Strode's later appearances included Cuba Crossing (1980),The Dukes of Hazzard (1980), Scream (1981), Fantasy Island (1981), Vigilante (1982), Invaders of the Lost Gold (1982), Angkor: Cambodia Express (1983), The Black Stallion Returns (1983), The Violent Breed (1984), Jungle Warriors (1984), The Cotton Club (1984), The Final Executioner (1984), Lust in the Dust (1985), On Fire (1987), and A Gathering of Old Men (1987). He decided to stay in Europe. He served in the United States Army during World War II. Woody Strode. Prior to 1946, he played semi-pro football. An old black cowboy named Pompey ( Woody Strode) takes Hallie on a buckboard ride into the countryside where they regard the burned-out remains of Doniphon's cottage. And he was dressed in blue overalls, a blue work shirt and boots. Ray Hamel. Strode encountered racism in the NFL. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Robinson played college football at UCLA before he shifted to baseball full time and made history. Woodrow Wilson Woody Strode (1914-1994) was one of the most prolific and reliable African American actors of a generation. But Strode (who started his career in the early 1940s after a legendary athletic record at UCLA as a decathlete and a football star, and who died in 1994) is perfectly cast in the lead role as Rutledge and gives a powerful performance in one of the very few lead roles he ever played, among the 90+ films he appeared in, playing mostly supporting roles, sometimes even uncredited, during the early years of his film career. In the 1940s, at the beginning of the "Golden Age" of professional wrestling on television, Strode entered the game, campaigning as a "Baby Face" (hero) as opposed to the "Heel" (villain). Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox, UCLA hires D'Anton Lynn as defensive coordinator, Harbaugh: Michigan good place to be despite challenges, Georgia's Dumas-Johnson charged with reckless driving. Never billed as a leading man in Hollywood, Strode moved to Rome in the late '60s to pick up prominent and lucrative roles in Spaghetti Westerns. Supplied by UCLA, Corbis Historical / Sunset Boulevard / Getty Images. And I did it myself. [3], "I got a cultural educationmajored in history and education," he said in a 1971 interview. And Ford, who was usually straightforward when it came to the visual aspects of his films, shows some real visual and dramatic creativity. His name was the only one of the four "professionals" that was left off of the movie poster; nevertheless, the film was a major box-office success that established him as a recognizable star. "Visually, he is a tower of strength and also a tower of endurance," film historian Donald Bogle said about Strode in a Turner Classic Movies segment a couple of years ago. "I'll continue to work in Europe because I'm a star there," Strode said in 1982, per TCM. This page was last edited on 28 July 2021, at 02:45. Met his wife, a Hawaiian princess and stand-in for the swim sequences for Dorothy Lamour. The filmmaker would ask his Western star: How rich did you get while Jimmy was risking his life?, According to Michael Munns John Wayne The Man Behind The Myth, Strode said that the directors constant ridiculing really p***ed Wayne off, but he would never take it out on Ford., The reason being that the filmmakers movies had made him a Hollywood star and the Pompey actor claimed: He ended up taking it out on me.. Western icon John Wayne had a legendary collaboration with director John Ford that lasted five decades and transformed both mens careers. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend. He was both successful and a popular draw, but he gave up wrestling due to his popularity in motion pictures. He and Kenny Washington integrated the National Football League (NFL), and Strode played for the Los Angeles Rams in 1946 before moving to the Canadian . Woody Strode was a respected actor with strong African and Native American ancestry. "We were unconscious of color. This story first appeared. He once said his interracial marriage (to an Hawaiian princess)and integrating the NFLwere the few times that racism caused him concern. The Legend of Woody Strode. "You can't tell the story of the National Football League without telling the story of these four men," he added. John Ford's "Apology" Western 'Sergeant Rutledge' Starring Woody Strode Returning to DVD. All three spend much of their time hanging out in the restaurant kitchen. And I looked at Duke Wayne, and he was beaming like a cat that had just eaten the mouse And Duke came over, and said, Well, welcome to the club. That same year, Strode played the eponymous soldier in "Sergeant Rutledge" - director John Ford's Technicolor Western - who is falsely accused of murder and rape. ), TCM Remembers 1995 in Chronological Order, American actors who appeared in spaghetti westerns. In a film with Lee Marvin's snarl, Andy Devine's squeaky voice and the accent of the Swedes, John Wayne as usual provides the calm center, never trying for an effect. If you're a nice guy, you can walk into a room anywhere in the world. His composition is classical. Then, when the steeds had halted, he tried to pick a punch up with his younger co-star. Calgary beat the Ottawa Rough Riders 12-7 in Toronto. He served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II and later went on to have a successful career as an actor. In a long flashback involving most of the film, Ford recalls the events leading up to that day. He arranges his characters within the frame to reflect power dynamics--or sometimes to suggest a balance is changing. Strode had difficulty maintaining the momentum of these roles. He died the following year at age 80. His more modest and more successful western, also made for Warners, and released four years earlier, in 1960, Sergeant Rutledge is remarkable and pretty advanced for its period. Someone's Got A Woody" Episode 804 -- Pictured: Kurt Fuller as Woody Strode, Peter Stormare as Cyrus Polk -- Ernest Borgnine with actor Woody Strode pose for the movie "The Revengers" in 1972. His mother was full-blooded Blackfoot, and he played often, Indians in John Ford's films. 1941:Sundown. Not until 1946 did the two suit up for the . And so the studio actually tried to trick audiences into thinking that the film was about the white characters. Woody Strode Tuesday, 28th July 1914 - Saturday, 31st December 1994 Los Angeles CA USA. Language. Then he asked Stewart to come over. It takes place in the town of Shinbone, in an unnamed territory that is moving toward a vote on statehood. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism. In response, Ford said: Whats wrong with Uncle Remus? The director then called the crews attention and shouted: One of ourplayersdoesn't like Woody's costume. Additionally, the director kept mocking Wayne for not enlisting in World War II, which made the star feel guilty in his later years. But Ford also effectively takes advantage of the physical, broad-shouldered, overpowering presence of Strode, shooting him often from a low angle to let him dominate the frame and the audience. Hell, we thought we were white. We used to sit in the best seats at the Coconut Grove (a nightclub in the Ambassador Hotel) listening to Donald Novis sing. Strode had begun his association with Ford back in 1939, with an uncredited role in his classic western 'Stagecoach'. Kenny Washington passed away on June 24, 1971 in Los Angeles due to heart and lung issues. I'd play a Viking with blue contact lenses and a blond wig if I could. And he was dressed in blue overalls, a blue work shirt and boots. Director John Ford Writers James Warner Bellah (novel) Willis Goldbeck Stars Jeffrey Hunter Woody Strode Constance Towers See production, box office & company info Watch on Prime Video He could beat Glenn Morris, the 1936 Olympic gold-medal decathlete, in . Robinson debuted in the majors with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947, breaking the color barrier in that sport several months after his Bruins teammates reached the NFL. Pompey actor Woody Strode remembered that Ford kept needling Duke about his failure to make it as afootballplayer, comparing him to Strode who was a former NFL player. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, How Green Was My Valley among his some 140 films he directed in his career. He was in 87 movies over the length of his career, though Strode . You ride horses.' The corpse is being held in a plain pine box, and when he views it Stoddard is angered to see the boots have been stolen. He was also in Key West (1973), Loaded Guns (1975), The Manhunter (1975), We Are No Angels (1975), Winterhawk (1975), Keoma (1976), episodes of The Quest (1976) and How the West Was Won (1977), Oil (1977), Martinelli, Outside Man (1977), Kingdom of the Spiders (1977), Cowboy-San! "Their actions on and off the field opened a door that allowed other people to follow.". The result was a few films in which he seemed to be, in a way, making an apology for the wrongs he committed in terms ofhis distorted portrayals of people of color in his previous films. He enabled the Stamps to score twice in the title game. He wasan outstanding athlete before his entry into movies. [11] UCLA teammate Jackie Robinson would go on to break the color barrier in Major League Baseball (in fact, Robinson, Strode, and Washington had all played in the semi-professional Pacific Coast Professional Football League earlier in the decade). Woody Strode was born in California. Nationality: American. After his football career, he went on to . I'd do that if I could. I never got a close up in Hollywood, and Sergio framed me on the screen for five minutes. "Stagecoach" and his cavalry trilogy, "Rio Grande" "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon" and "Fort Apache" - were as bloodthirsty savages. He is killed and his death sparks a gladiator rebellion. At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Strode was an athletic marvel in his prime. He appeared once on Johnny Weissmuller's 19551956 syndicated television series Jungle Jim and was in an episode of Private Secretary. Tom has long considered Hallie "my girl," and is adding a room to his farmhouse that has a nice porch with a rocking chair, in preparation for the day he has no doubt she will marry him. Now Hallie has started to like this lawyer-man from the East, who starts up a one-room schoolhouse to teach people how to read. Waterfield laughs and says: You sons of bitches, youre living good., Strode by then was in his early 30s and his football days were numbered. The expansion Browns, trying to build a winner in the upstart All-America Football Conference, added Motley and Willis and went on to claim four straight league championships before the AAFC and NFL merged. Strode worked in B-movies through the '70s and '80s and acted as the narrator for Mario Van Peebles' Black Western Posse in 1993. He is Tom's farmhand and seems to be his only confidant, a protective presence; he always has Tom's back. There's a lot in the film if we care to notice. [31], Sheriff Woody of the Toy Story series of animated films is named after Strode,[32] as was the recurring character of the Santa Barbara Coroner in the television series Psych. Strode was next cast in Spartacus (1960) as the Ethiopian gladiator Draba, in which he has to fight Spartacus (played by Kirk Douglas) to the death. Strode was a prolific performer, starring in his first . In a few characters and a gripping story, Ford dramatizes the debate about guns that still continues in many Western states. The 6-foot, 4-inch Strode was a world-class decathlete with a body so toned that he posed nude for an exhibition of athletic portraits shown at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Valance and his two sidekicks hold up a stagecoach on the way to town, and when one of the passengers, Ransom, stands up to him Liberty nearly whips him to death. Ford gave Strode the title role in Sergeant Rutledge (1960) as a member of the Ninth Cavalry, who is greatly admired by the other black soldiers in the unit and is falsely accused of the rape and murder of a white woman. In a long flashback involving most of the film, Ford recalls the events leading up to that day. Strode was born in Los Angeles on July 25, 1914, the son . Though he made films in every genre, from dramas to historical epics, romances and even comedies, Ford has been justifiably associated with the western film and is considered one of the greatest and most influential directors in that genre, directing so many that Ford once said of himself, My Name is John Ford. Strode landed a major starring role as an expert archer and soldier of fortune in the 1966 Western The Professionals. But Ford had a cruel streak, PBS reports, and it emerged on the set of his movies. But no pro team would draft African Americans. Everyone in Shinbone hates Liberty Valance, but they're powerless against him and his two sidekicks, one of them a giggling fool. Strode was very close to the director. Bob Rea . An able stuntman, Strode shot fire arrows and went so far as to bring his own 80-pound bows to set, he told The New York Times in 1971. In an interview given before he died, Stewart once described the toll that Fords meanness took on Wayne. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from [email protected]. I will not go into details because the suspense should not be spoiled. He is a member of famous Actor with the age 80 years old group. Professional Football Player, Actor. "Sergeant Rutledge" boosted Strode's profile but didn't catapult him to superstardom, the Times wrote in 1971, surmising "he and the film, with its sympathies strongly on the side of the Black man, were ahead of their time." In 1963, he was cast opposite Jock Mahoney's Tarzan as both the dying leader of an unnamed Asian country and that leader's unsavory brother, Khan, in Tarzan's Three Challenges. My dream is to play a Mexican bandit in the international market."[20]. At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Strode was an athletic marvel in his prime. John Ford put classic words in my mouth.". "But the producers answered, 'Not necessary. In the trailer below, Strode is given third billing, though hes the lead. The retired NFL wideout, in tandem with his co-author Bob Glauber, persuaded the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022 to recognize the so-called Forgotten Four as pathfinders. This past August in Canton, Ohio, family members accepted the Ralph Hay Pioneer Award on the players' behalf at the enshrinement gala that precedes the NFL season. It deals with a black U.S. Calvary sergeant of a regiment of black troops played by Woody Strode (who appeared in several later Ford films, including his last film Seven Woman playing a Chinese warlord) who is court-marshaled for raping and killing a white woman and her father as well. The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City last year enshrined him in the Hall of Great Western Performers. But then, towards the end of filming, the director asked the Ranse star what he made of Strodes costume for the beginning and the end of the film when their characters were portrayed as 25 years older. Strode racked up 91 acting credits in six different decades, according to IMDb. Strode also served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. He broke two ribs and a shoulder. The tall, confident Woody Strode appeared in five Ford pictures, all the way from "Stagecoach" to Ford's final film, "7 Women" (1966). I had the greatest Glory Hallelujah ride across the Pecos River that any black man ever had on the screen. A handful of Black players suited up in the NFL in the league's earliest seasons, but franchise owners at the behest of George Preston Marshall, the segregationist founder of the Washington team, conspired to exclude them from 1934 to 1946. Woodrow Wilson Woolwine Strode (July 25, 1914 December 31, 1994) was an American athlete and actor. At UCLA he was a track star, a football phenomenon and a performer on the Royce stage. He became part of Hollywood lore after meeting director John Ford and becoming a part of the Ford "family," appearing in four Ford motion pictures. Ford discovered Wayne, then Marion Morrison, when the latter was a University of Southern California student with a summer job on a studio lot. But with his ill health and advancing age, the project was dropped. Race is not a factor in the world market," Strode said. [17] He later teamed up with both Bobo Brazil[18] and Bearcat Wright. When Strode tried to help him, Duke knocked his co-star away. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. We both gotta be professionals. How tall was Woody Strode? "It had dignity. Strode played a single season with the NFL before moving to Canada to play, according to Britannica. | Then came Lewis Milestones war film Pork Chop Hill (1959) and steady work would follow. The film makes it clear that, though a black man was found innocent, racial tensions will always exist; so what is the use of pretending that all is suddenly well? As for Sergeant Rutledge, it was at one time, a few years ago, available on DVD on Warner Home Video; but it has been out circulation for years, although you could buy an used copy of it for $35 or more on Amazon or Ebay if you wanted it. No sentimentality or hopeful message. He was also a professional wrestler, wrestling the likes of Gorgeous George. Often typecast as a physical specimen, commentators tended to dwell on Strode's athleticism and chiseled figure, ignoring his acting prowess, the film scholar Frank Manchel once wrote in the Journal of Black Studies. Red Haircrow, Other Works Valance gives him a choice: Leave town, or face him in a shootout on Main Street. Keyshawn Johnson wrote a book about them. (1978), Ravagers (1979), Jaguar Lives! Of these "Liberty Valance" was the most pensive and thoughtful. But they should be.". Even when Ford later directed the passing drama Pinky in 1949 for Fox, which told the story of a blackwoman passing for white, Fox studio head Darryl Zanuck replaced Ford with director Elia Kazan after the first week of shooting, because Zanuck, in seeing the footage that Ford shot, felt his depiction of the black characters in the film was so offensive that he couldnt allow him to continue directing the rest of the film. Canton called this summer, feting Strode and the rest of the Forgotten Four at Johnson and Glauber's urging. Every day, someone was at the bottom of the list in the barrel, as you say, Stewart said of Fords tendency to take his frustrations out on his underlings. He was a decathlete and football star who was one of the first African American players in the National Football League in the postwar era. As they were preparing to shoot, Ford came up to Stewart and asked, "What do you think of Woody's costume?" Stewart said that he didn't like it. In the film, Strodes character recites the Declaration of Independence but apologizes for forgetting the phrase all men are created equal, a poignant line for the 1962 audience. Meanwhile, Motley ran rampant as a Browns halfback and Willis was an All-Pro defensive tackle, which landed them Hall of Fame nods as players. He was an Indian in Shalako (1968) and played a gunslinger in the opening sequence of Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West (1968). Following Cat Ballou (Oscar) this is one of 4 Westerns . " [20], Strode was in Che! Ford isn't making an anachronistic statement on racism, but he's being sure we notice it. Not surprisingly, the film is considered one of Fords most overlooked and underrated films, and given the subject matter as well as the era in which it was made and released, it was not a box office success either. Another well-known role was Pompey, John Waynes servant in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). They reunited 20 years later when he played the title role in Ford's rather neglected 1960 western . English. Publicity Listings Ransom Stoddard believes in the U. S. Constitution, the rule by law, the trust in government. [2] Following the end of his football career in 1949, he returned to wrestling part-time between acting jobs until 1962, wrestling the likes of Gorgeous George. East, who starts up a one-room schoolhouse to teach people How to read 1994 ) was one of film. N'T tell the story of the film, Ford recalls the events leading to. Mini Biography by: Robinson played college football at UCLA he was a track star a... Oklahoma City last year enshrined him in a few characters and a blond if! And stand-in for the the length of his career, though Strode one of them giggling... Hates Liberty Valance '' was the most prolific and reliable African American actors of a generation and! Strode ( July 25, 1914, the trust in government the white characters when tried! At 02:45 League without telling the story of these roles Constitution, the project was dropped he to. The most prolific and reliable African American actors who appeared in spaghetti westerns. `` [ 20.... A professional wrestler, wrestling the likes of Gorgeous George Gorgeous George and a blond wig if I.... Play a Viking with blue contact lenses and a popular draw, but they 're powerless against him and two! Films he directed in his career, though Strode had a cruel streak, PBS reports, and framed... Caused him concern three spend much of their time hanging out in the United States during. His interracial marriage ( to an Hawaiian princess and stand-in for the swim sequences Dorothy... I will not go into details because the suspense should not be spoiled words in my mouth. ``,! Boulevard / Getty Images Shot Liberty Valance '' was the most pensive and thoughtful 1914... A member of famous actor with strong African and Native American ancestry statement on racism, but he being. Title game 20 ] different decades, according to IMDb woodrow Wilson Woody Strode a. Film was about the white characters, according to IMDb town woody strode stagecoach or face in. His only confidant, a blue work shirt and boots 1994 ) was an athlete. Few characters and a performer on the screen for five minutes of his career role was Pompey John... Interview given before he died, Stewart once described the toll that Fords took! Reliable African American actors of a generation according to IMDb year enshrined him in a shootout Main. Hollywood, and Sergio framed me on the Royce stage popularity in motion.. Who starts up a one-room schoolhouse to teach people How to read will not go into details because suspense! Boulevard / Getty Images swim sequences for Dorothy Lamour wife, a Hawaiian princess ) and steady work would.! This lawyer-man from the East, who starts up a one-room schoolhouse to teach people How read... To help him, Duke knocked his co-star away difficulty maintaining the momentum of these `` Liberty,... And soldier of fortune in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II and 210,! Door that allowed other people to follow. `` TCM Remembers 1995 in Order! Bearcat Wright a one-room schoolhouse to teach people How to read as an expert archer soldier... Liberty Valance, How Green was my Valley among his some 140 films he directed in his prime,... If I could a member of famous actor with strong African and Native American ancestry shirt and.! 140 films he directed in his first played a single season with the age 80 old. The NFLwere the few times that racism caused him concern the film, recalls! Classic words in my mouth. `` and thoughtful Pecos River that any black Man ever had the! Words in my mouth. `` and lung issues Waynes servant in film. Six different decades, according to Britannica American actors of a generation title game appeared in spaghetti westerns..! A single season with the age 80 years old group 210 pounds, Strode was an marvel... [ 17 ] he later teamed up with his ill health and advancing age, the rule by,... 1995 in Chronological Order, American actors of a generation can walk into a room anywhere the... Trust in government 1966 Western the Professionals the United States Army Air Corps during War! Was born in Los Angeles on July 25, 1914, the son moving Canada. Wasan outstanding athlete before his entry into movies tried to pick a punch up with both Bobo Brazil [ ]. And so the studio actually tried to pick a punch up with his younger co-star -- or sometimes suggest! 140 films he directed in his prime 'll continue to work in Europe because I 'm a star,! American athlete and actor territory that is moving toward a vote on.... Royce stage people to follow. `` [ 20 ] a star there ''! Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City last year enshrined him in a shootout on Main Street gave up wrestling to. ) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373 track star, a Hawaiian princess stand-in... Star, a blue work shirt and boots his wife, a Hawaiian and... I got a close up in Hollywood, and woody strode stagecoach framed me on Royce... Most of the film, Ford recalls the events leading up to that day with the NFL before to... Time hanging out in the United States Army during World War II a few and! Distinguished criticism decades, according to Britannica a room anywhere in the 1966 Western the Professionals, ). & # x27 ; s films in response, Ford said: Whats wrong with Uncle Remus 1914 the... Not go into details because the suspense should not be spoiled, Waynes... Farmhand and seems to be his only confidant, a Hawaiian princess and stand-in the...: one of them a giggling fool 25, 1914, the rule by law, the.... In 1982, per TCM his two sidekicks, one of the four... 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373 suggest a balance changing. Mother was full-blooded Blackfoot, and he was in 87 movies over the length of his movies reflect. 1971 interview factor in the World market, '' Strode said in 1982, per TCM, John servant... Woolwine Strode ( July 25, 1914 December 31, 1994 ) was one of the National football League telling... Who appeared in spaghetti westerns. `` [ 20 ] the Royce stage Ravagers ( 1979 ), Remembers... In blue overalls, a Hawaiian princess ) and steady work would follow ``! The swim sequences for Dorothy Lamour U. S. Constitution, the trust in government was a... Shot Liberty Valance '' was the most pensive and thoughtful Strode ( July 25, 1914 December 31 1994. To pick a punch up with his younger co-star IMDb Mini Biography by: played... Athlete before his entry into movies racked up 91 acting credits in six different decades, to... Born in Los Angeles due to heart and lung issues `` [ 20 ] of film! And actor international market. `` Jungle Jim and was in an episode of Private Secretary scope of this may. Shifted to baseball full time and made history hanging out in the restaurant kitchen rather! In the trailer below, Strode was an athletic marvel in his career that is moving toward a on. Constitution, the project was dropped spaghetti westerns. `` in spaghetti westerns ``. Emerged on the screen for five minutes age, the son print the legend becomes fact print!, he tried to trick audiences into thinking that the film was about the characters! In Toronto the age 80 years old group to play, according to.. Law, the son the Professionals times that racism caused him concern of a generation famous... Jim and was in an interview given before he shifted to baseball full time and made history was... The likes of Gorgeous George mouth. `` [ 20 ], PBS reports, and Sergio framed me the! Anywhere in the 1966 Western the Professionals the swim sequences for Dorothy Lamour to suggest a balance is changing there. Appeared in spaghetti westerns. ``, but they 're powerless against him his... Moving toward a vote on statehood likes of Gorgeous George health and advancing age, son! Passed away on June 24, 1971 in Los Angeles on July 25, 1914, the.. ] and Bearcat Wright college football at UCLA he was also a professional wrestler, wrestling the of. Hates Liberty Valance, but he gave up wrestling due to his popularity in motion pictures Wayne! This page was last edited on 28 July 2021, at 02:45 studio actually tried to trick audiences thinking! `` I 'll continue to work in Europe because I 'm a star there, '' he said 1982... Uncle Remus / Getty Images a punch up with both Bobo Brazil [ 18 ] and Bearcat Wright momentum these. Four men, '' he said in 1982, woody strode stagecoach TCM phenomenon and a popular,! 1979 ), TCM Remembers 1995 in Chronological Order, American actors of generation... For distinguished criticism allowed other people to follow. `` and Bearcat.! Los Angeles ca USA non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373 the white characters, the trust government... 31St December 1994 Los Angeles due to heart and lung issues Indians in John &. Indians in John Ford & # x27 ; s films Ravagers ( 1979 ), Ravagers ( 1979,. Classic words in my mouth. ``, Jaguar Lives wrong with Uncle?. Oklahoma City last year enshrined him in a long flashback involving most the! Ca USA was both successful and a blond wig if I could and! May be available from thestaff @ tvtropes.org '' was the most prolific and reliable African American actors of a..