Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger film recommendations?
 

After watching 'In the heat of the night' and really enjoying it. I realise that I haven't seen hardly any films that star these two greats.
I have only seen 'To sir, with love' with Poitier, while I have only seen 'On the Waterfront', 'Oklahoma' and 'Frozen in fear' with Steiger.

What are the favourites and must watch films that members on here recommend to see?

Re: Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger film recommendations?
 

The Pawnbroker is the definitive Steiger performance, even more than In the Heat of the Night. I also like him in Leone's Duck, You Sucker (A Fistful of Dynamite) quite a bit. Earlier in his career he was mostly in support but Jubal, Across the Bridge, Run of the Arrow, The Big Knife, and The Harder They Fall are all worth seeing. He is part of Dr. Zhivago, of course, though for me it is not anywhere near as good as the other David Lean epics (and I adore me some Julie Christie).

He mostly was just a parody of himself in the second half of his career, though Ballad of the Sad Cafe and Men of Respect are decent flicks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUyY_ybALSw

Re: Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger film recommendations?
 

A Patch of Blue and Lilies of the Field are the movies that really made Poitier a huge respected movie star. The Defiant Ones and No Way Out are dated but still good. Brother John is very good, still a bit underrated. He slowed down his pace of working by the late '70s, but while a very routine thriller on paper Shoot to Kill (1988) is well made and has probably Sidney's best (if not terribly ambitious) role from the last segment of his career.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMaUGPg3CA8

Re: Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger film recommendations?
 

Poitier in Lillies of the Field (1963) is a wonderful movie - funny, warm and heartfelt.
Also A Raisin in the Sun (1961) - filled with pathos and powerful performances.

One of my favorite Rod Steiger films is the oddly compiling The Illustrated Man (1969)

Based on three different sci-fi short stories by Ray Bradbury. It almost feels like an Americanized version of a Tarkovsky film. Not as ethereal or aesthetically pleasing as a Tarkovsky sci-fi, but it's still got it's own thing going on.

Steiger is powerful as Napoleon in Waterloo (1970). Amazing epic film.

Re: Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger film recommendations?
 

Thanks everyone, adding them to my watchlist.:)

I see someone already mentioned Steiger in The Big Knife and you might also want to check out another performance that came out the same year (1955)...Steiger is completely menacing as the villainous Jud Fry in the film version of the musical Oklahoma!

Re: Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger film recommendations?
 

Not familiar with Rod Steiger but for Poitier I recommend A Piece Of The Action, pretty similar to To Sir, With Love.

Trying to see the similarities between A Piece of the Action and To Sir with Love..yes,Poitier has scenes with kids in both movies, but that's where the similarity ends.

Re: Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger film recommendations?
 

Steiger in Marty (1953), well worth watching.

I'm not a big fan of his, but he was good in The Amityville Horror (1979).

He was menacing in Oklahoma!, lol. Even when he broke into song!:D

He was terrible in The Amityville Horror...for my money, the worst performance of his career.

That's your opinion. I thought he was great in it.

It is my opinion

During most of the second half of the 20th Century Rod Steiger was considered the finest American actor alive, even more so than as Philip Seymour Hoffman and Daniel Day-Lewis were considered in their times.

He had stunning performances beginning with On the Waterfront (1954), and many others. But it was his deep and emotional portrayal of Sol Nazerman in the landmark film The Pawnbroker (1964) that really sent his stock soaring.

From then on he was known as an actor who could play any type of character in any type of role with excellence. And that he did: from communist apparachik Victor Komarovsky in Doctor Zhivago to an effeminate mortician who doted on his grossly obese mother in The Loved One. I always looked forward to his roles.