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Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970)

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1 article from 2005

4 February 2005 | From IMDb News

<N N="0001115">Ossie Davis</N>, the arresting, charismatic actor who was one of the leading figures of the African-American acting community alongside his wife, <N N="0002039">Ruby Dee</N>, was found dead Friday morning in Miami; he was 87. Davis was discovered in his hotel room in Miami Beach, where he was making a film called <T T="0438365">Retirement</T>, which he had just started shooting on Monday; a cause of death has not yet been determined, but police have ruled out any foul play. A renaissance man when it came to performing, Davis acted, wrote, directed, and produced for the stage, screen, and television, making his presence known far and wide in a variety of different projects, from Broadway shows to television miniseries. Davis' career began in 1939, where he joined a theater group in Harlem and met a number of influential civil rights activists and writers, including W.E.B. DuBois and <N N="0400745">Langston Hughes</N>. After serving in World War II, Davis made his Broadway debut in 1946 in the play <I>Jeb</I> opposite Ruby Dee; the two were married two years later, and became one of the classic acting duos of the 20th century. In addition to acting, both were important pioneers for civil rights, balancing both political and artistic agendas throughout their entire careers. Davis appeared in a number of movies and television shows throughout the 50s and 60s (among them <T T="0056907">The Cardinal</T>, <T T="0059274">The Hill</T>, and <T T="0063557">The Scalphunters</T>, for which he received a Golden Globe nomination), and made his directorial debut with 1970's <T T="0065579">Cotton Comes to Harlem</T>. Working almost non-stop in a variety of mediums, Davis became well-known to a new generation through his films with director <N N="0000490">Spike Lee</N> (including <T T="0097216">Do the Right Thing</T>) and his role on the sitcom <T T="0098790">Evening Shade</T>, as well as innumerable TV miniseries and movies. In 2004, both Davis and Dee were both selected to receive the Kennedy Center Honors. Davis is survived by Dee, 80, and their three children. <I>--Prepared by IMDb staff</I>

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1 article from 2005