On Nov. 30, 1971, “Brian’s Song” premiered on ABC as part of its Movie of the Week anthology series. Airing just seven years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act and three years after the end of the Civil Rights Movement, “Brian’s Song” was ahead of its time. It featured the friendship of Black and white NFL players Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo as they competed for the same position and came from vastly different backgrounds.

“Brian’s Song” was a tremendous success especially because it was based on the real-life story of NFL players of the same name. In real life, Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers were the first NFL players from different races to be paired as roommates during training camp and away games during their time with the Chicago Bears. Sayers and Piccolo seem like unlikely friendships with widely different temperaments and cultural backgrounds. As the film progresses, they grow closer, standing by each other’s side through injury, then sadly Piccolo’s death from testicular cancer at 26 years of age.

“Brian’s Song” was released less

than a year and a half after the death of the real Brian Piccolo. The film was adapted from Sayers’ autobiography, “I Am Third,” released in 1970, just months after Piccolo’s death. Written by William Blinn, writer of the Starsky and Hutch series, “Brian’s Song” is a straightforward yet emotionally gripping 74-minute narrative.

The film opens with some of the best use of narration in cinematic history, highlighting the following lines: “This is the story about two men, one named Gale Sayers, the other Brian Piccolo. They came from different parts of the country, they competed for the same job. One was white, the other Black. … Our story is about how they came to know each other, fight each other, and help each other. Ernest Hemingway said that every true story ends in death. Well, this is a true story.”

The film also features actual dialogue from Sayers’ 1970 George S. Halas Courage Award acceptance, awarded for his comeback from a knee injury in the 1969 season. While Sayers appreciated the honor, he said that Piccolo “has the heart of a giant and that rare form of courage that allows him to kid himself and his opponent — cancer. He has the mental attitude that makes me proud to have a friend who spells out the word ‘courage’ 24 hours a day, every day of his life. You flatter me by giving me this award, but I tell you that I accept it for Brian Piccolo. It is mine tonight; it is Brian Piccolo’s tomorrow. … I love Brian Piccolo, and I’d like all of you to love him too. Tonight when you hit your knees, please ask God to love him.”

With all these elements, “Brian’s Song” achieved unprecedented ratings success and was later released for brief runs in movie theaters by Columbia Pictures. The film broke the hearts and emptied the tear ducts of millions of Americans in the 1970s as it was the most watched and wept-over television movie of the year. Its theme song, “The Hands of Time,” written by the Oscar-winning team of Michel Legrand, and Marilyn and Alan Bergman, won a Grammy for an instrumental version of the song. It was perhaps the most instantly recognizable song, used by young gymnasts, figure skaters and school orchestras across the United States.

“Brian’s Song” launched the film careers of James Caan and Billy Dee Williams, who later starred in “The Godfather,” and “Lady Sings the Blues” and “Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back,” respectively. The film also won five Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award and commendations from both the NAACP and the American Cancer Society. “Brian’s Song” also earned a permanent place in pop culture as one of the best sports films ever.

Also recognized for his outstanding work on “Brian’s Song” was Pine Bluff native Harold E. Wooley. In 1972, Wooley was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film Sound Editing. Wooley worked tirelessly for more than 20 years on numerous popular television movies, animated series and television shows, including “The Gene Autry Show” (1955), “Buffalo Bill Jr.” (1956), “Annie Oakley” (1956-1957), “Batman” (1966), “The Green Hornet” (1966), “Dick Tracy” (1967), “Frankenstein’s Daughter” (1958) and “Missile to the Moon” (1958).

He was also nominated for two other Emmy Awards while working for ABC, for Individual Achievement in Sound Editing for the Batman animated television series in 1966, and Outstanding Achievement in Film Sound Editing for the television movie, “The Legend of Lizzie Borden” in 1975.

During his career, Wooley edited almost 250 episodes of various popular television shows and more than 10 feature films and television movies. Wooley was born on Nov. 30, 1920, in Pine Bluff, Ark. He died on April 2, 2003. He will always be remembered for his numerous contributions to film editing with the cult classic movie “Brian’s Song” being at the very top of the list.

This article is from ExplorePineBluff.com, a program of the Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotion Commission. Sources: Harold E. Wooley — IMDb; Harold Wooley — Emmy Awards, Nominations and Wins| Television Academy (emmys.com); www.latimes.com — Column: Gale Sayers and ‘Brian’s Song’ changed sports movies, and male friendship, forever; www.thirteen.org — Viewer Guide: Brian’s Song and WahWah; www.metv.com - 12 fascinating facts about ‘Brian’s Song’; www.zekefilm.org - BRIAN’S SONG: TEAMMATES SHAPED BY COURAGE; www.sportingnews.com — Classic film ‘Brian’s Song’ now serves as fitting eulogy to both Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers; video.wixstatic.com — Harold E. Wooley. Image Credit: Amazon.com.

Ninfa O. Barnard wrote this article for ExplorePineBluff.com.