I can’t have been much older than four or five years old, when I watched a film on TV with my parents. I was so fascinated by the movie and especially the lead actor, that, for the very first time, I kept an actor’s name in my mind to remember it (and that was even before John Wayne). Funnily, I never saw the movie again. It was “Lillies of the Filed” and the actor was Sidney Poitier.
Rest in Peace, good Sir.
Ouch. But 94 is impressive.
Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner is still amazing to watch given it’s really just four people talking for a couple hours, and In the Heat of the Night is still powerful as well. I remember going to see (the decidedly less prestigious) Shoot to Kill in 1988 with my then-girlfriend (now wife), mostly to see Tom Berenger who seemed temporarily poised to be the next big thing. For whatever reason it was a surprise to see Poitier (already 61 and a “serious” actor) in an action thriller, but he was fantastic and owned that movie, sending us off on a prolonged Poitier binge with no real disappointments. Last year I re-watched The Defiant Ones and had the same “show me more of that guy” reaction.
It’s become cliche to say deceased performers will live on through their work, but in his case it’s certain. A significant number of his films qualify in the “immortal” category and will be shown as long as anyone’s left who appreciates cinema history.
RIP
Oh my RIP
he was one of the greats. RIP
Will never grow stale nor lose its power or truth:
And only Poitier could have done it (also, somehow Norman Jewison lost Best Director to Mike Nichols, who received a make-up Oscar for the one he missed the year before).
Did a Sidney Potier double bill last night, My 15 year old watched “In The Heat Of The Night” for the first time, the film hasn’t lost its power to amaze. Then after that a bit of light relief with “Stir Crazy”, he was also a really clever director, marshalling the best of Wilder and Pryor but still keeping it real.
Tonight Sean ( tried to call the youngest Roger but was vetoed although by happenstance or enemy action eldest daughter is Madeline ) wants to watch another 2 - I’m going with “They Call Me Mr. Tibbs” and “Deadly Pursuit”
The wife wouldn’t let you skip George, good for her. 
Well that was a straight no. We compromised, arriving at Benson.
“Stir Crazy” is a great comedy. Also check out “See No Evil, Hear No Evil” with them and Joan Severance, and “Silver Streak”, perhaps that comedy duo’s best, featuring Ned Beatty and Jill Claiburgh.
Silver Streak is a fantastic movie and takes its time to tell the story, also starring the great Patrick McGoohan (The Prisoner, Danger Man) and ofcourse Richard “Jaws” Kiel.
Deadly Pursuit was even better than I remembered it, good straightforward action thriller, Bogart might have made in the 40s.
Bummer. This has been a rough month for celebrity deaths.
RIP Mr. Saget. 
Incidentally, Marilyn Bergman, who wrote the lyrics to the theme song for “In the Heat of the Night” together with her husband Alan, passed away a day later, aged 93.
They also wrote (among others) the lyrics to “Windmills of Your Mind” and “Never Say Never Again”.
RIP
Looks like we missed mentioning the passing Sally Ann Howes here. As a key player in the film version of Ian Fleming’s second most famous fictional creation, I figure she deserves a nod:
We didn’t really get Bob Saget in the UK, unless someone also from there would like to correct me. I only ever heard his name once - Phoebe said it on Friends.
I just rewatched her in The Time Machine this past Sunday afternoon, marveling over her beauty, and thinking for the umpteenth time that Rod Taylor might have been an excellent 007 if he had followed right after Connery or Lazenby. He was 30 in The Time Machine.
The last of the Wild Geese. A brilliant actor. RIP