The ban collapsed when the Rams, founded in Cleveland, uprooted to Los Angeles in 1946. Decathlete who also played football professionally in the CFL, and enjoyed a successful acting career. He wrestled professionally before rapt audiences. "You can't tell the story of the National Football League without telling the story of these four men," he added. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org. He was only 52. He explains: "The Western is intrinsically the most political movie genre, because, like Plato's 'Republic,' it is concerned with the founding of cities, and because it depicts the various abstract functions of government as direct, physical actions." Strode was in Storyville (1992), and Posse (1992), working with director Mario Van Peebles. English. Producers approached him in 1950 to portray a Maasai warrior in a "Bomba, the Jungle Boy" adventure flick. "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. 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. No sentimentality or hopeful message. Woody Strode played 10 games over his career. In 1964, there was his penultimate work, the nearly three-hour-long roadshow western epic Cheyenne Autumn, complete with an intermission, a70MM Super Panavision print, released by Warners, which told the true story of a Cheyenne tribe who travel by foot across 1,500 miles back to their ancestral hunting grounds, while US Army troops are ordered to send them back by force if necessary. Additionally, the director kept mocking Wayne for not enlisting in World War II, which made the star feel guilty in his later years. One of his last roles was in Posse (1993) in which he worked with director Mario Van Peebles whom he advised: I havent acted in a while, son, so dont go hedgin just because I been with John Ford. Strode also said he didnt believe hed see the day that a young Black man would be given the type of money to direct such a movie and have the opportunity say the kind of things he was saying., Lakers bring in Darvin Ham to help restore contention, Lebron James demands Biden bring home Britney Grimes swiftly and safely, A Victory for Black Golfers in Spite of the PGA Tour, Shelley Cayette makes history as first Black woman chief operating officer of an NBA team, Barger provides funding to Carousel Ranch program, Windy, chilly, wet storm conditions across Southland, Silent film festival scheduled this weekend. Also, he appeared in several episodes of the 19521954 television series Ramar of the Jungle, where he portrayed an African warrior. Inducted into the National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum and Hall of Fame in 2012-13. His illiterate students include Hallie. Thankfully, the show never subjected Woody - or viewers - to that possibility. It featured African American athlete turned actor Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Strode in his major . Strode made his first appearance in Sundown (1941) playing a native policeman. In Liberty Valance, a picture I did with Duke, Stewart recounted. And on occasion, he was even known to actually physically attack them when he was not playing his patented sadistic practical jokes on them, or when he wasnt on one of his regular drinking binges, which would last for days. And according to the actor, Ford froze, then walked away. DON'T MISSJohn Wayne: The Searchers set revelation that saw John Ford speechless[THE SEARCHERS]How the West Was Won: Idiot drunk producer, near-death and more[HOW THE WEST WAS WON]John Wayne: Why Elvis turned down Dukes offer to co-star in Western[ELVIS]. 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." Woodrow Wilson Woolwine Strode (July 25, 1914 - December 31, 1994) was an American athlete and actor. Shinbone is the only Western town I've seen in a movie with no prostitutes. He could be seen in The Gambler from Natchez (1954), Jungle Gents (1954) a Bowery Boys movie set in Africa, and The Silver Chalice (1954). [8] They played eventual conference and national champion USC to a scoreless tie with the 1940 Rose Bowl on the line. His parents were from New Orleans; his grandmother was African-American and "part Cherokee" and his grandfather was an African-American who claimed his own grandmother was Creek. He could beat Glenn Morris, the 1936 Olympic gold-medal decathlete, in all of his events except sprints. Strode's later appearances included Cuba Crossing (1980),The Dukes of Hazzard (1980), Scream (1981), Fantasy Island (1981), Vigilante (1982), Invaders of the Lost Gold (1982), Angkor: Cambodia Express (1983), The Black Stallion Returns (1983), The Violent Breed (1984), Jungle Warriors (1984), The Cotton Club (1984), The Final Executioner (1984), Lust in the Dust (1985), On Fire (1987), and A Gathering of Old Men (1987). On top of this, Reese actor Lee Van Clef who went on to star in Clint Eastwood Spaghetti Westerns said that Ford resented the meddling and so would take out his annoyance on Wayne, whose casting as Doniphon was demanded by the studio. Wednesday, 1st March 2023See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. Strode had begun his association with Ford back in 1939, with an uncredited role in his classic western 'Stagecoach'. "It had dignity. According to Disneyland Vice President Tony Baxter, "In 1954. 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 . Strode and teammate Kenny Washington were among the best-known college football players in the nation. "They are not household names like Jackie Robinson. Otherwise, we would have been inMonument ValleyorBrackettvilleand we would have had colour stock. As the film opens, U. S. Senator Ransom Stoddard (James Stewart) arrives in Shinbone by the new railroad with his wife Hallie (Vera Miles) to attend the funeral of a man named Tom Doniphon (John Wayne). How much did Woody Strode weigh when playing? Professional Football Player, Actor. He later said his salary in Italy went up to $10,000 a week. He was in 87 movies over the length of his career, though Strode . There's a lot in the film if we care to notice. Trapped for life. Strode gave the Hollywood establishment what they demanded and appeared in some of the best and the worst of what they offered him. Strode's Associated Press obituary praised his work in Westerns and period dramas, but didn't mention the trail he blazed on the gridiron. Stoddard believes so firmly in the law that he is willing to lose his life for his principles. And it should be mentioned that Rutledge was also the first time in which a black man was seen as a cowboy, or an Army soldier, and not as a slave, a cook or a Pullman porter in aHollywood feature western. Yes, but there's more to it than that, and in John Ford's mind, gun ownership is very much an open question. It's not saying too much to note that Ransom Stoddard is elected to the U. S. Senate because he is "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance." Strode was next cast in Spartacus (1960) as the Ethiopian gladiator Draba, in which he has to fight Spartacus (played by Kirk Douglas) to the death. The film takes place at that turning point in the West when the rule of force gave way to the rule of law, and when literacy began to gain a foothold. He was usually unbilled in films like Sundown (1941), Star-Spangled Rhythm (1942) and No Time for Love (1943). "We were unconscious of color. He broke this barrier with his teammate Kenny Washington and Cleveland Browns players Bill Willis and Marion Motley. An athlete turned actor, Strode was a top-notch decathlete and a football star at UCLA. "Visually, he is a tower of strength and also a tower of endurance," film historian Donald Bogle said about Strode in a Turner Classic Movies segment a couple of years ago. Woodrow Wilson Strode, known as Woody, was a big man on campus. Country. Working in the restaurant is young Hallie. 20072023 Blackpast.org. But no pro team would draft African Americans. Woody Strode spent decades in Hollywood working with larger-than-life names, including John Wayne, Elvis Presley and Kirk Douglas. 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. (Whats a brother got to do to get some respect around here?). German director Leni Riefenstahl called Strode the greatest physique of any athlete I have ever seen.. I'm glad you made it.. He was an Indian in Shalako (1968) and played a gunslinger in the opening sequence of Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West (1968). In the late 1960s, he appeared in several episodes of the Ron Ely Tarzan television series. But I must say I got a little smug about it. Local sportswriter Halley Harding, a retired Negro Leagues shortstop, led a civic campaign that pressured the Rams to integrate as a condition of playing in the publicly funded L.A. Once dubbed "the Jackie Robinson of cinema" by Jet Magazine, Strode shared a backfield with Robinson and Washington in 1939. Had a longtime affair with troubled actress. After football, 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. Inducted into the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992. He was reluctant until they offered him $500 a week. 109 minutes. I will not go into details because the suspense should not be spoiled. "I once played a part written for an Irish prize fighter. But when it came to shooting 1962s The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance with Duke and Jimmy Stewart on the Paramount lot, the director opted for black and white instead. [7], With her he had two children, television director Kalai (a.k.a. His wife is Tina Ellawee (10 May 1982 - 31 December 1994) ( his death), Luana Strode (14 October 1940 - 17 September 1980) ( her death) ( 2 children) [24], In 2021, he was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Born in Los Angeles, he was an athlete and a football star in his youth. He is a member of famous Actor with the age 80 years old group. Sheriff Woody, the beloved "Toy Story" protagonist, was said to be named after Strode. On top of that, in the early 1930's, Ford also made several films with long-lambasted black character . [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. | Cattlemen do not. I'd do that if I could. All Rights Reserved. This is all to be seen: The role of a free press, the function of a town meeting, the debate about statehood, the civilizing influence of education. He was the African antagonist in Tarzan Fights for Life (1958) and an Apache chief who took on Sean Connery in the western, Shalako (1968). That he does this by mixing in history, humorous supporting characters and a poignant romance is typical; his films were complete and self-contained in a way that approaches perfection. He arranges his characters within the frame to reflect power dynamics--or sometimes to suggest a balance is changing. United States. (1979), and an episode of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979). Fortunately the DVD made-to-order Warner Archive specialty label is bringing back Rutledge at a lot lower price, starting next week. Now, I don't know if Mr Stewart has a prejudice against Negroes, but I just wanted you all to know about it., Stewart later said he wanted to crawl into a mouse hole after that and Wayne told him: Well, welcome to the club. Of these "Liberty Valance" was the most pensive and thoughtful. He signed with the Los Angeles Rams in 1946 alongside Kenny Washington, an electrifying rusher and college teammate at UCLA. Who Is Woody Strode's Wife? Strode made a successful transition from sports hero to the movie screen, though Hollywood seemed more predisposed to his magnificent physique and gallant stride than his acting ability. We heard stories about Kenny Washington where he was just battered throughout the entire football game.". . He was both successful and a popular draw, but he gave up wrestling due to his popularity in motion pictures. Keyshawn Johnson wrote a book about them. But it must have made a real impact on Ford himself, since, in the early 1970s, he planned to come out of retirement with a new film about the life of the first black graduate of West Point, Henry Flipper. How many games did Woody Strode play? He could beat Glenn Morris, the 1936 Olympic gold-medal decathlete, in . "The big studios wanted an actor like Sidney [Poitier] or [Harry] Belafonte," recalled Strode. [31], Sheriff Woody of the Toy Story series of animated films is named after Strode,[32] as was the recurring character of the Santa Barbara Coroner in the television series Psych. Posed for one of two paintings commissioned by, Reportedly, his favorite film from his career was, Played college football for the UCLA Bruins, the most integrated collegiate team in the nation in 1939, which included future NFL running back. His composition is classical. Woodrow Wilson Woolwine Strode (July 25, 1914 December 31, 1994) was an American athlete and actor. Then he asked someone to blow a whistle, which they did, and he called out, Everybody, would you please gather around? So they did. "I've never gotten over 'Sergeant Rutledge,'" Strode told The New York Times years later. Valance and his two sidekicks hold up a stagecoach on the way to town, and when one of the passengers, Ransom, stands up to him Liberty nearly whips him to death. Strode also played the powerful gladiator who does battle with Kirk Douglas in Spartacus (1960). Acting wasnt his first passion, however, as football at Jefferson High School and UCLA brought him initial fame. He guest starred on The Lieutenant, The Farmer's Daughter and Daniel Boone and had roles in the features Genghis Khan (1965) and 7 Women (1966), the latter the last film he made for Ford. Strode hauled in a pass while a teammate lay on the grass at the far sideline, which left that receiver wide open on the next snap. They were unable to find anyone to play the Ethiopian king so Strode was given that role too. But they should be.". I couldn't do it. ", Also online in my Great Movies Collection: John Ford's "The Grapes of Wrath," "Stagecoach," "The Searchers," "Rio Bravo" and "My Darling Clementine," and John Wayne in Howard Hawk's "Red River.". Red Haircrow, Other Works - IMDb Mini Biography By: Additionally, the. . What a cast! Born in Los Angeles in 1914, Woodrow Wilson Woolwine Strode died at age 80 on New Year's Eve 1994. As for Sergeant Rutledge, it was at one time, a few years ago, available on DVD on Warner Home Video; but it has been out circulation for years, although you could buy an used copy of it for $35 or more on Amazon or Ebay if you wanted it. Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore. He died the following year at age 80. UsefulNotes/Notable Actors from Hollywood's Golden Age. February 11-March 6, 2022. [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. He attended UCLA, where he played multiple sports and starred for the track and field team. He wasan outstanding athlete before his entry into movies. I'd play a Viking with blue contact lenses and a blond wig if I could. At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Strode was an athletic marvel in his prime. Robinson debuted in the majors with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947, breaking the color barrier in that sport several months after his Bruins teammates reached the NFL. [10] Strode and Kenny Washington were two of the first African-Americans to play in major college programs and later the modern National Football League (along with Marion Motley and Bill Willis, who signed with the contemporary rival All-America Football Conference), playing for the Los Angeles Rams in 1946. [17] He later teamed up with both Bobo Brazil[18] and Bearcat Wright. I had the greatest Glory Hallelujah ride across the Pecos River that any black man ever had on the screen. Robinson played college football at UCLA before he shifted to baseball full time and made history. Youd have thought I was marrying Lana Turner, they way Whites in Hollywood acted, he recalled. 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. ", - IMDb Mini Biography By: Canton called this summer, feting Strode and the rest of the Forgotten Four at Johnson and Glauber's urging. 1941:Sundown. Ford gave Strode the title role in Sergeant Rutledge (1960) as a member of the Ninth Cavalry, who is greatly admired by the other black soldiers in the unit and is falsely accused of the rape and murder of a white woman. Strode also played the powerful gladiator who does battle with Kirk Douglas in Spartacus (1960) ." Born July 25, 1914 Died December 31, 1994 (80) Add to list Awards 2 wins & 3 nominations Photos 37 He did 1,000 push-ups, sit-ups, and knee bends daily. He decided to stay in Europe. In fact Ford started out his film career as a actor and stuntman in silent films, including D.W. Griffiths notorious The Birth of Nation as one of the Klansmen who comes to the rescue to save the lives of white people under threat by violent renegade black men. But Ford had a cruel streak, PBS reports, and it emerged on the set of his movies. Stewart said: It looks a bit Uncle Remussy to me. This was a reference to the controversial fictional narrator of 19th century African-American folktales, who was later the main character in Disneys 1946 movie Song of the South a film that Disney does not make available today due to its racist stereotyping. And I did it myself. However, by the early 1960s, when Ford was in his late 60s and nearing the end of his long career, the director seemed to have mellowed with age, discovering and exploring a more humanist side to himself. [21], He had a support role in Tarzan's Fight for Life (1958) and a small part in The Buccaneer (1958). And he said loudly, We have an actor here who objects to the costume on Woody Strode. He then proceeded to suggest that Stewart was prejudiced Strode, who also has since died, was African-American and added that he just wanted to share Stewarts objection to Strodes costume with the whole cast. Draba wins the contest, but instead of killing Spartacus, he attacks the Roman military commander who paid for the fight. "He is one of the most charismatic actors to work in American motion pictures. It may not be the greatest film that Ford ever made, but it sure is one of his interesting and powerful films and definitely worth discovering. [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. His regular portrayal of Native Americansin most of his western films like The Searchers, Stagecoach and his cavalry trilogy, Rio Grande She Wore A Yellow Ribbon and Fort Apache were as bloodthirsty savages. He was interred with military honors at Riverside National Cemetery, east of his hometown. (1978), Ravagers (1979), Jaguar Lives! The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, How Green Was My Valley among his some 140 films he directed in his career. John Ford put classic words in my mouth You never seen a Negro come off a mountain like John Wayne before. "The ban mirrored the status of Black Americans at the time: separate, unequal, and living in a de facto apartheid state via Jim Crow in the South and a patchwork of exclusionary laws and customs everywhere else," Patrick Hruby has written at The Guardian. Being married with two children, he needed steady work. According to Woody, he's even less in control of himself, and all of his faculties, when tickling is involved. "It had dignity. The roles he was offered fell within those limited, though notable range. It is made clear in "Liberty Valance" that segregation was the practice in the territory. 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: He served in the United States Army during World War II. However Warners obviously thought that, though a black man was the lead in their film, the audience wouldnt be able to handle it. Woody Strode was a respected actor with strong African and Native American ancestry. Strode, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, died of lung cancer in Los Angeles in 1994 at the age of 80. View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro, Movie Images: My Favorite Film Characters of All-Time! We both gotta be professionals. Years ago Shinbone was held in a grip of terror by the sadistic Liberty Valance (played by Lee Marvin in a performance evoking savage cruelty). Ford isn't making an anachronistic statement on racism, but he's being sure we notice it. Indeed Hallie and Nora Ericson (Jeanette Nolan) are the only two noticeable women in town; little wonder Tom's love for Hallie is intense. Berlinale 2023 Highlights, Part Two: Reality, Manodrome, The Adults, Inside, Golda, Angela Bassett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brendan Fraser, Cate Blanchett, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson Feted at SBIFF 2023, Revisiting Martin Scorsese's Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Tragically Common: Jamie Dack, Lily McInerny and Jonathan Tucker on Palm Trees and Power Lines. Opponents from the Deep South resented having to share the field with Black men, the producer of a documentary film about the Forgotten Four, Ross Greenburg, told the UCLA newsroom in 2014. Strode last appeared on screen posthumously in 1995. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism. Acting wasn't his first passion, however, as football at Jefferson High School and UCLA brought him initial fame. 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. He shared a story from the set of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Fords 1962 film about an attorney (Stewart) who, robbed and left for dead by a notorious outlaw, is saved by a rancher (Wayne) and has to start over from scratch. 1952: African. This man was the definition of a renaissance man, keep reading this article and you will understand exactly why. In 1946 he was one of the first blacks to play in the National Football League. The Legend of Woody Strode. Actor William Holden and Ernest Borgnine and Woody Strode pose for the movie "The Revengers" in 1972. Woodrow Wilson Woody Strode (1914-1994) was one of the most prolific and reliable African American actors of a generation. [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). On a road game in Chicago, hotel management gave he and Washington $100 each to find another hotel in the Black section of town. Despite the lack of opportunities for actors of color in his era, Woody Strode left a legacy worth revisiting. This story first appeared. When Ford cast Strode in Sergeant Rutledge (1960), the actor remembers the legendary director telling him: You know, Woody, its pretty rough to make a star out of you, but Im going to make you a character actor and youll make some money.. So why would actors put up with him? Strode encountered racism in the NFL. I make westerns.. Pompey/Strode physically carries and thereby saves a drunken, suicidal John Wayne from his burning home. Pompey actor Woody Strode remembered that Ford "kept needling Duke about his failure to make it as a football player", comparing him to Strode who was a former NFL player. What is it whats the idea? And I said, I dont know!, And I didnt know, Stewart added. Fell within those limited, though Strode 8 ] they played eventual conference and champion! You ca n't tell the story of these `` Liberty Valance, How Green was My Valley his... The practice in the nation warrior in a movie with no prostitutes both! 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Ford had a cruel streak, PBS reports, and Posse ( 1992 ), and enjoyed a acting..., founded in Cleveland, uprooted to Los Angeles Rams in 1946 he was interred with military honors at National! Hollywood acted, he appeared in some of the most pensive and....