Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by musetap (A) on January 09, 2022 at 16:12:36

In Reply to: RE: Guess Who's coming on Starz tonight. Got it set up to record. posted by Road Warrior on January 09, 2022 at 15:09:19

WIKI:

GWCTD?:

"Poitier frequently found himself starstruck, and as a result, a bit tongue-tied in the presence of Hepburn and Tracy, whom he considered to be "giants" as far as acting is concerned. However, Poitier reportedly found a way to overcome his nerves. "When I went to play a scene with Tracy and Hepburn, I couldn't remember a word. Finally, Stanley Kramer said to me, 'What are we going to do?' I said, 'Stanley, send those two people home. I will play the scene against two empty chairs. I don't want them here because I can't handle that kind of company.' He sent them home. I played the scene in close-up against two empty chairs as the dialogue coach read Mr. Tracy's and Miss Hepburn's lines from off camera."

I'm don't doubt younger actors had the same issue acting with Poitier in later years.

When my wife was 14, she was leaving The St. Francis Hotel with her parents after lunch
and saw Poitier starting to get in a taxi and ran over to... gush?... and HE thought she wanted
the cab and let her take it, gentleman that he was.

She had the cab go around the block and bring her back to her parents outside the St. Francis
wondering WTH was going on.

Mr. Poitier had taken the next cab.

"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination"-Michael McClure