'debate' Points Jan 8, 2008
January 8, 2008 -- WITH all the Oscar buzz over the Denzel Washington- starring "The Great Debaters," we'd hate not to be absolutely precise about the movie, which dramatizes a 1930s debate between Wiley College, a black Texas institution, and Harvard University. Contrary to what we wrote the other day, Harvard and Wiley did once meet in debate, although not at the time depicted on-screen. (New York Post -- Gossip)
Brit's Other Kids Jan 6, 2008
This is the story of all-black Texas Wiley College s legendary 1935 debating team and how it triumphed over Harvard in a historic competition. Sometimes, you know, these movies based on historic events take liberties with the truth. (Fox News)
Denzel Washington: 'Clint Eastwood's my hero' Jan 6, 2008
He laughs often and is quite animated in discussing the life-affirming tale of the debate team at all-black Wiley College that took on major, predominantly white universities in 1935 and won ... " And, he notes, a 21st-century form of debate is called blogging. In December, he gave $1 million to Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, to re-establish and maintain the debate team for the next decade. "Nothing would give me greater joy than imagining in the next 10 years -- not that they would win the... (CNN)
SFA Blows Past Wiley Jan 6, 2008
Sophomore point guard Eric Bell had seven assists in SFA's win over Wiley College Saturday ... NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack basketball team rolled past Wiley College, 74-45, Saturday, behind 14 points from junior forward. (Sfajacks.com)
What's Hot This Weekend Jan 6, 2008
In 1935 the poet and teacher Melvin Tolson coached the debating team of all-black Wiley College to victories against top universities. Washington plays the Tolson role with his usual tamped-down rage. (Time.com)
SFA Hosts Wiley College Jan 5, 2008
SFA vs. Wiley College Wildcats ... New Year, Same Streak: The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack basketball team will open the 2008 portion of its season Saturday with a 4 p.m. tilt against Wiley College ... For the complete release, click the "Wiley College Game Notes" link in the side bar of the Men's Basketball home page. (Sfajacks.com)
FULL STORY > Jan 4, 2008
But although the film is based on the true story of the debating team at Texas' Wiley College in the 1930s, Harvard's participation is completely made up. Wiley did in fact beat the reigning champs, but they were actually student debaters from the University of Southern California. (New York Post -- Gossip)
Participants remember B-CC's debate with Oxford Jan 3, 2008
It tells the story of a debate team from all-black Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, and its 1935 triumphs over all its opponents, including the University of Southern California. Television commercials promoting the film have been bringing back memories for the 84-year-old Higgins, who now lives in Jacksonville, and Carver Portlock, who was master of ceremonies for the debate as a B-CC freshman and now lives in Philadelphia. (Daytona Beach News Journal)
Now Playing: Family Entertainment Central Jan 3, 2008
You may have heard that its the true story of Melvin Tolson, a professor at Wiley College in Texas in the 1930s ... You may have heard that its the true story of Melvin Tolson, a professor at Wiley College in Texas in the 1930s. (Townhall.com)
'The Great Debaters': Intrepid spirits driven by the power of words Jan 3, 2008
The real tale of the unlikely ascendance of the debate team at Wiley College, a small all-black institution in Marshall, Texas, in 1935, follows the template of countless sports movies ... Here he portrays the noted poet, social activist and educator Melvin Tolson, who coached the Wiley College team. (International Herald Tribune -- Arts)
Alexander Named SLC Player Of The Week Jan 3, 2008
SFA will return to action Saturday when they Lumberjacks host Wiley College. The game against the Wildcats is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. from the William R. Johnson Coliseum. (Sfajacks.com)
A-listers strike silence; Jan 2, 2008
In 1997, an old college friend named Jeffrey Porro, a speechwriter for international figures such as Kofi Annan and Jimmy Carter, shared a short article written by Tony Scherman on the unexpected triumphs of the all-black Wiley College debate team during the Jim Crow-era 1930s. Eisele and Porro (who shares story credit on Eisele's script) recognized the seed of a great story, split up the research and tracked down most of the surviving team members. (Los Angeles Times)
Alexander's Hot Hand Leads `Jacks To Win Dec 31, 2007
The Lumberjacks will return to action on Saturday, Jan. 5, when they host Wiley College in their final non-conference game of the season. SFA will then open Southland Conference play on Jan. 10 with a game at Nicholls State, followed by a Jan. 12 date at Southeastern Louisiana. (Sfajacks.com)
'Debaters' is arguably quite good Dec 29, 2007
Set in Wiley College in East Texas during the Depression, it presents a somewhat fictionalized account of how real-life educator Melvin Tolson (Washington) brought his hand-picked debate squad to national prominence. In the film's foregone finale, having successfully beaten a series of smaller colleges, they face off against Harvard. (Christian Science Monitor)
'Jacks Head To SMU Holiday Classic Dec 29, 2007
Up Next: SFA's next scheduled game is a Jan. 5 home date with Wiley College. The contest is slated for a 4 p.m. tip from the William R. Johnson Coliseum. (Sfajacks.com)
Behind Scene Dec 29, 2007
"So, first day of rehearsal, he stuck us in this huge hall and made us shout out our points of view at the top of our lungs," remembers Jurnee Smollett, who plays Samantha, the lone female member of Wiley College's 1935 debate team ... Oprah Winfrey's production company owned the rights to the story of tiny Wiley College's glorious 1935 debate season ... The story of Wiley College, whose labor-activist/poet debate coach Melvin Tolson (Washington) inspired his kids to go out and challenge white... (Orlando Sentinel -- Entertainment)
AT THE MOVIES Dec 28, 2007
THE GREAT DEBATERS : Denzel Washington s spellbinding film based on the true story set in 1935 about a debate team from Wiley College, an obscure black institution in Texas, that defeated Harvard for the national championship. Washington plays their coach, who demands the highest standards, but the film is not another story about an underdog championship, but a searing reminder of the racist society the team lived in. (The Citizen's Voice, PA)
Meet the young 'Debaters' Dec 28, 2007
But the fictional film, inspired by the success of a real-life 1930s African-American debate team from Wiley College in Texas, features three young actors Nate Parker, Jurnee Smollett and Forest Whitaker, who visited Atlanta together recently as the film's central oracle power ... His "Debaters" character: Stubborn, intelligent, bottled-up Henry Lowe, based very loosely on real life Wiley College debater Henry Heights, who was on the 1936 team. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Alum Johnson adapts to Serbia Dec 28, 2007
Trey Johnson had a decision to make a couple months ago. The former Jackson State star had just been released from the New Orleans Hornets in late October, less than a week before the start of the 2007-08 season. (The Clarion-Ledger)
Making the role her own Dec 28, 2007
Her name is Samantha Booke and in the film, which is set at Wiley College in eastern Texas during the Great Depression, she becomes the first woman selected by coach Melvin B. Tolson to compete on the debate team at the historically black school. It would go on to defeat numerous white teams from larger, more prestigious colleges and universities. (Regina Leader-Post)
INTRUDER IN THE DEBATE Dec 27, 2007
Repeated mantras by Wiley College professor Tolson (portrayed by Washington) and the local Rev. Farmer (played by Forest Whitaker) that Education is the only way out. reduces cinema and Black American history to a fortune cookie. (New York Press)
The Great Debaters' Gratifying Clichés Dec 27, 2007
The Great Debaters' Gratifying Clich;s - TIME (Time.com)
GREAT? IT'S DEBATABLE Dec 26, 2007
Not that there is anything particularly wrong with Washington's performance as Melvin B. Tolson, who coaches a student debating team from all-black Wiley College to national prominence during the Depression. The vaguely roguish Tolson, who is very possibly a Communist, is also trying to organize migrant farm workers into a union. (New York Post -- Entertainment)
War Of Words Dec 25, 2007
The Texas group, from Wiley College, was trained by faculty member Melvin B. Tolson - portrayed here by Washington - a forceful advocate of black self-determination who was a poet, teacher and admirer of the Harlem Renaissance ... They are the handsome and quick-tempered Henry (Nate Parker); the ultra-sincere Hamilton (Jermaine Williams); Samantha (Jurnee Smollett), a young woman who hopes to be a lawyer; and 14-year-old James (Denzel Whitaker, no relation to cast member Forest Whitaker), the... (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
Best-reviewed movies Dec 25, 2007
Denzel Washington stars in and directs the story of Wiley College, a tiny Black school that became a debating powerhouse in the 1930s. Predictable but inspirational; knowing the outcome doesn't make it any less satisfying. (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
Washington enjoying role of director Dec 25, 2007
He laughs often and is quite animated in discussing the life-affirming tale of the debate team at all-black Wiley College that took on major, predominantly white universities in 1935 and won ... " And, he notes, a 21st century form of debate is called blogging. Last week, he gave $1 million to Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, to re-establish and maintain the debate team for the next decade. "Nothing would give me greater joy that imagining in the next 10 years not that they would win the... (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
A year of Hollywood film crews all over Boston Dec 25, 2007
After much of the filming was done in Louisiana and at Wiley College in Texas, crews arrived in Boston ... Story: Feel-good flick about the debate team at the tiny, all-black Wiley College, which takes on the country's biggest and best colleges and wins. (Boston Globe)
'The Great Debaters' is a winning proposition Dec 25, 2007
The movie tells the true story of the Wiley College debate team, which in 1936 traveled from Texas to Cambridge to debate Harvard on the issue of the day: racial equality. The team went virtually undefeated on the black-college circuit and manhandled a few white schools, too. (Boston Globe)
Denzel Washington wants to direct, says Eastwood is his 'hero' Dec 25, 2007
He laughs often and is quite animated in discussing the life-affirming tale of the debate team at all-black Wiley College that took on major, predominantly white universities in 1935 and won ... Last week, he gave $1 million to Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, to re-establish and maintain the debate team for the next decade. (KHOU.com, TX)
More of this story Dec 25, 2007
Her seal of approval, not to mention the huge amount of dollars her production company, Harpo Films, has sunk into the project tells you all you need to know concerning this true story about a Depression-era debate team from poor, all-black Wiley College bumping tongues with the privileged sons of finance and industry at Harvard. Bluster: Windy, Windy Wind. (Brockton Enterprise, MA)
Christmas at the cineplex Dec 25, 2007
By Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer December 25, 2007 Opponents found it easy to underestimate the 1930s debate team of Wiley College, a small, all-black institution in a remote corner of Texas, but they did so at their peril. The same will likely hold true for those who underestimate the new film on the Wiley phenomenon, "The Great Debaters.". (Los Angeles Times)
Delivery suffers in 'Great Debaters' Dec 24, 2007
As both director and star, Denzel Washington puts his personal stamp all over "The Great Debaters." His Melvin Tolson, a feisty professor at tiny Wiley College, is yet another variation on the inspirational teacher/coach figure that drives so many underdog-competition movies ... Wiley College in 1935 is a close-knit and studious place, considering that more than 10% of the student body tries out for its highly regarded debate team ... The breakthrough comes when Wiley College is invited to... (Fresno Bee)
The Great Debaters ** Dec 24, 2007
The movie was inspired by the true, Depression-era story of the all-black championship debating team from Wiley College, Tex ... Wiley College's successes emerged during the Jim Crow, union-busting South of the thirties. (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
'The Great Debaters' wins despite its predictability Dec 24, 2007
Tolson was perceived in the community around Wiley College as a rabble-rouser, a controversial figure who advocated such then-radical causes as unionization. He is a markedly different man from the dignified college president James Farmer (Forest Whitaker), whose son James Jr. (Denzel Whitaker, no relation) is on Tolson's team. (USA Today)
Day-Lewis's Tycoon Soaks in `Blood'; Animated Iran: Rick Warner Dec 24, 2007
Washington directs and stars as Melvin Tolson, a tough- minded poet who molds a disparate group of students at Wiley College into a national powerhouse. One debater is the son of Wiley professor James Farmer Sr. (Forest Whitaker), a brilliant scholar who questions Tolson's moonlighting as a union organizer of local sharecroppers. (Bloomberg)
Denzel Washington speaks up for 'Debaters' Dec 24, 2007
"The Great Debaters" was inspired by the exploits of the debate team from Wiley College in Marshall, Texas ... For dramatic effect, the movie compresses several years of Wiley College history into one and mixes historical figures with fictional ones. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
'Great Debater' overcame odds to bust barriers Dec 23, 2007
Born in Houston's Fourth Ward on the banks of Buffalo Bayou and raised by a struggling single mother from the West Indies, Wells became the only female member of the 1930 debate team from Wiley College who participated in the first collegiate interracial debate in the United States ... The movie has sparked new interest in Wiley College, which has a student enrollment of 926. (Houston Chronicle)
Q&A: Denzel Washington Dec 23, 2007
The movie is inspired by a true story, and follows an all-black Depression-era debate team at tiny Wiley College in Texas that, with the help of their firebrand professor (Washington), rises to national prominence by beating white schools. Forest Whitaker also stars, and, as if the movie needed more wattage, Oprah Winfrey's company produced. (New York Post -- Entertainment)
'Debaters' actors visit Balboa High mock-trial team Dec 22, 2007
Set in the 1930s, the movie centers on three debate-team students at Wiley College, an all-black school in the Jim Crow South who, against all odds and racial injustice, manage to become first-rate debaters under the tutelage of their demanding mentor, poet Melvin B. Tolson (Washington). Although "The Great Debaters" is inspired by a true story, the screenwriters tweaked some facts to make the narrative fit into the sports-movie model in which the underdog gets his big chance in the big game. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Great Debators is formuliac but it works Dec 22, 2007
Washington stars as professor Melvin B. Tolson, a future poet who serves as debate coach at the tiny, all-black Wiley College in Marshall, Texas. In 1935, Wileys debaters did something unprecedented: They competed against several predominantly white schools and won, including Harvard (in real life Wiley beat USC, but you get the idea). (MSNBC -- Movies)
Washington does double duty in 'Great Debaters' Dec 22, 2007
"The Great Debaters" was inspired by the exploits of the debate team from Wiley College in Marshall, Texas ... For dramatic effect, the movie compresses several years of Wiley College history into one and mixes historical figures with fictional ones ... The bottom line was, in 1935, Wiley College wasn't even allowed into the debating society. (Scripps Howard News Wire)
People in the News Dec 20, 2007
Denzel gives 1M to Wiley College. MARSHALL, Texas (AP) Denzel Washington is donating 1 million to Wiley College to re-establish its debate team. (Montana Standard, MT)
Washington gives $1 million to college in film Dec 20, 2007
MARSHALL, Texas - Denzel Washington is donating $1 million to Wiley College to re-establish its debate team. The gift was announced Tuesday by school officials. (MSNBC -- News)
Denzel donates $1m to college Dec 20, 2007
The director and star of "The Great Debaters" is donating $1 million so that Wiley College can reestablish its debate team. Washington's movie, which opens Christmas day, tells the story of a 1930s debate team from the tiny, all-black college in Marshall, Texas, that took on some of the best colleges in the country and won. (Boston Globe)
Britney's little sis, 16, pregnant Dec 20, 2007
" Denzel Washington gives $1M to college MARSHALL, Texas - Denzel Washington is donating $1 million to Wiley College to re-establish its debate team. The gift was announced Tuesday by school officials. Washington was in Marshall last week to screen "The Great Debaters," the story of Wiley's 1930s debate team. He stars as educator and poet Melvin Tolson, who led the all-black college's elite debate squad. During his appearance, the 52-year-old actor-director said he would like to see the team get... (Athens Banner-Herald)
Washington and 'Great Debaters' at Harvard Dec 19, 2007
Based on a true story, the film, which has been nominated for a Golden Globe, is a feel-good flick about a debate team from all-black Wiley College that battled racism on its way to beating many of the nation's top debate teams, including Harvard's ... Last week Washington hosted a screening at Wiley College, in the tiny East Texas town of Marshall. (Boston Globe)
Actor Donates $1 Million To Small Texas College Dec 19, 2007
(December 18, 2007)--Oscar winner Denzel Washington is donating $1 million to Wiley College in Marshall to reestablish its famed debate team. School officials Tuesday announced the gift by Washington, who last week was in Marshall to screen "The Great Debaters.". (KWTX.com, TX)
Holiday Ticket Special Dec 16, 2007
The game against the Tigers is slated to begin at 7 p.m. SFA returns to the court three nights later to face Prairie View A Lumberjacks return home Friday, Dec. 21, to host Huston-Tillotson, and then return to the court Saturday, Jan. 5, to take on Wiley College. The Lumberjacks are 7-1, and have jumped into the mid-major top 25 poll after defeating Oklahoma, 66-62, last week in Norman. (Sfajacks.com)
Great Debaters screens in small Texas town Dec 15, 2007
Walking the red carpet leading to Marshall Cinema, Washington wore a purple baseball hat with the logo of Wiley College, located in this town of 24,000 people about 140 miles east of Dallas. Washington stars in the film as educator and poet Melvin Tolson, who led the all-black colleges elite debate team. (MSNBC -- News)
Denzel Washington puts small Texas town back on the map Dec 15, 2007
Not with a two-time Oscar winner in town to premiere a movie that has put Marshall and little Wiley College back on the map ... The film, which opens in Dallas on Christmas Day, tells the story of educator and poet Melvin Tolson, whose all-black Wiley College debate team brought glory to Marshall and shocked the academic world with a remarkable run of victories in the 1930s. (KHOU.com, TX)
Oprah to Denzel: 'Trying to Cry Quietly' Dec 13, 2007
From deep in the color-divided South of 1930s East Texas, a generally unknown story of triumph by a black debating team from Wiley College emerges on the national stage this holiday season ... The Tolson-led, all-black debate team from Wiley College that couldn't belong to the all-white national league still managed to win a national championship against an all-white team. (ABC News)
Exclusive: Oprah Says She's Not Against Hillary Clinton Dec 12, 2007
So it's no surprise that she produced "The Great Debaters," which tells the story of the 1935 champion debate team from all-black Wiley College. Video. (ABC News)
Smart talkers who left US white elite lost for words Dec 9, 2007
It was the practice session of the Wiley College debating team that was about to change the course of American history. In 1935 the Wiley College debaters, coached by Professor Melvin Tolson Snr, became the first all-black team to win the national university championships ... Wiley College had been founded in 1873 by the United Methodist Church to educate freed slaves. (Guardian Unlimited -- World)
Oprah And Obama's American Dream Dec 9, 2007
Starring Denzel Washington and produced by Oprah Winfrey, it tells the story of an award-winning team of debaters from Wiley College, a small, historically black institution founded in 1873 and located in Marshall, Texas ... Recently The New York Times ran a front-page story titled "For Struggling Black College, Hopes of Big-Screen Revival"; it was about the effect that the film is having, even before its release, on Wiley College today ... The real Wiley College gets legitimated in its... (CBS News)
MSU returns to Burton Coliseum to take on Dillard University Dec 4, 2007
The Cowboys, who beat Florida Atlantic by a 64-59 score last Saturday, are 3-3 on the season while the Blue Devils carry a 4-2 record and upset Wiley College in their last outing. Following Tuesday's game the Cowboys will have nine days before playing again, this time tackling UL-Lafayette on the road Dec. 13 and playing at Missouri on Dec. 15. (Sulphur Southwest Daily News, LA)
Leesville native garners role in Denzel Washington movie ... BJACH's Jackson wins Red Cross award ... JUST FRIENDS CHRISTMAS BAZAAR ... Rotary Club holding annual Coat Drive ... Catfish Hut Road to close Monday for railroad repairs ... ‘A Christmas Carol' to be performed in Many, Natchitoches ... Data problems, landlord disinterest complicate rental aid program ... Is New Orleans' violent reputation hurting its post-Katrina comeback? ... Military Police conduct first training after returning home from Iraq ... Community Calendar ... ';var marqueewidth="350px";var marqueeheight="25px";var marqueebgcolor="#FFFFFF";////NO NEED TO EDIT BELOW THIS LINE////////////var pauseit=1;var marqueespeed=1 //slow speed down by 1 for NSvar copyspeed=marqueespeedvar pausespeed=(pauseit==0)? copyspeed: 0var iedom=document.all||document.getElementByIdif (iedom)document.write(''+marqueecontent+'')var actualwidth=''var cross_marquee, ns_marqueefunction populate(){if (iedom){cross_marquee=document.getElementById? document.getElementById("iemarquee") : document.all.iemarqueecross_marquee.style.left=parseInt(marqueewidth)+8+"px"cross_marquee.innerHTML=marqueecontentactualwidth=document.all? temp.offsetWidth : document.getElementById("temp").offsetWidth}else if (document.layers){ns_marquee=document.ns_marquee.document.ns_marquee2ns_marquee.left=parseInt(marqueewidth)+8ns_marquee.document.write(marqueecontent)ns_marquee.document.close()actualwidth=ns_marquee.document.width}lefttime=setInterval("scrollmarquee()",20)}window.onload=populate;function scrollmarquee(){if (iedom){if (parseInt(cross_marquee.style.left)>(actualwidth*(-1)+8))cross_marquee.style.left=parseInt(cross_marquee.style.left)-copyspeed+"px"elsecross_marquee.style.left=parseInt(marqueewidth)+8+"px"}else if (document.layers){if (ns_marquee.left>(actualwidth*(-1)+8))ns_marquee.left-=copyspeedelsens_marquee.left=parseInt(marqueewidth)+8}}if (iedom||document.layers){with (document){document.write('')if (iedom){write('')write('')write('')write('')}else if (document.layers){write('')write('')write('')}document.write('')}}Tuesday, December 04, 2007 Kelvin Payton (center) is in the upcoming film “The Great Debaters” that will be released on Christmas day. Pictured with Payton are fellow cast members John Heard (left) and Ritchie Montgomery. (Photo courtesy of Kelvin Payton.) Leesville native garners role in Denzel Washington movie Dec 4, 2007
The Great Debaters is based on the true story of Melvin B. Tolson, who, while at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, formed a debate team that would ultimately travel to Harvard during the 1935 National Championships ... Coincidentally A. Roy Rushing, former Principle of Vernon Training School, graduated from Wiley College in 1939 or 1940 and was a student of Melvin Tolson and probably attended classes with members of the history making debate team. (Leesville Daily Leader, LA)
Loyola beats Texas College Nov 25, 2007
Mario Faranda had team highs with 18 points and seven rebounds as Loyola defeated Texas College 72-69 Saturday in the Wiley College Classic. Nick Tuszynski had 16 points six rebounds for the Wolfpack (6-2), and Sean Bennett scored 12 and Torry Beaulieu 11. (Nola.com -- Sports)
Who's naughty, who's nice? Nov 22, 2007
Who's naughty, who's nice. Hollywood unwraps its holiday films. (The Clarion-Ledger)
Holiday Film Releases (Part Two) Oct 9, 2007
Plot synopsis: Based on a true story, the film follows the journey of Melvin B. Tolson (Washington), a professor at modest Wiley College in Texas who inspired a group of students to form the school's first debate team and coached them to a 1935 showdown with Harvard's championship team. Noteworthy fact: The Great Debaters marks Washington's second stint as director after he directed Antwone Fisher in 2002. (Suite101.com)
Louis J. Willie Jr., 84; figure in a key event in golf, race relations Sep 19, 2007
12:55 AM PDT, September 19, 2007. template_bastemplate_bas. (Los Angeles Times)
Iraq and terrorism figure on screen - but so do bees, Beatles, and multiple Bob Dylans Sep 12, 2007
Also opening: "Alien vs. Predator: Requiem" DEC. 26 "The Great Debaters" In the midst of the Great Depression, African-American professor Melvin B. Tolson coached the debate squad of tiny Wiley College in Texas to national prominence and a showdown with Harvard. Denzel Washington plays Tolson and also directed, with Forest Whitaker and Jurnee Smollett ("Eve's Bayou") costarring. (Boston Globe -- Living)
SFA Basketball Announces 2007-08 Slate Sep 7, 2007
The Lumberjacks will open the new year on Jan. 5 with a home game against Wiley College of the NAIA Red River Athletic Conference. SFA begins Southland Conference play five days later with the Cajun Corner road trip to kick off four straight games against SLC East Division foes. (Sfajacks.com)
UMass Taps Tom Cole As Interim Chancellor Aug 25, 2007
A native of Texas, Cole graduated with honors from Wiley College and earned a Ph ... West Virginia State College, the University of Charleston, Allegheny College and Wiley College have awarded him honorary doctorate degrees ... Cole is the son of Thomas W. Cole Sr., the former president of Wiley College in Marshall, Texas. (Atlanta Daily World, GA)
Denzel to spend quality time in town Jul 16, 2007
A fitting choice for the Oscar-winner because the lobby of the Citi Wang Theatre will double for a Boston train station in the movie about the 1935 debate team from the small, all-black Wiley College that beat behemoth Harvard. Washington's movie, which is being produced by Oprah Winfrey, is slated to shoot for four days in Boston and Cambridge, including filming scenes in Harvard's Sanders Theatre. (Boston Globe)
BAFTA honors Denzel Washington Jun 27, 2007
He will direct and co-star with Forest Whitaker in drama "The Great Debaters," based on the true story of Melvin B. Tolson, a professor at Wiley College who inspired the Texas school's debate team to challenge Harvard for the 1935 national championship. Ceremony will be held Nov. 1 at the Century Plaza Hotel in Century City. (Variety)
