The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts The Tonight Show

2020

1 hr. 15 min.

Documentary

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8 Reviews

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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.

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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

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Yoruba Richen

Director

Harry Belafonte

Self

Whoopi Goldberg

Self

Yoruba Richen

Writer

Èlia Gasull Balada

Writer

Valerie Thomas

Writer

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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

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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

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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

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Joel Keller

Decider

Recalls a remarkable week in pop culture that needs to be remembered and documented.

Sep 10, 2020

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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
Executive Producer: Peter Saraf, Leah Holzer, Joy-Ann Reid
Screenwriter: Yoruba Richen, Èlia Gasull Balada, Valerie Thomas
Production Co: Big Beach
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 10, 2020

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