The banned films of Sidney Poitier

[Trevor]

LILLIES OF THE FIELD
CRY THE BELOVED COUNTRY
TO SIR, WITH LOVE
THE DEFIANT ONES
IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT
A PATCH OF BLUE
GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER
THE WILBY CONSPIRACY
THEY CALL ME MR TIBBS
THE ORGANIZATION

[Rev. Powell]

That's all?

[Trevor]

That's all?

I forgot about CRY THE BELOVED COUNTRY and THE DEFIANT ONES.

[M.10rda]

I'd figure Poitier for Public Enemy #1.......

[Trevor]

I'd figure Poitier for Public Enemy #1.......

Yes, sadly. The apartheid censor board sadly saw him as a threat as he appealed to many cinema goers, irrespective of their race and backgrounds.

IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT was banned because of the slap scene, A PATCH OF BLUE and GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER were banned because of the love across colour lines "problem", TO SIR WITH LOVE was banned because it offended them that a person of colour was teaching a class of white kids, THE WILBY CONSPIRACY was banned due to its anti apartheid stance and I have absolutely no idea why a charming comedy drama like LILLIES OF THE FIELD was banned 🤔😳

[M.10rda]

TO SIR WITH LOVE was banned because it offended them that a person of colour was teaching a class of white kids,

The Apartheid censor board might be relieved to learn that this scenario is (sadly) very rare in the United States. (The movie takes place in the UK, maybe it's more common there.) I live/work in one of the more diverse and progressive regions of the US, too. Male teachers of color are statistically underrepresented in this country, and "teaching a class of white kids" - pretty rare. There are probably several reasons for this, based on the literature and some personal observations... but TO SIR WITH LOVE was/is kind of a utopian fantasy.