But by 1946, Strode was 32 and the oldest member of the Rams as a rookie. Farmers want statehood. The result was a few films in which he seemed to be, in a way, making an apology for the wrongs he committed in terms ofhis distorted portrayals of people of color in his previous films. 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. His last film was The Quick and the Dead (1995), which starred Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Russell Crowe. 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. Robinson played college football at UCLA before he shifted to baseball full time and made history. ", - IMDb Mini Biography By: As a showdown between Stoddard and Valance Ford begins to seem inevitable, Ford creates considerable tension. 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. 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. At UCLA he was a track star, a football phenomenon and a performer on the Royce stage. Strode last appeared on screen posthumously in 1995. Ford isn't making an anachronistic statement on racism, but he's being sure we notice it. 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. "Stagecoach" and his cavalry trilogy, "Rio Grande" "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon" and "Fort Apache" - were as bloodthirsty savages. 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. In director John Fords Sergeant Rutledge (1960), a western where he depicted a soldier on trial for two murders and the rape of a white woman, when Strode bared his chest to a white woman (actress Constance Towers), even the movie audiences gasped. But I must say I got a little smug about it. Strode worked in B-movies through the '70s and '80s and acted as the narrator for Mario Van Peebles' Black Western Posse in 1993. An old black cowboy named Pompey (Woody Strode) takes Hallie on a buckboard ride into the countryside where they regard the burned-out remains of Doniphon's cottage. Supplied by UCLA, Corbis Historical / Sunset Boulevard / Getty Images. The pioneering Black character actor relocated from the United States to Europe for a while to pursue bigger and more interesting roles. 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. He was drafted at age 27 and soon joined the United States Army Air Corps and spent the war unloading bombs in Guam and the Marianas, as well as playing on the Army football team at March Field in Riverside, California.[10]. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, unloading bombs in the Pacific. It's clear they loved him. He guest starred on The Man from Blackhawk (1960). I'd do that if I could. Played for the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League from 1948-49 before moving back to the US and beginning his film career. The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City last year enshrined him in the Hall of Great Western Performers. "Never used it, but I could walk into the White House with it now. Woody Strode spent decades in Hollywood working with larger-than-life names, including John Wayne, Elvis Presley and Kirk Douglas. He also did professional wrestling and reportedly tussled with the renowned Gorgeous George. 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. His magnificent Western landscapes are always there, but as environment, not travelogue. And according to the actor, Ford froze, then walked away. "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. The 5/6/70 issue of "Variety", in the Italian Films Shooting column, lists the movie "Violence" filming in Morocco, director. He was only 52. "It was like I had fought Joe Louis," he recalled. 1952: African. Decathlete who also played football professionally in the CFL, and enjoyed a successful acting career. "I had five pairs of blue jeans, I was lonely, and I didn't speak the language," he said. Ford used him again in Two Rode Together (1962) but it was only a small part, as an Indian. "He treated me like a son," said Strode. [8] They played eventual conference and national champion USC to a scoreless tie with the 1940 Rose Bowl on the line. But with his ill health and advancing age, the project was dropped. Inducted into the National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum and Hall of Fame in 2012-13. 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. The retired NFL wideout, in tandem with his co-author Bob Glauber, persuaded the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022 to recognize the so-called Forgotten Four as pathfinders. He was also a professional wrestler, wrestling the likes of Gorgeous George. (Whats a brother got to do to get some respect around here?). Strode's Associated Press obituary praised his work in Westerns and period dramas, but didn't mention the trail he blazed on the gridiron. In a few characters and a gripping story, Ford dramatizes the debate about guns that still continues in many Western states. Ransom Stoddard believes in the U. S. Constitution, the rule by law, the trust in government. At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Strode was an athletic marvel in his prime. "The big studios wanted an actor like Sidney [Poitier] or [Harry] Belafonte," recalled Strode. 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]. In a later tribute to Strode, the 'Sheriff Woody' character in the Toy Story movies was named after him. Yes, but there's more to it than that, and in John Ford's mind, gun ownership is very much an open question. "They suffered on the field. The narrative structure is told mainly in a series of flashbacks in which information is revealedin bits, leaving us guessing as to what really happened. 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. 20072023 Blackpast.org. But Ford also effectively takes advantage of the physical, broad-shouldered, overpowering presence of Strode, shooting him often from a low angle to let him dominate the frame and the audience. Woody lived in a modest home overlooking Glendora and the San Gabriel Valley, north east of Los Angeles about 25 miles. "[13], In 1948 he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers of the AAFC, but was released before the season started,[14] whereupon he joined the Calgary Stampeders of the Western Interprovincial Football Union in Canada, where he was a member of Calgary's 1948 Grey Cup Championship team[15] before retiring due to injury in 1949. Woody Strode was a Black Indian (his grandmother was Black Cherokee and his grandfather was Black Muscogee) and an outstanding athlete. Broken ribs and an ailing shoulder spurred Strode to retire in 1949. Actor William Holden and Ernest Borgnine and Woody Strode pose for the movie "The Revengers" in 1972. I might have to kill you. He appeared in any number of other films, among them The Ten Commandments (1956). "These four men created a foundation on which generations built," Lonnie Bunch, the founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, once said. Sheriff Woody, the beloved "Toy Story" protagonist, was said to be named after Strode. Filmography - 1939: Stagecoach. Strode was in Storyville (1992), and Posse (1992), working with director Mario Van Peebles. When World War II broke out, Strode was playing for the Hollywood Bears in the Pacific Coast Professional Football League. "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. Woody Strode passed away on December 31, 1994 from lung cancer in Glendora, California. Woody Strode was born in California. I've done everything but play an Anglo-Saxon. The two became friends, and Ford later gave Wayne his breakthrough role in Stagecoach, the film that launched Wayne to Hollywood stardom. 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. Needless to say, the crime sets the townspeople aflame with hatred, and theres a lynch mob just itching to take matters into their hands. I wanted to crawl into a mouse hole, Stewart recalled. Canton called this summer, feting Strode and the rest of the Forgotten Four at Johnson and Glauber's urging. 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. 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. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend. But it says a lot about them to be able to do what I would call something for the greater good," Johnson, reflecting on the Forgotten Four's feat, told CBS News this year. And strangely enough, Duke Wayne who, over the years, you know, has made lots of pictures with Ford Duke Wayne has been at the bottom of the list, in the barrel, more than anybody else. 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. "I had a certain amount of crudeness that went back a hundred years, and that's what he liked. 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. If you're a nice guy, you can walk into a room anywhere in the world. (One stylistic touch: In this film, he habitually calls Stoddard "Pilgrim," which expresses an insight into the lawyer's character.). We used to sit in the best seats at the Coconut Grove (a nightclub in the Ambassador Hotel) listening to Donald Novis sing. We heard stories about Kenny Washington where he was just battered throughout the entire football game.". I'd play a Viking with blue contact lenses and a blond wig.". BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. 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. He was billed as the Pacific Coast Heavyweight Wrestling Champion and the Pacific Coast Negro Heavyweight Wrestling Champion in 1962. I carried the whole black race across that river."[3]. 1951: The Lion Hunters; Bride of the Gorilla. "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. And he was dressed in blue overalls, a blue work shirt and boots. 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 "They are not household names like Jackie Robinson. Finally, it became way of life.[3], He had roles in Bride of the Gorilla (1951), African Treasure (1951) (another Bomba film), an episode of Dangerous Assignment (1952), Caribbean (1952), and Androcles and the Lion (1952), playing the lion, "the toughest job I ever had" he said later.[20]. Trapped for life. As an athlete, he helped integrate the NFL. Strode had difficulty maintaining the momentum of these roles. He portrayed an assortment of African chiefs and guards until Cecil B. DeMille cast him in The Ten Commandments (1956), as the King of Ethiopia. But even worse is the poster for the film (above) on which Strode appears, although his name is listed fourth and in tiny letters even smaller that the third person billed actress Billie Burke, who has a small supporting role with just a few lines. The one awkward movement in the film comes at the big climax when the real killer reveals himself during the trial, in a scene so overwrought and overacted that it produces more guffaws than shock. All structured data from the file namespace is available under the. Not surprisingly, the film is considered one of Fords most overlooked and underrated films, and given the subject matter as well as the era in which it was made and released, it was not a box office success either. Following Cat Ballou (Oscar) this is one of 4 Westerns . Which is sort of remarkable, because they love each other. It is made clear in "Liberty Valance" that segregation was the practice in the territory. Kenny Washington passed away on June 24, 1971 in Los Angeles due to heart and lung issues. He said, "Well, they're not tough enough to do what I want Sergeant Rutledge to be. The Cleveland Browns brought aboard Marion Motley and Bill Willis that same year. [6] They became famous nationally as "the Gold Dust gang". [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. . 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. Then, when the steeds had halted, he tried to pick a punch up with his younger co-star. 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). Not until 1946 did the two suit up for the . Working in the restaurant is young Hallie. He did 1,000 push-ups, sit-ups, and knee bends daily. 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). It was the only picture I did with Sergio Leonethe close ups were great, Strode said. Now Hallie has started to like this lawyer-man from the East, who starts up a one-room schoolhouse to teach people how to read. Woody Strode was 6-3 (190 cm) tall. But the hotel we found was integratedand Count Basie was playing thereand we were fine. 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). The way Ford employs the African-American Pompey is observant. 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. [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). "[7], "That was a classic," he later said. "We were unconscious of color. "Race is not a factor in the world market," he said in 1981. The character was named after Woody Strode, the legendary Spartacus actor who starred in numerous Westerns throughout the 1960s and 1970s. John Ford put classic words in my mouth You never seen a Negro come off a mountain like John Wayne before. 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. [20], He based himself in Europe from 1968 to 1971.[7]. The role set his Hollywood career in motion. Strode made his first appearance in Sundown (1941) playing a native policeman. [29] He is buried at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California. Fortunately the DVD made-to-order Warner Archive specialty label is bringing back Rutledge at a lot lower price, starting next week. [citation needed], Strode's acting career was re-activated when producer Walter Mirisch spotted him wrestling and cast him as an African warrior in The Lion Hunters (1951), one of the Bomba the Jungle Boy series. 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