?They Call Me MISTER Poitier!? -- A Film Tribute To Sidney Poitier February 26, 2004

Friday & Saturday, February 27 & 28
At the Landmark Loew's Jersey Theatre
54 Journal Square, Jersey City, N.J. Tel. (201) 798-6055 web.
www.loewsjersey.org

Friday, February 27, 8:00PM -- In the Heat of Night (1967)

Saturday, February 28, 1:30PM -- A Raisin In The Sun (1961)

Saturday, February 28, 6:00PM -- The Defiant Ones (1958)

Saturday, February 28, 8:30PM -- Guess Who's Coming To Dinner (1967)

In celebration of Black History Month, Friends of the Loew's is proud to
present four acclaimed films starring one of America's most honored and
respected actors - the incomparable Sidney Poitier. In 1963, Mr Poitier
became the first African-American to receive an Academy Award for Best
Actor for his performance in "Lilies of the Field." In 2001, Sidney
Poitier was singled out once again by the Academy for an Honorary Award
for his lifetime achievements, confirming his status as an icon in
American cinema.

"In The Heat of The Night"
(1967, 110 min., United Artists, Color)
4 Academy Awards - Including Best Picture & Actor (Rod Steiger)

Friday, February 27, 8:00 PM: They call him "MISTER Tibbs!" Virgil
Tibbs (Sidney Poitier), a Philadelphia homicide detective visiting his
mother in rural Mississippi, finds himself arrested for the murder of a
rich white man, simply because he is black. Sheriff Bill Gillespie (Rod
Steiger) grudginly overcomes his racial prejudices and permits Tibbs to
work with him on the investigation of the crime. Released in the
racially incendiary year of 1967, In the Heat of the Night is a smart,
tough look at racism that still provokes thought even as it entertains
with a suspenseful, well-paced crime drama.

"A Raisin In The Sun"
(1961, 128 min., Columbia Pictures, B&W)

Saturday Matinee, February 28, 1:30 PM: Based on the award-winning play
of the same title by Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin In The Sun is a
socially conscious drama about an African-American family's struggle to
survive in a crowded apartment on the South Side of Chicago. When the
family becomes the beneficiary of a $10,000 life insurance payment,
there is conflict amongst its members over how the money should be
spent.. The matriarch of the family wants to use the money for a down
payment on a house, while her ambitious son (Sidney Poitier) plans to
open a liquor store with friends and a daughter dreams of medical
school. With the effects of racism percolating just below its surface,
A Raisin In The Sun broke new ground for mainstream productions in
depicting the lives and challenges of African Americans. The film
benefited from a strong ensemble cast, including Sidney Poitier, Claudia
McNeil, Ruby Dee and a young Louis Gossett, Jr.

"The Defiant Ones"
(1958, 97 min., United Artists, B&W)
Academy Awards for Best Screenplay and Cinematography
Directed By Stanley Kramer

Saturday Early Evening, February 28, 6:00 PM: Sidney Poitier and Tony
Curtis play two escaped convicts who are chained together, but loathe
each other because of mutual racial prejudice. Yet to survive and elude
capture, the two must learn to work together, and in the process
overcome their respective hatred. A powerful metaphor of race relations
that never seems mawkish because of the strong performances of it stars
and supporting cast. The film is all the more remarkable in that it was
released so early in the civil rights movement.

"Guess Who's Coming To Dinner"
(1967, 112 min., Columbia Pictures, Color)
Academy Awards for Best Actress (Katharine Hepburn) & Screenplay
Directed By Stanley Kramer

Saturday Late Evening, February 28, 8:30 PM: Spencer Tracy and Katherine
Hepburn play a couple whose liberal attitudes are challenged when their
daughter, Joey (Katharine Houghton) brings home her fiancé, doctor John
Prentice (Sidney Poitier) who happens to be African-American. Though
Hepburn's character quickly embraces the union, Tracy's is opposed for
reasons he must sort out. A bigoted business associate makes her ugly
opinions known, and even the family's African American maid is opposed.
Matters are complicated more when Dr. Prentice's parents arrive, and it
turns out his father is just as opposed as Joey's. And while Joey is
determined to go ahead with the wedding no matter what people think, Dr.
Prentice refuses to consider marriage until he receives the unqualified
approval of all concerned. Guess Who's Coming To Dinner is a serious
rumination on prejudice, but the screenplay nevertheless manages to
interject unstrained humor into its incendiary subject. Because of
this, along with the near-flawless performances of its cast, the movie
never seems preachy and still entertains today. Guess Who's Coming To
Dinner also holds a place in movie history as Spencer Tracy's last film.
The legendary star died shortly after production wrapped.

Admission for each film is $6 for adults, $4 for seniors and children 12
years old and younger. A combination ticket for all three films on
Saturday, February 28 is $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and children.

The Landmark Loew's Jersey Theatre presents its classic films on a 50
foot wide screen using carbon arc illumination for the brightest,
whitest light.

The Loew's Jersey Theatre, located at 54 Journal Square, Jersey City, is
easily reached by car or mass transit from throughout the Metropolitan
Area. Ample off-street paid parking is available. For directions or
additional information, call (201) 798-6055 or visit www.loewsjersey.org

Classic Film Weekends at the Landmark Loew's Jersey Theatre are
presented by Friends of the Loew's, Inc., which operates the Loew's as a
non-profit arts center.