Edwards Broke Barriers First

In David J. Fox’s article, “To Sidney With Love” (March 14), several entertainment figures gave Sidney Poitier a huge amount of credit for their own various successes in the industry. This credit may be deserved, because Poitier is a major star.

But even Poitier forgets who paved the way for him . Not one person mentioned, even in passing, James Edwards, who broke the color barrier for all the black actors who followed his landmark co-starring role with Lloyd Bridges in “Home of the Brave.”

How can anyone, most especially the black entertainers, forget the impact Edwards’ role as a soldier and best friend had when the movie was released? It was the first time a black actor had co-billing with a white actor and the first time a black actor played a role other than that of a servant. It was as seminal a role as was Jackie Robinson’s with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Edwards went on to work in “Steel Helmet” with Gene Evans, “Patton” with George C. Scott, “The Sandpiper” with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, “The Set-Up” with Robert Ryan, “The Member of the Wedding” with Ethel Waters and Julie Harris, “Bright Victory” with Arthur Kennedy, “The Caine Mutiny” with Humphrey Bogart, and many more. He even sold an original script called “Silent Thunder” to one of the ‘50s dramatic anthology shows. Could he have been first in that field too?

Just once, I’d like to hear or read a glowing tribute to Jimmy Edwards, who worked in the days when prejudice was truly a living, breathing, aggressive enemy.

CAROL WHITMORE METZGER

Fallbrook

Bridges said about Edwards in TV Times on April 8, 1990: “If the film (“Home of the Brave”) had happened later on, when black actors were more accepted, Jimmy Edwards would have been a great star.”

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