Roger Ebert got Spike Lee “To Do The Right Thing”
Filmmaker and actor Spike Lee owes much gratitude to film critic Roger Ebert, who encouraged him to release the film “Do the Right Thing,†although Blacks and Whites said the film would cause rioting and looting in some cities.
At the Toronto International Film Festival, Lee said that Ebert encouraged Lee to release “Do The Right Thing.†Lee made the comment praising Ebert for his support on September 10 at the film festival.
“He was very crucial to my success because he got behind me,” Lee said.
David Denby and Joe Klein wrote articles … saying, ‘Hope to God this film does not open in your”neighborhood’ and that ‘this film “Do the Right Thing” will incite black people to tear s–t up and take to the streets like in Detroit and Newark.’
Lee said Ebert, the late Chicago Sun-Times movie critic, “was crucial to my career … in 1989 in Cannes.
“(He) got behind me when those motherf–kers in the press were saying that “Do the Right Thing” was going to incite black people to riot, that this film could not be shown in the United States …â€

The film stars Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nun, John Turturro, Samuel L. Jackson, Martin Lawrence, and Rosie Perez.