1964 Academy Awards - Sidney Poiter's acceptance speech

The 1964 Academy Awards in which Sidney Poitier receives the Oscar for the Best Actor for his role in the movie Lilies of the Field. He is handed the Oscar by the actress, Anne Bancroft.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• 1964
• Academy
• Awards
• Oscar
• Sidney
• Poitier
• speech
• acceptance
• efootage
• Anne
• Bancroft
• lilies
• of
• the
• field
• best
• actor
• award

[mtlilr]

negro?!? WTF.....

[Moamg]

Anne Bancroft was looking WONDERFUL that night, as usual.

[moounaa1]

@mtlilr rascit

[PvtGermanWagz]

@mtlilr 1963 dude, using the term "Negro" was still somewhat of the norm back then.....

[jbelafonte]

0:06 You'll see Jack Lemmon come from out of the wings to congratulate Sidney.

[ItsMeItsOlive]

@TheMrCrabz

The announcer didn't say "1st black actor"..he said "Mr. Poitier was the first negro to win such a high award"...try listening to the video next time. Hattie McDaniel was the first, not Sidney.

[michaeljacksongrrl]

So classy both of them. Anne Bancroft was such a classy lady, I have such respect for her.

[jack6960]

mr poiter is the FIRST NEGRO.... LMAOOOOOO. i was dying. its amazing how far we've come as African Americans. damn doe

[British0Pixie]

@issyvoo2 She did, but the absolutely brill thing about it all is that she didn't falter and kept her

head up and carried on like the Legend she is. Cheers for being a teacher. Educators are so bloody

unappreciated. = [

[issyvoo2]

@British0Pixie I was helping my students understand the social and political climate for African-Americans at that time and I showed them this clip. I heard that the newspapers slammed her for touching him onstage like that.

[British0Pixie]

@issyvoo2 Agreed love, well said and directly to the point. Cheers! = ]

[issyvoo2]

@BlueLeopard200 Good for her! She was clearly conscious of the statement she was making by doing so. You could tell by the way she reached out to him.