Editing Sidney Poitier (section)

===1970–1989: Transition to directing ===
''In the Heat of the Night'' featured his most successful character, Virgil Tibbs, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, detective whose subsequent career was the subject of two sequels: ''[[They Call Me Mister Tibbs!]]'' (1970) and ''[[The Organization (film)|The Organization]]'' (1971).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://greensboro.com/sidney-poitiers-tibbs-trilogy-out-on-dvd/article_ba3cc2ed-5ca3-503a-88e4-fe1ab969e42f.html|title=Sidney Poitier's "Tibbs Trilogy" Out On DVD|author=Nye, Doug|date=January 18, 2001|access-date=January 7, 2022|newspaper=Greensboro News|publisher=Knight Ridder|archive-date=January 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107173703/https://greensboro.com/sidney-poitiers-tibbs-trilogy-out-on-dvd/article_ba3cc2ed-5ca3-503a-88e4-fe1ab969e42f.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1972, he made his feature film directorial debut, the [[Western (genre)|Western]] ''Buck and the Preacher'', in which Poitier also starred, alongside [[Harry Belafonte]] and Ruby Dee.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/4470/buck-and-the-preacher#overview|title=Buck and the Preacher|access-date=January 7, 2022|publisher=TMC|archive-date=January 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107180429/https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/4470/buck-and-the-preacher#overview|url-status=live}}</ref> Poitier replaced the original director, [[Joseph Sargent]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/54565|title=Buck and the Preacher|access-date=January 7, 2022|publisher=AFI|archive-date=January 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107174927/https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/54565|url-status=live}}</ref> The following year he directed his second feature, the romantic drama ''[[A Warm December]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/95108/a-warm-december#overview|title=A Warm December|publisher=TMC|access-date=January 7, 2022|archive-date=January 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107174929/https://prod-www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/95108/a-warm-december#overview|url-status=live}}</ref> Poitier also starred in the film alongside [[Esther Anderson (Jamaican actress)|Esther Anderson]].

Along with [[Barbra Streisand]] and [[Paul Newman]], Poitier formed [[First Artists Production Company]] so actors could secure properties and develop movie projects for themselves.<ref name="new">{{cite news|newspaper=New York Times|title=First Artists Star-Crossed Child of the 1960s|first=Pamela G.|last= Hollie|date=December 23, 1979|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/12/23/archives/first-artistsstarcrossed-child-of-the-1960s-at-a-glance-first.html|page=F3}}</ref> Working with First Artists, Poitier directed several financially successful comedy films, including three in which he also starred: ''[[Uptown Saturday Night]]'' (1974) with [[Bill Cosby]] and Harry Belafonte; and ''[[Let's Do It Again (1975 film)|Let's Do It Again]]'' (1975) and ''[[A Piece of the Action (film)|A Piece of the Action]]'' (1977), both with Cosby.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blackclassicmovies.com/uptown-saturday-night/|title=Uptown Saturday Night|work=Black Classic Movies |access-date=January 7, 2022|archive-date=January 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107174934/https://www.blackclassicmovies.com/uptown-saturday-night/|url-status=live}}</ref> His most successful comedy was ''[[Stir Crazy (film)|Stir Crazy]]'' (1980; not a First Artists production), starring [[Richard Pryor]] and [[Gene Wilder]], which for many years was the highest-grossing film directed by a person of African descent.<ref name="test">{{cite magazine|author=George Alexander|magazine=[[Black Enterprise]]|title=Fade to Black: Black filmmakers make the most profitable movies, but still fight for dollars and respect|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W2UEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA107|date=December 2000|page=107|access-date=February 27, 2016|archive-date=August 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200820005727/https://books.google.com/books?id=W2UEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA107|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Sidney Poitier.jpg|thumb|upright|Poitier in 2000]]
In 1985, he directed ''[[Fast Forward (film)|Fast Forward]]''<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/02/15/movies/film-fast-forward-by-poitier.html|title=FILM: FAST FORWARD,' BY POITIER|work=The New York Times|first=Vincent|last=Canby|date=February 15, 1985|access-date=January 7, 2022|archive-date=January 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107174943/https://www.nytimes.com/1985/02/15/movies/film-fast-forward-by-poitier.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and, in 1990, he reunited with Cosby directing him in the family comedy ''[[Ghost Dad]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/blogs/trending/Report-Sidney-Poitier-disgusted-with-Bill-Cosby-over-sexual-assault-allegations.html|title=Report: Sidney Poitier 'disgusted' with Bill Cosby over sexual assault allegations|newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer|first=Nick|last=Vadala|date=February 4, 2015|access-date=January 7, 2022|archive-date=January 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107174948/https://www.inquirer.com/philly/blogs/trending/Report-Sidney-Poitier-disgusted-with-Bill-Cosby-over-sexual-assault-allegations.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1988, he starred in ''[[Shoot to Kill (1988 film)|Shoot to Kill]]'' with [[Tom Berenger]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/shoot-to-kill-1988|title=Shoot to Kill Review|first=Roger|last=Ebert|author-link=Roger Ebert|website=RogerEbert.com|date=February 12, 1988|access-date=January 7, 2022|archive-date=January 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107175739/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/shoot-to-kill-1988|url-status=live}}</ref>