Martin Luther King, Jr. Had a Dream… Hollywood Was There

Martin Luther King, Jr. was a clergyman, tireless activist, civil rights leader… mountain mover. He even became the youngest-ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (back when they gave Peace Prizes for real, hard-fought accomplishments). And wherever he traveled he generated big crowds. Nothing could compare to the crowd assembled at the National Mall in 1963 for the March on Washington. King would deliver his famous speech and four words would ring in history forever: “I Have a Dream.”

My book Hollywood on the Potomac, chronicles many historic moments when Hollywood took a stand on the biggest political issues of the day — from World War 2 to Iraq, International Relief to Civil Rights. In 1963, it was stars such as Marlon Brando, Paul Newman and Harry Belafonte at the Lincoln Memorial with Dr. King.

Actor Marlon Brando at the Civil Rights ‘March on Washington’ (to his right are playwright James Baldwin and actor Charlton Heston). Brando also participated in the ‘freedom rides,’ protests that publicly tested segregation court decisions in the South. After the death of Martin Luther King Jr., Brando scrapped his upcoming movie telling The Joey Bishop Show, “I felt I’d better go find out… what it is to be black in this country; what this rage is all about.”

Dr. King’s historic march made an impact on folk singers Joan Baez and Bob Dylan who were there. Dylan was inspired to write “The Times They Are a Changin'” featuring a direct appeal to Washington: “Come senators, congressmen / Please heed the call / Don’t stand in the doorway / Don’t block up the hall.” Less than a year later, the Civil Rights Act became law.

Actors Charlton Heston and singer Harry Belafonte review a speech for the crowd of 250,000 gathered at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Heston remarked that he supported civil rights “long before Hollywood found it fashionable.”

Actor Paul Newman was there too. Most came by bus, but Newman did what any modern day ‘A-Lister’ would do — he took a private plane from Los Angeles.

All photos Courtesy National Archives.