This documentary, directed by Susanne Rostock, is a detailed look at the great entertainer Harry Belafonte's career as well as his tireless social activism.
Born in Harlem into a broken family, Belafonte began working as a janitor's assistant. One day, he was given, as a gratuity, two tickets to the American Negro Theater. He was totally enthralled and eventually became a member himself, along with Sidney Poitier and Brock Peters.
Belafonte started to go to the NYC club the Village Vanguard, where he began to be influenced in his singing style by Huddie Ledbetter and Paul Robeson. As Robeson told Belafonte, you will find your own style and then you can "sing your song".
Given an opportunity to perform in a Broadway play for the first time, in "3 For Tonight", Belafonte was an instant sensation and even won a Tony award. He began to tour nationally in various shows, but it was here that he came across the horrors and humiliations of racism against blacks. This would spark his eventual activism and later he would become a stalwart of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960's.
His record "Scarlet Ribbons" won him national recognition and later his calypso sounds such as "Day-o" would enable him to become a world famous performer. Surprisingly, he would also become a teenybopper idol at the time.
Alongside his artistic fame came Belafonte's brave and tireless efforts to help those in need. In addition to his leadership in the Civil Rights movement, he also became involved in the African independence movements, Native American rights, Ethiopian campaigns to help starving children, as well as trying to help those in Haiti. Still now, in his 80's he's working to end gang violence, change the skewed minority numbers in prison, and advocating for youth activism.
The film doesn't go too deeply into Belafonte's personal life but does have some interviews with his children and former wives, as well as some home movies. There are plenty of wonderful film clips of Belafonte's performances on stage, TV, and movies which brought back lot of memories for me.
All in all, I thought the documentary did a fine job at presenting this remarkable American icon and activist. I was engrossed throughout and felt I learned quite a bit as well.
Born in Harlem into a broken family, Belafonte began working as a janitor's assistant. One day, he was given, as a gratuity, two tickets to the American Negro Theater. He was totally enthralled and eventually became a member himself, along with Sidney Poitier and Brock Peters.
Belafonte started to go to the NYC club the Village Vanguard, where he began to be influenced in his singing style by Huddie Ledbetter and Paul Robeson. As Robeson told Belafonte, you will find your own style and then you can "sing your song".
Given an opportunity to perform in a Broadway play for the first time, in "3 For Tonight", Belafonte was an instant sensation and even won a Tony award. He began to tour nationally in various shows, but it was here that he came across the horrors and humiliations of racism against blacks. This would spark his eventual activism and later he would become a stalwart of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960's.
His record "Scarlet Ribbons" won him national recognition and later his calypso sounds such as "Day-o" would enable him to become a world famous performer. Surprisingly, he would also become a teenybopper idol at the time.
Alongside his artistic fame came Belafonte's brave and tireless efforts to help those in need. In addition to his leadership in the Civil Rights movement, he also became involved in the African independence movements, Native American rights, Ethiopian campaigns to help starving children, as well as trying to help those in Haiti. Still now, in his 80's he's working to end gang violence, change the skewed minority numbers in prison, and advocating for youth activism.
The film doesn't go too deeply into Belafonte's personal life but does have some interviews with his children and former wives, as well as some home movies. There are plenty of wonderful film clips of Belafonte's performances on stage, TV, and movies which brought back lot of memories for me.
All in all, I thought the documentary did a fine job at presenting this remarkable American icon and activist. I was engrossed throughout and felt I learned quite a bit as well.