. He also got the call when pricier productions needed a co-equal to give necessary lip to Rod Steiger's white racist sheriff in In the Heat of the Night (1967, MGM/Fox, $14.98); to bop out on the dance floor with a comely white student in To Sir, With Love (1967, Sony, $14.94); and to marry into a prominent white family in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967, Sony, $14.94). With For Love of Ivy (1968, MGM/Fox, $14.94), Poitier evolved into a full-fledged romantic lead (a dapper presence opposite Abbey Lincoln). And for the record, Duel in Diablo (1966, MGM/Fox, $14.98) even added a Western to his bulging résumé.

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