Edge of the City (1957)

Starring:

• Sidney Poitier
• John Cassavetes
• Jack Warden
• Ruby Dee
• Kathleen Maguire

Storyline
Axel Nordmann (John Cassavetes) takes a job as a dock laborer and is continually harassed by his tyrannical supervisor, Charles Malik (Jack Warden). Malik knows a secret from Axel's past, forcing the young worker to endure his boss's torment. Eventually, Axel befriends Tommy Tyler (Sidney Poitier), an African-American co-worker with a managerial job. Tommy teaches Axel to respect himself. However, Malik, a racial bigot, is threatened by Tommy's confidence, and the situation turns violent. 

The Broken Mask (1958)

Starring:

• Al Freeman Jr.
• George Gardner
• Ann Baker
• Steven Ellis

Storyline
A young white collegian and a fellow black student struggling for understanding come to realize that living together harmoniously is a two-way street. This film about racial relationships points out that no matter what the color of the skin, God created man to share one blood.