For Us the Living: The Medgar Evers Story
| For Us the Living: The Medgar Evers Story | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Michael Schulz |
| Produced by | J. Rotcop |
| Written by | Myrlie Evers-Williams (book) William Peters (book) Ossie Davis J. Rotcop |
| Starring | Howard Rollins Irene Cara Margaret Avery Roscoe Lee Browne |
| Music by | Gerald Fried |
| Cinematography | Alan Kozlowski |
| Editing by | Harry Keramidas Thomas Penick |
| Release date(s) | March 22, 1983 |
| Running time | 90 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
For Us the Living: The Medgar Evers Story is a made-for-television biopic that aired on PBS on March 22, 1983. The film was based on the book, For Us, the Living, by Myrlie Evers-Williams and William Peters.
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
Howard Rollins stars as assassinated civil rights activist Medgar Evers, while Irene Cara co-stars as his wife (and future NAACP chairperson) Myrlie. The film concentrates on Evers, an ex-insurance agent turned activist, in the final years of his life as the first NAACP field secretary in Mississippi. In 1954, he is involved in a boycott against white merchants and was instrumental in eventually desegragating the University of Mississippi in 1962. His home in Jackson, Mississippi is besieged by bigots and he and his family are threatened with dire consequences, but Evers continues to work towards the goal of integrating his racially-polarized state. On June 12, 1963, however, the 37-year-old Evers is shot to death in front of his home by white supremacist Byron De La Beckwith.
[edit] Cast and characters
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Howard Rollins | Medgar Evers |
| Irene Cara | Myrlie Evers |
| Margaret Avery | Dottie |
| Roscoe Lee Browne | Gloster Current |
| Larry Fishburne | Jimbo Collins |
| Janet MacLachlan | Mildred |
[edit] Awards
| Year | Result | Award | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Winner | Writers Guild of America Award | Adapted Drama Anthology | Ossie Davis and J. Rotcop |
