Customer Reviews

The Sidney Poitier Collection (Edge of the City / Something of Value / A Patch of Blue / A Warm December)

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"Patch of Blue" is probably the best known film in this collection. Poitier plays a man who befriends a blind white girl who has a horrible home life. Shelley Winters plays the negligent mother, and she is hard to watch as she abuses both her daughter and her father. However, the mother and grandfather unite in their dislike of the daughter's friendship with Poitier. Poitier doesn't play an all-out good guy here, he actually speaks of the girl as being a bit of a burden to him, yet he is genuinely concerned about her welfare.

"A Warm December" from 1974, was actually directed by Poitier. I always thought it was an unusual and good film, but many people don't seem to share my opinion. Poitier plays a doctor on a long vacation in England. There he meets the daughter of an African diplomat and falls in love with her. The woman has many secrets, however, and many of her mysteries amount to her not leveling with Poitier's character. It is a good and rare examination on film of the difference in cultures of American and African blacks.

"Edge of the City" is a hard-hitting 1957 film directed by Martin Ritt. Poitier and John Cassavettes play the best of friends, two New York City longshoremen. Jack Warden plays the boss of the two who is jealous of the happy nature and home life of Poitier's character. Warden performs an incredible act of violence that you think he's going to get away with until the very end.

"Something of Value", directed by Richard Brooks, has Rock Hudson and Poitier as best friends at the time of the Kenyan struggle for independence. The friends turn to enemies when Poitier joins the Kenyan struggle for independence and takes up its violent ways as well. Poitier's part is well acted and real here, some time before he began to get mainly good-guy roles. Hudson's role seems misdirected. He does OK, but his lack of keeping up the intensity of Poitier's performance hurts the film. Still a worthwhile effort especially when you consider it was made in 1957.

There is no word on extra features, so I don't even know if commentary will be included on any of these films. Poitier made most of his most memorable and celebrated films at United Artists, so Warner Bros. does not have access to those. However, these are worthwhile Poitier vehicles and worth seeing and owning.

I remember seeing these movies in the movie theaters. All these years later, I found them still enjoyable. They are great. Too, they provide a history lesson on how relationships were fifty years ago.

The Sidney Poitier Collection (Edge of the City / Something of Value / A Patch of Blue / A Warm December)
I can't wait to get the other boxed set. His movies are GREAT!

Truly classic movies in this collection. Sidney Poitier movies are a must in any movie collection. He is wonderful to watch. I always enjoy watching any of his films. You just can't help but love Sidney Poitier.

Would not play on my DVD player. Wrong regional code for Australia. Only 1 of the 4 films plays okay.

Bought the set for "Something of Value." Too bad the Winston
Churchill prologue, mentioned on the DVD cover, was left off.
It was included on the MGM VHS tape. It is also omitted on TCM.

Sideny Poitier, the first black male star in the U.S. film industry, and first to win an Oscar as Best Actor, has made many wonderful films, several of which are represented in this collection.

I have no intention of reviewing or promoting any of them here. My only reason for writing this "review" is to review and note the utter lack of qualifications of the moron who set up this Amazon page, a moron who cannot even spell Mr Poitier's name correctly, instead coming up with the gobbledygook pseudo-name "Portier.

WAKE UP, MORON! SPELL IT RIGHT! When I find out the name of the person responsible for this, rest assured that HIS name will be spelled correctly so that he can be the target of the derision he so richly deserves.