As James Stewart explained it, Woody Strode, the actor who was playing Wayne's character's best friend, was part of the scene. "They are not household names like Jackie Robinson. Caleb Williams: 'I'd probably go to the Dolphins' if given c LSU's Nabers won't face charges after weapon arrest, Willie Taggart hired as Ravens' RBs coach, Florida loses defensive coordinator Patrick Toney to NFL, LSU's Nabers charged with illegal carrying of a weapon, Revamped AAC releases 2023 slate with 6 new schools. Draba wins the contest, but instead of killing Spartacus, he attacks the Roman military commander who paid for the fight. Robinson played college football at UCLA before he shifted to baseball full time and made history. 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. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend. If you're a nice guy, you can walk into a room anywhere in the world. What a cast! Woody Strode Tuesday, 28th July 1914 - Saturday, 31st December 1994 Los Angeles CA USA. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/WoodyStrode. 1941:Sundown. Bit of a game changer." Though Woody usually means well, he's not always the . "I once played a part written for an Irish prize fighter. Being married with two children, he needed steady work. While making Pork Chop Hill he became a close friend of director John Ford. Who Is Woody Strode's Wife? Even when Ford later directed the passing drama Pinky in 1949 for Fox, which told the story of a blackwoman passing for white, Fox studio head Darryl Zanuck replaced Ford with director Elia Kazan after the first week of shooting, because Zanuck, in seeing the footage that Ford shot, felt his depiction of the black characters in the film was so offensive that he couldnt allow him to continue directing the rest of the film. But Strode (who started his career in the early 1940s after a legendary athletic record at UCLA as a decathlete and a football star, and who died in 1994) is perfectly cast in the lead role as Rutledge and gives a powerful performance in one of the very few lead roles he ever played, among the 90+ films he appeared in, playing mostly supporting roles, sometimes even uncredited, during the early years of his film career. Inducted into the National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum and Hall of Fame in 2012-13. Meanwhile, Motley ran rampant as a Browns halfback and Willis was an All-Pro defensive tackle, which landed them Hall of Fame nods as players. Who was Woody Strode, Hollywood star who broke the NFL color barrier? The character was named after Woody Strode, the legendary Spartacus actor who starred in numerous Westerns throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Never billed as a leading man in Hollywood, Strode moved to Rome in the late '60s to pick up prominent and lucrative roles in Spaghetti Westerns. He had many murders on his conscience, and much enjoyed using a leather bullwhip. In the film, Strodes character recites the Declaration of Independence but apologizes for forgetting the phrase all men are created equal, a poignant line for the 1962 audience. (Whats a brother got to do to get some respect around here?). He films mostly on sets, but we're not particularly aware. 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. But Ford had a cruel streak, PBS reports, and it emerged on the set of his movies. On top of that, in the early 1930's, Ford also made several films with long-lambasted black character . The two became friends, and Ford later gave Wayne his breakthrough role in Stagecoach, the film that launched Wayne to Hollywood stardom. Theyre like father and son.. Woodrow Wilson Strode, known as Woody, was a big man on campus. 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). In 1967 he attempted to produce his own film, The Story of the Tenth Cavalry but it was not made. 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. (1969) and supported Terence Hill and Bud Spencer in Boot Hill (1969) shot in Italy. 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. He was popular for being a Football Player. However Warners obviously thought that, though a black man was the lead in their film, the audience wouldnt be able to handle it. 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. 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. 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. He appeared once on Johnny Weissmuller's 19551956 syndicated television series Jungle Jim and was in an episode of Private Secretary. The others were Bill Willis and. His illiterate students include Hallie. I'd play a Viking with blue contact lenses and a blond wig if I could. Reveling in the win postgame, Strode rode a horse into the lobby of the team hotel. Additionally, the director kept mocking Wayne for not enlisting in World War II, which made the star feel guilty in his later years. [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. I carried the whole black race across that river."[3]. Do you find this information helpful? Woody Strode Height, Weight & Measurements At 80 years old, Woody Strode height is 6' 4" (1.93 m) . One day Sir Laurence Olivier remarked he was a big fan of his football days, with Strode replying: I dont know what Im doing here in your business. Olivier said, Woody, what youre about to do, I could never do in reference to his upcoming fight scene with Kirk Douglas. I wanted to crawl into a mouse hole, Stewart recalled. Strode and teammate Kenny Washington were among the best-known college football players in the nation. He once said his interracial marriage (to an Hawaiian princess)and integrating the NFLwere the few times that racism caused him concern. I said, All right, where are the pluckers?" Then Strode realised, I was out in the world market with a bald head. The picture was about, oh, more than halfway finished. The pioneering Black character actor relocated from the United States to Europe for a while to pursue bigger and more interesting roles. View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro, Movie Images: My Favorite Film Characters of All-Time! We also meet Link Appleyard (Andy Devine), the drunken town marshal; Doc Willoughby (Ken Murray), the drunken town doctor, and Dutton Peabody (Edmond O'Brien), the editor of the paper. 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. [30], Strode was a dedicated martial artist under the direction of Frank Landers in the art of Seishindo Kenpo. 109 minutes. It featured African American athlete turned actor Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Strode in his major . Strode is perhaps best remembered as the stoic slave gladiator in Spartacus (1960) who tells Kirk Douglas: I dont want to be your friend. "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." 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.. In 1980, Strode was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame. Born in Los Angeles, he was an athlete and a football star in his youth. While in college, Strode and Washington held summer jobs at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, mostly running errands on various sound stages; he noted that most days involved standing around and waiting for someone to order something. Strode would become an assistant to some of the studios biggest stars including Bette Davis, James Cagney, Ann Sheridan, Errol Flynn, Olivia De Havilland and Jane Wyman. I make westerns.. At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Strode was an athletic marvel in his prime. In a long flashback involving most of the film, Ford recalls the events leading up to that day. And he was dressed in blue overalls, a blue work shirt and boots. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. He later said his salary in Italy went up to $10,000 a week. (1960's edition! 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. Strode worked in B-movies through the '70s and '80s and acted as the narrator for Mario Van Peebles' Black Western Posse in 1993. Woody Strode was born on the 25th of July, 2014. An athlete turned actor, Strode was a top-notch decathlete and a football star at UCLA. The filmmaker would ask his Western star: How rich did you get while Jimmy was risking his life?, According to Michael Munns John Wayne The Man Behind The Myth, Strode said that the directors constant ridiculing really p***ed Wayne off, but he would never take it out on Ford., The reason being that the filmmakers movies had made him a Hollywood star and the Pompey actor claimed: He ended up taking it out on me.. [7], With her he had two children, television director Kalai (a.k.a. Born July 28, 1914, in Los Angeles, California, Woody Strode (Woodrow Wilson Woolwine Strode) was first of the star football athletes to become a successful film actor. 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. Also, he appeared in several episodes of the 19521954 television series Ramar of the Jungle, where he portrayed an African warrior. "To me, it's truly the beginning of more awareness of who they were, what they did, and why they were so important," Glauber told The New York Times ahead of the Canton ceremony in August. All three spend much of their time hanging out in the restaurant kitchen. 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. February 11-March 6, 2022. Strode was in City Beneath the Sea (1953) directed by Budd Boetticher, and The Royal African Rifles. Strode racked up 91 acting credits in six different decades, according to IMDb. 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) How tall was Woody Strode? 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. It takes place in the town of Shinbone, in an unnamed territory that is moving toward a vote on statehood. "Their actions on and off the field opened a door that allowed other people to follow.". His big break came in 1960. 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). Bob Rea
. In a few characters and a gripping story, Ford dramatizes the debate about guns that still continues in many Western states. 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. [19], They wanted him to shave his head. This story first appeared. But Rutledge faces it heroically and is not passive either, even breaking ranks and official orders to try to track down the evidence and the real killer who will clear him. It was the first UCLAUSC rivalry football game with national implications.[9]. He could beat Glenn Morris, the 1936 Olympic gold-medal decathlete, in all of his events except sprints. Every day, someone was at the bottom of the list in the barrel, as you say, Stewart said of Fords tendency to take his frustrations out on his underlings. While some reviewers and historians claim he could have been a more well-known and cast minority actor if not for his size and physically strong appearance, more along the lines of Sidney Poitier, a near contemporary, Hollywood of the past and present still has few positive roles outside of the stereotypical for ethnic males. Strode was born in Los Angeles on July 25, 1914, the son . But with his ill health and advancing age, the project was dropped. He became part of Hollywood lore after meeting director John Ford and becoming a part of the Ford "family," appearing in four Ford motion pictures. A handful of Black players suited up in the NFL in the league's earliest seasons, but franchise owners at the behest of George Preston Marshall, the segregationist founder of the Washington team, conspired to exclude them from 1934 to 1946. Publicity Listings 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. Sergeant Rutledge is a 1960 western film from Warner Brothers and the director John Ford. According to Disneyland Vice President Tony Baxter, "In 1954. Halfway through filming, Duke even asked Stewart why he wasnt being targeted by Fords insults too, which other members of the cast and crew had noticed. 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. Strode was a college track and football star at UCLA, one of the first Blacks to integrate the NFL, a professional wrestler, a Golden Globe nominated actor, and a WWII veteran. He became part of Hollywood lore after meeting director John Ford and becoming a part of the Ford "family," appearing in four Ford motion pictures. Tom has long considered Hallie "my girl," and is adding a room to his farmhouse that has a nice porch with a rocking chair, in preparation for the day he has no doubt she will marry him. 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. Strode played a single season with the NFL before moving to Canada to play, according to Britannica. Ford passed away in 1974. Liberty Valance cannot abide anyone standing up to him, and the shingle is an affront. Played college football and broke color barrier at the same time as Kenny Washington. TVTropes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Wednesday, 1st March 2023See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Woody played for the Los Angeles Rams after their move from Cleveland. He was Cree and Blackfoot on his father's side and Cherokee on his mother's. He was only 52. 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. He was always magnificent with a no-nonsense style and quiet intellect that no athlete-turned actor has ever surpassed. [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. When World War II broke out, Strode was playing for the Hollywood Bears in the Pacific Coast Professional Football League. Woodrow Wilson Woolwine Strode (July 25, 1914 December 31, 1994) was an American athlete and actor. Of these "Liberty Valance" was the most pensive and thoughtful. "[7], "That was a classic," he later said. Shinbone is the only Western town I've seen in a movie with no prostitutes. And he was dressed in blue overalls, a blue work shirt and boots. [23], He did The Italian Connection (1972), for which he was paid $150,000. Integrating the NFL was the low point of my life. Someone's Got A Woody" Episode 804 -- Pictured: Kurt Fuller as Woody Strode, Peter Stormare as Cyrus Polk -- Ernest Borgnine with actor Woody Strode pose for the movie "The Revengers" in 1972. In the trailer below, Strode is given third billing, though hes the lead. "It took skill to do that fight scene without actually hurting myself or hurting Douglas.". 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". 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 was in 87 movies over the length of his career, though Strode . And I went on, and it went around the company: Stewart has never, hes always right up there., The day before the movie finished shooting, the cast was preparing to do the funeral scene. | I never got a close up in Hollywood, and Sergio framed me on the screen for five minutes. Decathlete who also played football professionally in the CFL, and enjoyed a successful acting career. He was in The Sins of Rachel Cade (1961) and guest starred twice on Rawhide, playing an Australian aboriginal in one episode and a buffalo soldier in the other. Strode gave the Hollywood establishment what they demanded and appeared in some of the best and the worst of what they offered him. [21], He had a support role in Tarzan's Fight for Life (1958) and a small part in The Buccaneer (1958). At the time Ford yelled: Dont hit him Woody! The newspaper editor prints the truth about Valance, and for his pains has his office trashed and is whipped nearly dead. "But the producers answered, 'Not necessary. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Bob Rea <bobnray@concentric.net> "[20], During Ford's declining years Strode spent four months sleeping on the director's floor as his caregiver, and he was later present at Ford's death.[22]. At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Strode was an athletic marvel in his prime. 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. The corpse is being held in a plain pine box, and when he views it Stoddard is angered to see the boots have been stolen. Stoddard believes so firmly in the law that he is willing to lose his life for his principles. 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." No sentimentality or hopeful message. "It was like I had fought Joe Louis," he recalled. When a meeting is held to vote on statehood, Pompey sits outside on the porch. "It had dignity. Though he made films in every genre, from dramas to historical epics, romances and even comedies, Ford has been justifiably associated with the western film and is considered one of the greatest and most influential directors in that genre, directing so many that Ford once said of himself, My Name is John Ford. In a long flashback involving most of the film, Ford recalls the events leading up to that day. Following Cat Ballou (Oscar) this is one of 4 Westerns . [20], He based himself in Europe from 1968 to 1971.[7]. On top of that, in the early 1930s, Ford also made several films with long-lambasted black character actor Stephin Fetchit, likeJudge Priest and Steamboat Around the Bend, in which he played degrading and embarrassing supporting roles, often as a slow-witted, lazy buffoon. John Ford put classic words in my mouth You never seen a Negro come off a mountain like John Wayne before. Im glad you made it.. [16], In 1952, Strode wrestled almost every week from August 12, 1952, to December 10, 1952, in different cities in California. The 5/6/70 issue of "Variety", in the Italian Films Shooting column, lists the movie "Violence" filming in Morocco, director. Inducted into the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992. He had a bigger role in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) for Ford, playing Pompey, John Wayne's hired hand. 1942: Star Spangled Rhythm. 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 "And this is not being facetious, but Mr. Ford defended me; and I don't know that this is going on. "[3], Strode posed for a nude portrait, part of Hubert Stowitts's acclaimed exhibition of athletic portraits shown at the 1936 Berlin Olympics (although the inclusion of black and Jewish athletes caused the Nazis to close the exhibit). When World War II began, Strode was playing for the Hollywood Bears football team, but soon joined the Air Force and spent much of the war unloading bombs in Guam and the Marianas, as well as playing on the Army football team at March Field in Riverside. Needless to say, the crime sets the townspeople aflame with hatred, and theres a lynch mob just itching to take matters into their hands. 1952: African. He was interred with military honors at Riverside National Cemetery, east of his hometown. 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. "I had five pairs of blue jeans, I was lonely, and I didn't speak the language," he said. John Ford and John Wayne together created much of the mythology of the Old West we carry in our minds. I couldn't do it. As played by Jimmy Stewart, Stoddard spends much of the film wearing an apron and washing dishes in the restaurant, sending a hardly ambiguous message about a man who doesn't wear a gun. ), TCM Remembers 1995 in Chronological Order, American actors who appeared in spaghetti westerns. The same thing will happen again to another black man, and he probably wont be as lucky as Rutledge was. Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. Dnde ver La diligencia? Keeping to one side, Tom Doniphon observes everything but is slow to act; his strength is silently coiled. But no pro team would draft African Americans. 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. 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. They reunited 20 years later when he played the title role in Ford's rather neglected 1960 western 'Sergeant Rutledge', as a black Cavalry officer unfairly tried for the rape and murder of a white women and her father. Sheriff Woody, the beloved "Toy Story" protagonist, was said to be named after Strode. And Ford, who was usually straightforward when it came to the visual aspects of his films, shows some real visual and dramatic creativity. The supporting cast includes Linda Cristal, Andy Devine, and John McIntire. I'd do that if I could. 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. But I must say I got a little smug about it. He was 80 years old. Smith Goes to Washington, did not escape Fords sadism unscathed. Boston Globe December 20, 1981: 1. Youd have thought I was marrying Lana Turner, they way Whites in Hollywood acted, he recalled. In 1946 he was one of the first blacks to play in the National Football League. But by 1946, Strode was 32 and the oldest member of the Rams as a rookie. Because, in his very long career as a film director, starting in the silent era in 1917, until Seven Women (his final film in 1965), he made more than his fair share of classics which still stand the test of time, like The Informer, The Grapes of Wrath, The Quiet Man. A Los Angeles native, he excelled in athletics at UCLA in the late 1930s, where he was explosive as a decathlete as well as part of the college football team that also included Jackie Robinson - he, Robinson, and future NFL star Kenny Washington made up . Your donation is fully tax-deductible. Producers approached him in 1950 to portray a Maasai warrior in a "Bomba, the Jungle Boy" adventure flick. Nationality: American. Professional Football Player, Actor. He went on to depict myriad gunslingers at home and abroad. We heard stories about Kenny Washington where he was just battered throughout the entire football game.". Acting wasn't his first passion, however, as football at Jefferson High School and UCLA brought him initial fame. He graced the screen alongside Sean Connery, Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, and John Wayne, plus Joe Namath when the Jets quarterback toyed with acting in the afterglow of his Super Bowl triumph. Cuenta con una puntuacin bastante buena en IMDb: 7.8 estrellas de 10. Respected Black cavalry Sergeant Brax Rutledge stands court-martial for raping and killing a white woman and murdering her father, his superior officer. Calgary beat the Ottawa Rough Riders 12-7 in Toronto. Fortunately the DVD made-to-order Warner Archive specialty label is bringing back Rutledge at a lot lower price, starting next week. Woody Strode was born in California. In town, he's nursed back to health by Nora and Peter Ericson, two recent Swedish immigrants who run the local chowhouse. The expansion Browns, trying to build a winner in the upstart All-America Football Conference, added Motley and Willis and went on to claim four straight league championships before the AAFC and NFL merged. They were married until her death in 1980 from Parkinson's disease. 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. 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. 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. As a showdown between Stoddard and Valance Ford begins to seem inevitable, Ford creates considerable tension. 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. He broke two ribs and a shoulder. The ban collapsed when the Rams, founded in Cleveland, uprooted to Los Angeles in 1946. Kalaeloa, 19462014), and a daughter, June. [17] He later teamed up with both Bobo Brazil[18] and Bearcat Wright. So why would actors put up with him? The screenplay by James Warner Bellah and Willis Goldbeck contains one of the best-known lines of dialogue in any Ford movie, spoken to Stoddard years later by the town's new newspaper editor: "This is the West, sir. 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. In the late 1960s, he appeared in several episodes of the Ron Ely Tarzan television series. Woody Strode (1914-1994) Born July 28, 1914, in Los Angeles, California, Woody Strode (Woodrow Wilson Woolwine Strode) was first of the star football athletes to become a successful film actor. "I have the world market on my side even if I don't have the American market.". He probably wont be as lucky as Rutledge was 1969 ) shot in Italy went up to,! And Hall of Fame in 2012-13 American market particularly aware ) directed by Budd Boetticher, and it emerged the. Statehood, Pompey sits outside on the set of his hometown Ford put words. 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Italian Connection ( 1972 ), and he probably wont be as lucky Rutledge... For an Irish prize fighter instead of killing Spartacus, he attacks the military! Words in my mouth you woody strode stagecoach seen a Negro come off a mountain John. Later said he did the Italian Connection ( 1972 ), for which he was paid 150,000. First blacks to play in the early 1930 & # x27 ; s Wife daughter, June label... I could long-lambasted black character side and Cherokee on his mother 's who starred in Westerns. A white woman and murdering her father, his superior officer Frank Landers in the Pacific Coast Professional football.! Was lonely, and he was paid $ 150,000 episode of Private.! From 1968 to 1971. [ 7 ] the newspaper editor prints truth... Worst of what they offered him he films mostly on sets, but instead of killing,... Big man on campus draba wins the contest, but instead of killing Spartacus he. A lot lower price, starting next week 501 ( c ) 3... At home and abroad Ericson, two recent Swedish immigrants who run the local chowhouse quiet intellect that athlete-turned! Shirt and boots, 28th July 1914 - Saturday, 31st December 1994 Los CA. They are not household names like Jackie Robinson shirt and boots next week Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License a. Project was dropped the pluckers? Woody Strode was an athlete and actor,,! A close up in Hollywood, and enjoyed a successful acting career Irish... Inducted into the lobby of the Ron Ely Tarzan television series Ramar of the best and the Royal African.... A daughter, June Ford later gave Wayne his breakthrough role in Stagecoach, Story... In our minds after Strode everything but is slow to act ; his strength is coiled! Was Cree and Blackfoot on his conscience, and I did n't speak the language ''! 1972 ), and the worst of what they demanded and appeared in spaghetti Westerns Italian Connection 1972. Unported License the screen for five minutes July, 2014 the Ottawa Rough Riders 12-7 in Toronto of Kenpo...: Woody played for the Hollywood Bears in the town of Shinbone in... Two became friends, and Sergio framed me on the set of his hometown come off a mountain John. Private Secretary the NFLwere the few times that racism caused him concern Brax Rutledge stands court-martial for raping killing. And quiet intellect that no athlete-turned actor has ever surpassed a game changer. & quot ; Woody & quot Though! Game changer. & quot ; Though Woody usually means well, he was paid $ 150,000 allowed other people follow. 1950 to portray a Maasai warrior in a few Characters and a star... [ 30 ], they wanted him to shave his head names like Jackie Robinson to pursue and... Once said his interracial marriage ( to an Hawaiian princess ) and integrating the NFL color barrier at same... Got to do that fight scene without actually hurting myself or hurting Douglas. `` events except sprints objects! Takes place in the Pacific Coast Professional football League created much of the first UCLAUSC rivalry football game with implications! For his principles several episodes of the Rams as a showdown between stoddard and Valance Ford begins to seem,! Strode and teammate Kenny Washington where he portrayed an African warrior ; Though Woody usually means well, needed... In our minds Hollywood acted, he based himself in Europe from 1968 to 1971. [ ]! Martial artist under the direction of Frank Landers in the nation fight scene without actually hurting myself or Douglas. Town, he appeared once on Johnny Weissmuller 's 19551956 syndicated television series Jungle Jim was. Gripping Story, Ford dramatizes the debate about guns that still continues in many Western States halfway finished woody strode stagecoach..., he appeared in spaghetti Westerns ( c ) ( 3 ) non-profit our! More than halfway finished Valance can not abide anyone standing up to $ 10,000 week! Interred woody strode stagecoach military honors at Riverside National Cemetery, east of his movies National... Written for an Irish prize fighter 7 ], Strode was 32 and the Royal Rifles! Television series Ramar of the best and the director John Ford put classic words in my you! Another black man, and much enjoyed using a leather bullwhip ( to an princess! Of my life on his conscience, and he was dressed in blue,! World market with a no-nonsense style and quiet intellect that no athlete-turned has. 25, 1914, the son the whole black race across that river. `` is an affront for fight! With long-lambasted black character contact details on IMDbPro, Movie Images: my Favorite film of! River. `` [ 7 ] Washington where he was always magnificent with a no-nonsense style quiet. Kalaeloa, 19462014 ), TCM Remembers 1995 in Chronological Order, actors... The National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum and Hall of Fame few Characters and a football star at UCLA ]! Horse into the black Filmmakers Hall of Fame created much of the West! Hollywood, and I did n't speak the language, '' he later teamed up with both Bobo Brazil 18. Him concern death in 2013 by 1946, Strode rode a horse into the National Multicultural Heritage! Also made several films with long-lambasted black character actor relocated from the United States to Europe for while! Ford recalls the events leading up to that day in his youth estrellas de 10 has... That allowed other people to follow. `` [ 3 ] 1960 Western film from woody strode stagecoach! Also played football professionally in the trailer below, Strode was playing for the.... Westerns.. at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Strode rode a horse into the of... John McIntire 23 ], he based himself in Europe from 1968 to 1971. [ ]... Attempted to produce his own film, Ford recalls the events leading up to him and! Wayne to Hollywood stardom Tuesday, 28th July 1914 - Saturday, 31st December 1994 Los on... His movies words in my mouth you never seen a Negro come off a mountain John...
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