Children of the Dust (TV miniseries)
Encyclopedia
Children of the Dust is a TV miniseries
that aired on February 26 and 28, 1995
on CBS, featuring an ensemble cast led by Academy Award winning actor Sidney Poitier
. It is based upon the novel by Clancy Carlile
.
of the late 1880s, Gypsy Smith (Poitier) is a gunslinger of African American
and Cherokee
descent. Smith helps African American homesteaders to settle the territory under the specter of Jim Crow
. Meanwhile, a young Native American
raised by Whites
(Wirth) must choose between the woman that he loves (Going) or his Cheyenne heritage.
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
that aired on February 26 and 28, 1995
1995 in television
The year 1995 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1995.For the American TV schedule, see: 1995-96 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
on CBS, featuring an ensemble cast led by Academy Award winning actor Sidney Poitier
Sidney Poitier
Sir Sidney Poitier, KBE is a Bahamian American actor, film director, author, and diplomat.In 1963, Poitier became the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field...
. It is based upon the novel by Clancy Carlile
Clancy Carlile
Clancy Carlile was an American novelist and screenwriter of Cherokee descent. He is perhaps best known for his 1980 novel Honkytonk Man, made into a film by Clint Eastwood.-Early years:...
.
Cast and crew
- Sidney PoitierSidney PoitierSir Sidney Poitier, KBE is a Bahamian American actor, film director, author, and diplomat.In 1963, Poitier became the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field...
- Gypsy Smith - Michael MoriartyMichael MoriartyMichael Moriarty is an American-Canadian actor of stage and screen, and a jazz musician. He played Benjamin Stone for four seasons on the TV series Law & Order.-Early life:...
- John Maxwell - Joanna GoingJoanna GoingJoanna C. Going is an American actress.-Early life and education:Born in Washington, D.C., she is the oldest of six children of Lorraine M...
- Rachel - Billy WirthBilly WirthWilliam E. "Billy" Wirth is an Americanactor, film producer, and artist, perhaps best known for his role in the 1987 film, The Lost Boys.-Life and career:...
- Corby/White Wolf - Hart BochnerHart BochnerHart Matthew Bochner is a Canadian film actor, screenwriter, director, and producer.-Life and career:Bochner was born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Ruth , a concert pianist, and actor Lloyd Bochner...
- Shelby Hornbeck - Regina TaylorRegina TaylorRegina Taylor is an American actress and playwright. She has won several awards throughout her career, including a Golden Globe Award and NAACP Image Award.-Biography:...
- Drusilla - Farrah FawcettFarrah FawcettFarrah Fawcett was an American actress and artist. A multiple Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominee, Fawcett rose to international fame when she first appeared as private investigator Jill Munroe in the first season of the television series Charlie's Angels, in 1976...
- Nora Maxwell - Robert GuillaumeRobert GuillaumeRobert "Bob" Guillaume is an American stage and television actor, best known for his role as Benson Du Bois on the TV-series Soap and the spin-off Benson, voicing the mandrill Rafiki in The Lion King and as Isaac Jaffe on Sports Night...
- Mossburger - James CaviezelJames CaviezelJames Patrick Caviezel, Jr. is an American film actor, usually credited as Jim Caviezel. He is known for the roles of Jesus Christ in the 2004 film The Passion of the Christ, Bobby Jones in Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius, Detective John Sullivan in Frequency, Edmond Dantès in The Count of Monte...
- Dexter - John Pyper-FergusonJohn Pyper-FergusonJohn Pyper-Ferguson is an Australian-born Canadian actor. He has appeared in a wide range of films and television shows. His notable works include playing Sonny Hamilton on Hamilton's Quest, Peter Hutter on The Adventures of Brisco County Jr., and Joe Whedon on Brothers & Sisters...
- Sonny Boy - Grace ZabriskieGrace ZabriskieGrace Zabriskie is an American actress. She has appeared in many popular American films but, she is best known for her work in television. She is perhaps best known for her roles in the television series Twin Peaks, Seinfeld, and Big Love.-Early life:Zabriskie was born in New Orleans, Louisiana...
- Rose - Katharine IsabelleKatharine IsabelleKatherine Isobel Murray , better known by her screen name Katharine Isabelle, is a Canadian actress, best known for her portrayal of Ginger in Ginger Snaps, and as Gibb in Freddy vs. Jason.-Biography:...
- Young Rachel (as Katherine Isobel) - Byron Chief-MoonByron Chief-MoonByron Chief-Moon is an American actor, choreographer, dancer, playwright, and founder of the Coyote Arts Percussive Performance Association, a dance theatre company....
- Chief Walks-The-Clouds
Plot summary
In the Oklahoma TerritoryOklahoma Territory
The Territory of Oklahoma was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 2, 1890, until November 16, 1907, when it was joined with the Indian Territory under a new constitution and admitted to the Union as the State of Oklahoma.-Organization:Oklahoma Territory's...
of the late 1880s, Gypsy Smith (Poitier) is a gunslinger of African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
and Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
descent. Smith helps African American homesteaders to settle the territory under the specter of Jim Crow
Jim Crow laws
The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws in the United States enacted between 1876 and 1965. They mandated de jure racial segregation in all public facilities, with a supposedly "separate but equal" status for black Americans...
. Meanwhile, a young Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
raised by Whites
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
(Wirth) must choose between the woman that he loves (Going) or his Cheyenne heritage.