You're so right, Stephen. The novel by Gaines was released in 1971, but the CBS made for TV film in 1974. When it comes to that kind of knowledge, you ARE the man!
>> STEPHEN BOURNE <[log in to unmask]> 11/12/09 5:32 PM >>>
Sorry, Darrell, I hate to be picky BUT Cicely Tyson played Rebecca Morgan in Sounder in 1972, two years before Jane Pittman. Cicely was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for Sounder in competition with Diana Ross in Lady Sings the Blues. They were the first Black actresses to be nominated in that category since Dorothy Dandridge (the first in that category) for Carmen Jones in 1954. I desperately wanted one of them to win and I shall never forget being 15 years old and setting my alarm clock for 5am to listen to the breaking 'Oscar' news on BBC radio...only to hear that Liza Minnelli had won for Cabaret!!! HOWEVER, Cicely did win TWO Emmy awards for Jane Pittman, but it didn't take long for Hollywood to waste this gifted actress in crap like Airport - The Concorde (or something like that) though she has continued to play majestic/memorable roles in made-for-TV movies. I still live in hope that one day Miss Tyson will make a movie as great as Sounder
and win that Oscar!
Note: Though it was made for American TV, in 1974 Jane Pittman was released as a cinema feature in Britain. I remember attending a screening in a small cinema in London's West End. This qualified her for a BAFTA nomination as Best Actress (Britain's equivalent of the Oscar) but she didn't win this, either. Still, it was significant that BAFTA recognised her performance and nominated her, because Jane Pittman wasn't seen very widely in Britain, in spite of its cinema release.
Your friend, Stephen
--- On Thu, 12/11/09, Darrell Newton <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
From: Darrell Newton <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: BBC TV: Small Island: DELAYED ONCE AGAIN !!!
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Thursday, 12 November, 2009, 22:06
As did I, Sharon, and as Stephen indicated, it's a great film. In fact, the strength of her portrayal allowed her to "beat out" other, more well-known Black actors for the lead in "Sounder" with Paul Winfield.
Darrell M. Newton, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Mass Media and Cultural Studies
The Department of Communication Arts
Salisbury University
269 Fulton Hall
Salisbury, MD 21801
(410) 677-5060 Office
(410) 543-6229 Department
homepage: http://faculty.salisbury.edu/~dmnewton/
Darrell M. Newton, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Mass Media and Cultural Studies
The Department of Communication Arts
Salisbury University
269 Fulton Hall
Salisbury, MD 21801
(410) 677-5060 Office
(410) 543-6229 Department
homepage: http://faculty.salisbury.edu/~dmnewton/
>>> Sharon Tomlin <[log in to unmask]> 11/12/09 4:45 PM >>>
I watched this in Jamaica during the late 1970s where "it was put on at a reasonable hour of the evening". Yes it was great, especially Cecily Tyson`s portrayal as the slave Jane Pittman. It was my first insight through television into slavery and its effect - to me it was an historical drama.
Enjoy!
Sharon
--- On Thu, 12/11/09, STEPHEN BOURNE <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
From: STEPHEN BOURNE <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: BBC TV: Small Island: DELAYED ONCE AGAIN !!!
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Thursday, 12 November, 2009, 20:08
I'm not surprised about this, coming from the Corporation that is screening (on BBC1) the great American made-for-TV classic The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman at FIVE MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT this coming Sunday (15 November) when most of Britain will be tucked up in bed ready for work & school on Monday morning!!!
PS for those of you who haven't seen it, please do not miss Cicely Tyson's brilliant portrayal of a 110-year-old ex-slave in the American south in the early 1960s reminiscing about her past.
--- On Thu, 12/11/09, arthur torrington <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
From: arthur torrington <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: BBC TV: Small Island: DELAYED ONCE AGAIN !!!
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Thursday, 12 November, 2009, 19:32
THE BBC HAVE AGAIN POSTPONED THE SHOWING OF THE TWO PART TV DRAMA "SMALL ISLAND". I HAVE COPIED BELOW ONE OF THE PRODUCER'S MESSAGE TO ME TODAY.
HAVING SEEN PARTS 1 & 2, THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN NO DELAY. IT'S AN EXCELLENT PIECE OF WORK.
arthur
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Arthur
I'm afraid the BBC have delayed Small Island once again. I must admit we are all now rather baffled by their thinking but I hope that they will transmit it sooner rather than later.
all the best
Vicky
Vicky Licorish
AL Films
12.11.09
From: [log in to unmask]
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: BBC TV: Small Island
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:03:42 +0000
#yiv222318195 #yiv1837720980 .ExternalClass .ecxhmmessage P
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FYI
PLEASE PASS ON.
I have just heard that transmission for Small Island will now be on Sunday 29 November and Sunday 6 December 2009 on BBC1 @ 9pm with the first trailer going out this Sunday at 9pm.
arthur
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