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"Lilies of the Field", starring Sidney Poitier, 1963
In 1963, the Tivoli Theater ran the film "Lilies of the Field" to raise funds for several African-American organizations, including the NAACP, the Congress of Racial Equality, and the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. 36-year-old Sidney Portier made a personal appearance at the theater during the show. The following year, Portier won for this film an Oscar for Best Actor and a Golden Globe award for Best Motion Picture Actor, the first African-American so honored. In 1965, Tivoli owner Warner Bros. sold the movie house to District Theaters, who operated it as a theater for African-Americans. Although it survived the riots of April 1968, District Theaters closed i in December 1976. |