HARRY BELAFONTE WAS A VERSATILE ACTOR

BLACK FILM HISTORY: Harry Belafonte was a pioneering actor that began his career in the 1953 film “Bright Road,” also starring Dorothy Dandridge. He also appeared in two other films with Dandridge, which were “Carmen Jones” (1954) and “Island in the Sun” (1957). Belafonte showed wonderful charm in his movies, and his attractive aura and acting talent made him an ideal role for two films in 1959 called “The World, the Flesh and the Devil” and “Odds Against Tomorrow,” for which he was also a co-producer for those movies.

Belafonte took a break from acting until 1970 when he starred in the movie “The Angel Levine.” Then, in 1972, he co-produced and starred in the film “Buck and the Preacher,” which was also Sidney Poitier’s directional debut. Belafonte was a versatile actor who played some fascinating characters, but one of his most notable was Geechie Dan Beauford in “Uptown Saturday Night” (1974). He played that role so well that people still do not realize it’s him today.

In the 1980s, Belafonte continued to act and produce films. He starred in the 1981 T.V. movie “Grambling’s White Tiger” and was a producer for the movie “Beat Street” (1984). During the 1990s, Belafonte produced a few T.V. specials and starred in “White Man’s Burden” (1995) and “Kansas City” (1996). He also did voice-over acting for a few child specials. Belafonte’s last appearance on film was in 2016 in the movie “BlacKkKlansman.”

Harry Belafonte was part of a class of black actors starting their careers in the 1950s. His contributions to cinema will live on forever.

R.I.P. Harry Belafonte

March 1, 1927 – April 25, 2023

https://www.daarac.ngo

Bright Road (1953)

https://www.daaracarchive.org/2012/12/bright-road-1953.htm

Carmen Jones (1954)

https://www.daaracarchive.org/2012/11/carmen-jones-1954.html

Island in the Sun (1957)

https://www.daaracarchive.org/…/12/island-in-sun-1957.html

Odds Against Tomorrow (1959)

https://www.daaracarchive.org/…/odds-against-tomorrow…