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JOHN CASSAVETES AND SIDNEY POITIER IN EDGE OF THE CITY (1957)

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Shot on location at a railroad yard in Manhattan and on St. Nicholas Terrace in Harlem, EDGE OF THE CITY was unusual for its time because of its portrayal of an interracial friendship.

The film earned positive reviews, with critics praising the unusual multiracial relationship between the Poitier and Cassavetes characters. Up until then, whites were ordinarily shown in positions of authority in movies. TIME magazine noted that, in this film, the Poitier character "is not only the white man's boss, but his best friend, and is at all times his superior, possessing greater intelligence, courage, understanding, warmth and general adaptability." VARIETY called the picture "a milestone in the history of the screen."

The film was not a commercial success. It did not play in the southern U.S. and was refused by many theater managers elsewhere because of its depiction of an interracial relationship.

Edited by Whitman
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