Sidney Poitier (1927-2022) could be considered the Jackie Robinson of Hollywood. His career broke down numerous racial barriers. Poitier’s performance in 1958’s The Defiant Ones, earned him an Oscar® nomination for Best Actor. His nomination was the first time a black actor had every earned a nomination in the Best Actor category. Five years later he would become the first black actor to win the Best Actor Oscar® for 1963’s Lillies of the Field. In 1967, Poitier had three monster hits and was voted as top box office star of the year….once again a first for a black actor. And finally as the 1970s rolled along, Poitier turned his focus to behind the camera. Poitier would direct nine films from 1972 to 1990.

From pbs.org “More than an actor (and Academy-Award® winner), Sidney Poitier is an artist. A writer and director, a thinker and critic, a humanitarian and diplomat, his presence as a cultural icon has long been one of protest and humanity. His career defined and documented the modern history of blacks in American film, and his depiction of proud and powerful characters was and remains revolutionary.”

Sidney Poitier Movies Ranked In Chronological Order With Ultimate Movie Rankings Score (1 to 5 UMR Tickets) *Best combo of box office, reviews and awards.

Year	Movie (Year)	Rating	S
Year	Movie (Year)	Rating	S
1967	In the Heat of the Night (1967) AA Best Picture Win
1967	Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) AA Best Picture Nom
1965	A Patch of Blue (1965)
1967	To Sir, with Love (1967)
1955	Blackboard Jungle (1955)
1958	The Defiant Ones (1958) AA Best Picture Nom AA Best Actor Nom
1975	Let's Do It Again (1975)
1975	Let's Do It Again (1975)
1980	Stir Crazy (1980)
1963	Lilies of the Field (1963) AA Best Picture Nom AA Best Actor Win
1959	Porgy and Bess (1959)
1992	Sneakers (1992)
1965	The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)
1957	Band of Angels (1957)
1974	Uptown Saturday Night (1974)
1974	Uptown Saturday Night (1974)
1950	No Way Out (1950)
1961	A Raisin in the Sun (1961)
1988	Shoot to Kill (1988)
1957	Something of Value (1957)
1968	For Love of Ivy (1968)
1965	The Bedford Incident (1965)
1956	Good-bye, My Lady (1956)
1965	The Slender Thread (1965)
1957	Edge of the City (1957)
1977	A Piece of the Action (1977)
1962	Pressure Point (1962)
1961	Paris Blues (1961)
1997	The Jackal (1997)
1972	Buck and the Preacher (1972)
1954	Go Man Go (1954)
1958	Our Virgin Island (1958)
1960	All the Young Men (1960)
1970	They Call Me Mister Tibbs! (1970)
1988	Little Nikita (1988)
1964	The Long Ships (1964)
1997	Mandela and de Klerk (1997) Showtime Movies
1973	A Warm December (1973)
1966	Duel at Diablo (1966)
1952	Red Ball Express (1952)
1969	The Lost Man (1969)
1971	The Organization (1971)
1951	Cry, the Beloved Country (1951)
1971	Brother John (1971)
1975	The Wilby Conspiracy (1975)
1957	The Mark of the Hawk (1957)
1982	Hanky Panky (1982)
1990	Ghost Dad (1990)
1985	Fast Forward (1985)

Sidney Poitier Movies Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In This Table

The really cool thing about this table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies any way you want.

• Sort Sidney Poitier movies by movie title and movie trailers.
• Sort Sidney Poitier movies by co-stars of his movies.
• Sort Sidney Poitier movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost
• Sort Sidney Poitier movies by adjusted worldwide box office grosses using current movie ticket cost
• Sort Sidney Poitier movies how they were received by critics and audiences.  60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
• Sort by how many Oscar® nominations each Sidney Poitier movie received and how many Oscar® wins each Sidney Poitier movie won.
• Sort Sidney Poitier movies by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score.  UMR Score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.

Possibly Interesting Facts About Sidney Poitier

1. On the American Film Institutes 25 Greatest Male Stars of All-Time poll….they ranked Sidney Poitier as the 22nd greatest star.

2. If you have ever played the Kevin Bacon game….Sidney Poitier is a great source of possible links….check out some of his co-stars. Richard Widmark(3 times), Glenn Ford, Clark Gable, Paul Newman, Charlton Heston, Rod Steiger, James Garner, Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Shelly Winters, Richard Gere, Bruce Willis, Robert Redford, Tony Curtis, Michael Caine and Sammy Davis Jr.

3. Sidney Poitier has been married twice in his life. His first marriage to Juanita Hardy lasted from 1950-1965….they have 4 daughters. His second marriage was in 1976 to Joanna Shimkus…. they also have 2 daughters.

4. Since retiring from acting, Poitier has been very busy. From 1998 to 2003 he was on the Disney Board of Directors. He has also been the Bahamas Ambassador to Japan and UNESCO since 1997…..he still holds that position.

5. In 2002 he was awarded a Honorary Oscar®….”For his extraordinary performances and unique presence on the screen and for representing the industry with dignity, style and intelligence”

6. Sidney Poitier was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1974. Sidney Poitier was one of the founders of First Artist Production Company along with his friends Paul Newman, Barbra Streisand and Steve McQueen.

7. Sidney Poitier was nominated for two Oscars® for acting and six Golden Globe® nominations for acting. He won one Oscar® and one Golden Globe® and they were for the same movie….1963’s Lillies of the Field.

8. When Sidney Poitier appeared as a high school student in his first box office hit …..1955’s The Blackboard Jungle….he was almost 30 years old.

9. Of all the movies Sidney Poitier has appeared in….his personal favorite is 1967’s In the Heat of the Night. Speaking of 1967….for the first time ever in doing these hubs….an actor’s top three Movie Score movies came from one year….1967. #1 Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner, #2 In the Heat of the Night, and #3 To Sir With Love were all made in 1967.

10. Check out Sidney Poitier‘ career compared to current and classic actors.  Most 100 Million Dollar Movies of All-Time.

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