Lovely tribute piece, just lovely! I've seen them all, and you make me want to rewatch. GUESSS WHOS COMING TO DINNER was a grid buster?
Loved the clue for RADII
So many great movies to choose from - had to go with what best served the grid! Glad you enjoyed the puzzle. (I was pretty pleased with my clue for RADII so I'm glad you liked it too!)
*A novice teacher from Guyana struggles to connect with his working-class London students (1967)
15A
Precious stone
16A
Honey-tongued
17A
Stinging plant
19A
"Are you ___ out?"
21A
Zip
23A
Sword handle
24A
Social classes
27A
Zip
30A
___ drop
31A
*Two escaped prisoners, one Black and one white, must overcome their mutual animosity until they can get out of the chains still shackling them together (1958)
34A
4-1-1
35A
"Must be something ___"
36A
*Members of the Younger family hope that a life insurance payout will change their fortunes, but disagree on how to spend the money (1961, with "A")
42A
Three-time Grammy winner Rawls
43A
"____, pursued by a bear": notorious Shakespearean stage direction
44A
Kia minivan until 2021
45A
Non-tenured prof. rank
47A
Direct-to-consumer small farming acronym
49A
____ 500
50A
Something 57-Across might have said in response to "Are you 57-Across?"
53A
Web addresses
56A
"Dr. Mario" console, for short
57A
Film legend who appeared in the starred entries, was the first Black man to win a Best Actor Oscar, and died January 2022
60A
Patronize
61A
New Orleans football player
62A
What you might do to a hand or an ear
63A
Goofs up
Verticali
1D
USO audience members
2D
Zachary Taylor or Millard Fillmore, e.g.
3D
Three-time Tony winner James ____ Jones
4D
Lose-lose, in other words
5D
Frequently poetic?
6D
Kathryn of "Private Life" and "WandaVision"
7D
Animal that's reputably more patient than a horse and more intelligent than a donkey
8D
Sinful creature?
9D
With 11-Down, what you might say after your child's fourth straight "Paw Patrol" episode
11D
See 9-Down
12D
"The Talented _____": 1903 Du Bois essay
13D
Spanish party island
14D
_____ Island: historical US immigration hub
15D
General idea
18D
And so on
20D
Spoke in the plural?
22D
Author of "Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism"
25D
Like many cross-racial interactions in the films of 57-Across
26D
Append, annex or add
28D
52-Down, median and mode, e.g.
29D
Word-wise link
32D
Type of bond or column
33D
"___ say more?"
36D
Partner of "bread", in a feminist slogan attributed to Helen Todd
37D
One from Down 40-Down
38D
Cry of one who's been refreshing their browser waiting for the next Wordle to get posted, perhaps
39D
Alice Moore Dunbar-Nelson wrote one about violets
40D
See 37-Down
41D
Votes in opposition
42D
"___ Lady ___": Bob Dylan tune covered by the Isley Brothers