The Great Debaters

The Great Debaters

Intro"An unjust law is no law at all. : Augustine HippoA drama based on the true story of Melvin B. Tolson, a professor at Wiley College Texas. In 1935, he inspired students to form the school's first debate team, which went on to challenge Harvard in the national championshipDirected by and starring Denzel Washington and produced by Oprah Winfrey and her production company Harpo ProductionsIt is based on an article written about the Wiley College debate team by Tony Scherman for the 1997 Spring issue of American LegacyNominated for Golden Globes for best motion picture

About Denzel Washington

Denzel WaShington contdDenzel Hayes Washington, Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor, film director, and film producer. He has received much critical acclaim for his work in film since the 1990s, including for his portrayals of real-life figures such as Steve Biko, Malcolm X, Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, Melvin B. Tolson, Frank Lucas, and Herman BooneWashington has received two Golden Globe awards and a Tony Award and two Academy Awards : Best Supporting Actor for Glory (1989) and Best Actor for Training Day (2001)Some of his movies :Remembering the titans , American gangster, Glory , Unstoppable ,Training day , Malcom X,GloryWiley College TexasBlack liberal arts college with a glorious past but the present and the future looks bleakIt hopes of a Hollywood style revivalIt is on the brink of collapseDenzel donated $1 Mn for the upkeep of the college debate team. Walmart endorsed a Melvin tolson scholarship of $100000 for one student every yearIt caught the nations attention with the great debaters. It produced fine leader like Tolson , Jr Farmer, Heman SweattThey started publicising as Home of the Great DebatersTrivia The film was the first since 1979 to be allowed to film on Harvard's campusIt is also the first film to feature two African Americans who had previously won the Academy Award for Best Actor: Denzel Washington (for Training Day) and Forest Whitaker (for The Last King of Scotland)The film features both Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker, as well as a young actor named Denzel WhitakerThe Great Debaters debuted at No. 11 in its first weekend with a total of $6,006,180 from 1,171 venues. The film has grossed domestically $30,236,407, surpassing its budget of $15 millionOriginally the college defeated University of South CaliforniaJames Farmer, Jr., who would later become a Civil Rights Movement icon and a founder of the Congress of Racial Equality