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Love. It comes in all colors

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Love. It comes in all colors was an American television and print public service ad filmed in the space of one hour on Sunday afternoon, December 7, 1969, and broadcast on American TV stations during 1970.[1][2] Sponsored by the National Urban Coalition, it was part of an advertising campaign to promote racial harmony and featured political activists as well as celebrities from sports, show business, government and business.[3]

Background

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Produced by the advertising agency Ketchum, MacLeod & Grove and filmed at Manhattan's MPO Studios, the one-minute commercial showed an assembled group singing several repetitions for chorus to "Let The Sun Shine In" from Hair. The refrain speeds up as does the editing, trying to give everyone equal time and ends with applause by everyone. The words "Love. It comes in all colors." are then superimposed upon the screen. It was broadcast as a public service advertisement during shows such as the March 8, 1970 episode of The Ed Sullivan Show (Ed Sullivan having been one of the participants).[4]

The performance was staged by film director Joshua Logan and musical director Mitch Miller.

Amiri Baraka, one of the 117 invitees who came for the filming, was present in the studio during the production, but refused to appear on-camera. Among the numerous notables who were sent an invitation to the filming, 28 made known their willingness to participate, but did not arrive. These included Muhammad Ali, Julian Bond, Dick Gregory, John Lindsay and Sidney Poitier.[1]

The youngest participant was 21-year-old Miss America 1970 Pamela Anne Eldred (although some members of the cast of the musical Hair, whose birth years remain unlisted, may have been younger) and the oldest were 75-year old trade unionist Jacob Potofsky and 74-year-old boxing champion Jack Dempsey, the only participants born in the 19th century. Five of the participants died within a five-year period following the filming: Whitney Young (March 1971), Ralph Bunche (December 1971), Dan Blocker (May 1972), Roberto Clemente (December 1972) and Chet Huntley (March 1974).

Participants

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Actors

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Television personalities

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Musical performers

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Cast members of Hair

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Miss America 1970

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Directors

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Sports figures

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Public officials

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Business executives

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Social leaders

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Writers

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References

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  1. ^ a b "$5 Million 'Cast' Sings with Mitch for Racial Harmony and Love(pp. 8–9)". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. December 25, 1969. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  2. ^ Erwitt, Elliott {photographer} (January 26, 1970). "All Together Now: We Give a Damn (pp. 44–45)". New York. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  3. ^ Numerous participants depicted in advertisement as it appeared in print media
  4. ^ "The Faces Are Familiar / They're in a Commercial. Can You Identify Them? / And Here's the Whole Group" (TVGuide, March 7, 1970)
  5. ^ The San Bernardino County Sun (April 18, 1970)
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