LIVE, LEARN, & LOVE SERIES #76. Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan (Documentary film, 2025)

LIVE, LEARN, & LOVE

Do you take delight in watching films, listening to pop music, or reading books? For English learners, movies, songs, and books are one of the most wonderful sources to explore the language! You can indulge in your favorite pastime and still learn some expressions, words of wisdom, and oftentimes good lessons while you’re at it.

 

#76. Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan (documentary film, 2025)

Although Ed Sullivan is best remembered for introducing Elvis Presley and The Beatles to mainstream America, this documentary shifts the spotlight to one of his greatest yet often overlooked achievements—his unwavering commitment to booking and showcasing Black artists on national television.

 

(Harry Belafonte said): “Everything that you have suggested I’m guilty of having done is true. But tell me something. When the Irish did battle with the British, the rebel mood was considered quite heroic by all the Irish citizens in the world. Explain to me what the difference is when those of us of color also strike out against the same oppression. The Irish rebels who do that are heroic. Black rebels who do that are not patriotic. We thought this was not about loyalty to the nation. It’s about loyalty to the human condition, and our humanity was being terribly brutalized. I left the meeting with nothing really resolved and I couldn’t have been back in the office more than an hour or two, then I got a call from my agent, and he said, “I don’t know what you said to Ed Sullivan, but you’re on the show.”

ð     This powerful story recounts a pivotal 1953 meeting between Harry Belafonte and television host Ed Sullivan that helped save Belafonte from Hollywood's anti-communist blacklist. Accused because of his progressive political views and civil rights activism, Belafonte chose honesty over compromise. Rather than denying his beliefs, he appealed to Sullivan's Irish Catholic heritage, asking him to consider the double standard in how patriotism was defined.

Belafonte pointed out that the Irish struggle against British rule was widely admired as a heroic fight for freedom, while Black Americans seeking equality and justice were often branded as unpatriotic or even subversive. He argued that true loyalty is not blind devotion to a nation but a commitment to human dignity and the courage to oppose injustice wherever it exists. His words deeply moved Sullivan. Despite pressure from sponsors and the climate of McCarthy-era anti-communism, Sullivan chose to stand by Belafonte and invited him onto The Ed Sullivan Show.

(Ed Sullivan said about the harsh criticism from a newspaper columnist Harriet Van Horne) “I hate adverse criticism. I am pop-off.”

ð     This is a famous quote stemmed from a long-standing feud between Ed Sullivan and the renowned television critic Harriet Van Horne. Van Horne once famously mocked Sullivan, writing, "Ed Sullivan got where he is not by having a personality, but by having no personality."

Although Sullivan was often criticized for his stiff on-screen presence, those who knew him recognized a very different side of his character. He was known for his thin skin and fiery Irish temper, yet he was also quick to admit when he had overreacted. Sullivan once said, "I'm a pop-off. I flare up, then I go around apologizing." His willingness to acknowledge his flaws made him a more complex and deeply human figure than his critics often portrayed.

(Ed Sullivan said) “I’m delighted that Jack Kennedy won. It’s time the younger men of the country step in and make the decisions which have been loused up so often by their elders.”

ð   Ed Sullivan reflected his optimism following John F. Kennedy's historic presidential victory in 1960. As one of the nation's most influential television personalities, Sullivan welcomed a new generation of leadership and believed it was time for younger voices to help shape America's future.

His comment captured the spirit of a nation experiencing a profound cultural shift. The election of the youngest president in the U.S. history inspired hope for renewal and progress. He embraced that same philosophy on The Ed Sullivan Show, consistently introducing bold, innovative, and youthful performers whose talent would redefine American entertainment and popular culture.

 

** Jean’s Small Thoughts:

Throughout history, it has never been easy to be at the forefront of a cultural shift or to become a revolutionary force in any field. My mother, who studied civil aviation the United States on a Korean government scholarship during the late 1950s and early 1960s, often told me about The Ed Sullivan Show. Although she was too busy with her studies to watch much television, she was well aware of its enormous cultural influence.

This documentary gave me a much deeper appreciation of Ed Sullivan and left me in awe of his courage. At a time when the entertainment industry was deeply shaped by racism and segregation, Sullivan challenged the status quo. He stood firmly against pressure from network executives, sponsors, and others who opposed featuring Black performers. More than simply giving them airtime, he celebrated their talent and humanity, helping to reshape American television and culture.

Today, I often see journalists, news outlets, and even self-proclaimed reporters turning journalism into a platform for sensationalism, clickbait, fallacious stories, and misinformation while there are bigger fish to fry such as dying people in GAZA strip and war zones. Too many seem to have lost sight of the profession's fundamental purpose and ethical responsibility. As a result, finding a truly trustworthy source of news has become increasingly difficult.

This documentary reminds us that even a television host could demonstrate greater integrity, fairness, and courage than many politicians or newspaper editorial boards during an era when people were recklessly accused of being communists without evidence. Ed Sullivan never hesitated to speak out against injustice or stand up to those in power. He remained committed to what he believed was his responsibility to the audience: introducing truly talented performers, regardless of their race or ethnic background, and allowing America to recognize its genuine treasures. I have found his straightforward and courageous attitude very attractive, because not everybody could stand up to a batch of clueless brickbats on them in public. In this respect, Ed Sullivan had not shrunk or stepped back in front of the hectoring social norms.

All my admiration goes to Ed Sullivan who became the lasting example of how integrity, empathy, and moral courage can overcome prejudice and political fear in society. He was the real star of his own show filling it with budding glitterati regardless of their races.