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The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts The Tonight Show

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75% Tomatometer 8 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
In early 1968, as riots rock American cities and the Vietnam War escalates, the legendary entertainer and activist Harry Belafonte takes over "The Tonight Show" for one week. With a guest list that includes Bobby Kennedy, Aretha Franklin, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Sidney Poitier, Belafonte introduces a fractured, changing country to itself for five historic nights.

Critics Reviews

View All (8) Critics Reviews
Candice Frederick The Grio Thoughtful and fascinating. Jul 3, 2021 Full Review Dwight Brown National Newspaper Publishers Association What should have been an intense half-hour documentary short film feels stretched into 77 minutes of well-intentioned fluff. Rated: 2/4 Jun 22, 2021 Full Review Christy Lemire FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles) This is a totally fascinating piece of history that I had never heard of... Even though it was over 50 years ago, it couldn't be more relevant. Sep 15, 2020 Full Review Marc Burrows HeyUGuys A fascinating piece of television and civil rights history telling a story you probably don't know and definitely should learn. Rated: 4/5 Oct 19, 2021 Full Review Ray Lobo Battle Royale With Cheese The Sit-In focuses on Belafonte's appearance on The Tonight Show, but in essence it is a documentary on the upheavals of 1968 Oct 11, 2021 Full Review Joel Keller Decider Recalls a remarkable week in pop culture that needs to be remembered and documented. Sep 10, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (1) audience reviews
dave d Over 50 years ago Tonight Show host Johnny Carson handed over hosting duties to Harry Belafonte for one week. It was a historic event that I never knew about until watching this documentary feature. It's fascinating. Listening to Belafonte talk about the historic series of shows all this time later is surreal. September 1968 was a crazy period in America and it's all too relevant to the times of today. Very little of this footage exists, but what does is just stunning. It's also crazy to think that the tapes were erased for almost all shows. Makes you wonder what TV we have missed. Belafonte was the first person of color (at the time referred to as Afro-American) to host a late night show and was the only until Arsenio Hall decades later. It's worth watching to get the context of it all. Final Score: 7.3/10 Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts The Tonight Show

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Movie Info

Synopsis In early 1968, as riots rock American cities and the Vietnam War escalates, the legendary entertainer and activist Harry Belafonte takes over "The Tonight Show" for one week. With a guest list that includes Bobby Kennedy, Aretha Franklin, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Sidney Poitier, Belafonte introduces a fractured, changing country to itself for five historic nights.
Director
Yoruba Richen
Producer
Valerie Thomas, Joan Walsh
Screenwriter
Yoruba Richen, Èlia Gasull Balada, Valerie Thomas
Production Co
Big Beach
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 10, 2020
Runtime
1h 15m