Director Rex Miller began searching for Althea Gibson’s story because of a photograph that hung on the wall of his childhood bedroom. Taken in 1960, it shows two brown-skinned women, dressed in their tennis whites, holding tennis rackets and standing on the front lawn of the Merion Cricket Club, a prestigious and highly restricted tennis club outside of Philadelphia. One woman was his mother, Millicent Miller. The other was Althea Gibson. Over the years he came to realize that most people–even in tennis–have little idea of who she was and all she accomplished. Not only did she succeed in tennis, but in golf and music as well. Fifty years after she broke the color barrier, the time has come for a fitting recognition of this great champion and trailblazer. With an innovative take on the historical documentary, Althea is lyrical, poetic, and fluid, blending archival materials, first person interviews, re-enactments, animation, and a fantastic score to tell Althea’s story and preserve her legacy.

Director | Rex Miller

Producers | Elisabeth Haviland James & Nancy Buirski

www.altheathefilm.com
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