Peter Bogdanovich, who parlayed his ardor for Golden Age cinema into the direction of acclaimed films like The Last Picture Show and Paper Moon, only to have his professional reputation tarnished in one of Hollywood’s most conspicuous falls from grace, died Jan. 6. To television viewers, he was probably best known for his recurring role on the HBO drama The Sopranos. He was 82.
Sidney Poitier, winner of the best actor Oscar in 1964 for Lilies of the Field, died Jan. 6 at 94. Before Poitier, the son of Bahamian tomato farmers, no Black actor had a sustained career as a lead performer or could get a film produced based on his own star power. Before Poitier, few Black actors were permitted a break from the stereotypes of bug-eyed servants and grinning entertainers. Before Poitier, Hollywood filmmakers rarely even attempted to tell a Black person’s story.
Dwayne Hickman,…
