Harry Belafonte is most famous for introducing America to calypso music, with hits like Day-O and Jump In the Line. But he was also one of the most earnest and hard-working fighters of injustice America has ever produced and he deserves to be celebrated.
AI Summary
# Harry Belafonte: The Thinking Person's Saint
This episode dives deep into the life and legacy of Harry Belafonte, the legendary entertainer best known for the iconic "Day-O" and so much more. From his humble beginnings in Harlem to becoming one of the biggest singing stars of the 1950s with his groundbreaking Calypso album, the hosts explore how Belafonte not only dominated the entertainment industry but also used his platform and personal wealth to become a tireless civil rights activist who worked alongside Martin Luther King Jr., organized the March on Washington, and helped coordinate the legendary "We Are the World" benefit. What makes this episode essential is how it reveals a man who consistently chose his principles over his career, turning down roles he deemed undignified and walking away from lucrative opportunities whenever they compromised his values.
Beetlejuice
1988
1h 32m
★ 7.4
"One more thing, we cannot not mention Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice featured not only the Banana Boat song, but Jump in the Line. — Josh discusses how Belafonte's songs were featured prominently in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice and became popular with a new generation."
— Josh
Buck and the Preacher
1972
PG
1h 42m
★ 6.3
"They made Buck and the Preacher, which I have not seen. I think it was from 1972. — Josh discusses this blaxploitation film directed by Sidney Poitier where Belafonte played a con artist preacher."
— Josh
Carmen Jones
1954
NR
1h 45m
★ 6.2
"In 53, he made his first two movies with Dorothy Dandridge. And the second of those, Carmen Jones. — Josh mentions Carmen Jones as one of Belafonte's early films where Dorothy Dandridge was nominated for an Oscar."
— Josh
Island in the Sun
1957
NR
1h 59m
★ 6.5
"He took a role in a movie called Island in the Sun. It's from 1957 and in it he has an insinuated romance with a white woman, Joan Fontaine. — Josh discusses how groundbreaking and controversial this film was for its interracial romance."
— Josh
Lilies of the Field
1963
NR
1h 34m
★ 7.2
"Lilies of the Field is a good example. It's from 1963. Um, it starred Sidney Poitier. — Chuck references this film as an example of a role Belafonte passed on because he felt it lacked depth in portraying black characters."
— Chuck
The Color of Money
1986
★ 6.9
"Paul Robeson, most famous for his version of Old Man River from Showboat, from the musical Showboat. — Josh references Paul Robeson's famous performance in the musical Showboat."
— Josh
The Muppet Show
1976
★ 8.0
"There's also a really great appearance on The Muppet Show, where he sings Deo with some of the Muppets. — Josh mentions a notable guest appearance on The Muppet Show where Belafonte performed with the Muppets."
— Josh
Uptown Saturday Night
1974
PG
1h 44m
★ 6.2
"And then Uptown Saturday Night. Haven't seen that one either. — Josh mentions this film as another project featuring Belafonte alongside Sidney Poitier and Bill Cosby."
— Josh
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