Sidney Poitier was the first Black actor to be nominated in the Best Actor Category for THE DEFIANT ONES ('58). Five years later he was up for the same nomination for his performance in LILIES OF THE FIELD ('63), making history again as the first African American to win the award. #31DaysOfOscar | Turner Classic Movies: TCM

43 reactions · 17 shares | Sidney Poitier in his Academy Award Role....

Lilies of the Field is a 1963 American comedy drama film adapted by James Poe from the 1962 novel of the same name by William Edmund Barrett, and stars Sidney Poitier, Lilia Skala, Stanley Adams, and Dan Frazer. It was produced and directed by Ralph Nelson. The title comes from the Sermon on the Mount in the Bible (Matthew 6:27–33 and its parallel scripture from Luke 12:27–31). It features an early film score by prolific composer Jerry Goldsmith. The film was turned into a Broadway musical in 19

For his 1963 portrayal of an itinerant worker who helps refugee nuns build a chapel in LILIES OF THE FIELD, Sidney Poitier became the first African American to win the Oscar for best actor. Poitier said he has fond memories of the role: "‘Lilies of the Field’ stirs up such great remembrances in our family, from the littlest Poitiers watching a young and agile ‘Papa’ to the oldest – Papa Sidney himself!” Poitier said in a statement with his family. #NatFilmRegistry | Turner Classic Movies: TCM

In 1967, America was at the height of the civil rights movement and the country's biggest star was Sidney Poitier. With the release of three films that year: TO SIR WITH LOVE, IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT and GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER?, he was at the top of his game. #BlackHistoryMonth #LetsMovie | Turner Classic Movies: TCM

90K views · 5.8K reactions | This famous "slap heard 'round the world" scene from IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT ('67) marked the first time an African American man had ever slapped a white man on screen before, which Sidney Poitier insisted on. | Turner Classic Movies: TCM | Facebook