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Althea Gibson (spoiler()

posted 16 years ago by shandy8
7 replies | jump to latest

I was surprised to see this great athlete playing a slave. Although 'Lukie' was a sympathetic character and one whose death was treated as a sad moment in the movie, I was a bit surprised that a woman of her stature would play such a role.

I know of Miss Gibson only from her contribution to the game of tennis and the importance that her race played in setting the stage for other great Black tennis players, so I just wondered why she would have chosen to play the role of a slave who sympathized with the Confederate States.

By the way, lest my question be misconstrued, I think that this movie is one of the better Civil War movies, as it does not portray the Confederacy as an evil force. The Confederates are shown as an honorable group fighting for their rights ('The American Way', if you will). It is sad that posterity has branded the Confederacy as wicked.

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[–] makkabee 16 years ago

When Confederates said they were "fighting for our rights" they meant the right to keep slaves. Google "declaration of causes" and "ordinance of Secession" to see what southerners claimed as their reasons for leaving the Union. Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens condemned the Declaration of Independence's claim that "all men are created equal" as "heresy," adding “Our new government is founded upon exactly the opposite idea; its foundations are laid, its cornerstone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery… is his normal condition. This, our new government, is the first in the history of the world based on this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth.” Perhaps you aren't willing to condemn an organization committed to white supremacy as wicked, but I am.

[–] bradford-1 15 years ago

I would be interested in finding out how Ms. Gibson was treated when the film company worked on location in Mississippi and Louisiana. Both states were rabidly segregationist back then. Did she stay in housing with the rest of the company or was she taken in by black families? Was she denied service in restaurants, clothing stores, movie theaters, etc. Did the producers and Ford take pains to help her or was she left out to dry? I haven't found anything on this subject. if anyone has such material, please direct me to it.

[–] zboston3 13 years ago

Perhaps it was easier working as an athlete or maybe Hollywood just couldn't find the right roles, but I'm sorry she didn't work more as an actress.

I thought she had the onscreen charisma and integrity of Sidney Poitier of the time. When she's on, you watch to see what she does, and she never lowers herself.

[–] bradford-1 13 years ago

I'm STILL trying to find material on Althea Gibson's connection to this film. I can't even find anything that sheds light on how she got the role. She was a non-actress, but had become a celebrity through her tennis playing.

"May I bone your kipper, Mademoiselle?"

[–] shoot-to-miss 12 years ago

How many Civil War movies actually portray the South as wicked? Very few. A southern institution like slavery WAS wicked, but it's the subject of precious few movies, even today.

Hollywood was and still is an industry. It didn't get to be the most successful national cinema of all time by offending nearly a third of white Americans. No wonder this movie comes close to portraying the Civil War as a lover's quarrel, i.e. Northern males (The North) showing solicitous concern for a Southern lily white belle (The South).

[–] Hancock_the_Superb 12 years ago

one of the better Civil War movies, as it does not portray the Confederacy as an evil force.

Name please Hollywood movies that portray the Confederacy as an "evil force." Lincoln?

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[–] Foster (878) 2 years ago

Well, in 1959, and before and after, how much did tennis players make??? She was a champion so as such had some name recognition