Editing Harry Belafonte (section)

=== Rise as an actor (1957–1959) ===
Realizing his own star power, Belafonte was subsequently able to land several (then) controversial film roles. In ''[[Island in the Sun (film)|Island in the Sun]]'' (1957), there are hints of an affair between Belafonte's character and the character played by [[Joan Fontaine]];<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 25, 2023 |title=Harry Belafonte obituary: A US icon of music, film and civil rights |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-11811290 |access-date=April 25, 2023}}</ref> the film also starred [[James Mason]], Dandridge, [[Joan Collins]], [[Michael Rennie]], and [[John Justin]]. In 1959, Belafonte starred in and produced (through his company HarBel Productions) [[Robert Wise]]'s ''[[Odds Against Tomorrow]]'', in which Belafonte plays a bank robber uncomfortably teamed with a racist partner ([[Robert Ryan]]). Belafonte also co-starred with [[Inger Stevens]] in ''[[The World, the Flesh and the Devil (1959 film)|The World, the Flesh and the Devil]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Variety Staff |date=January 1, 1959 |title=The World, the Flesh and the Devil |url=https://variety.com/1958/film/reviews/the-world-the-flesh-and-the-devil-1200419259/ |access-date=April 25, 2023 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> Belafonte was offered the role of [[Porgy (novel)|Porgy]] in Preminger's ''[[Porgy and Bess (film)|Porgy and Bess]]'', where he would have once again starred opposite Dandridge, but refused the role because he objected to its [[racial stereotype|racial stereotyping]]; [[Sidney Poitier]] played the role instead.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jnpickens |date=February 25, 2019 |title=Musical Monday: Porgy and Bess (1959) |url=https://cometoverhollywood.com/2019/02/25/musical-monday-porgy-and-bess-1959/ |access-date=April 25, 2023 |website=Comet Over Hollywood |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Harry Belafonte, the Activist Who Became an Artist, Dies at 96 |url=https://autos.yahoo.com/harry-belafonte-activist-became-artist-135305222.html |access-date=April 25, 2023 |website=autos.yahoo.com |date=April 25, 2023 |language=en-US}}</ref>