Is the movie Green Book (2018) based on a true story?

Yes, Green Book (2018) is based on a true story. It is based on the real-life friendship between African American pianist Don Shirley and his Italian American driver Tony Vallelonga, who traveled together on a concert tour in the 1960s, during the segregation era. The film takes its name from a guidebook used by African American travelers during that time, which listed places where they could eat, sleep, and travel safely while avoiding racial discrimination.

What is the true story behind the movie Green Book (2018)?

The movie Green Book (2018) is based on the true story of African-American pianist Don Shirley and his white Italian driver, Tony “Lip” Vallelonga. The film depicts their journey in 1962 through the segregation of the deep south, relying on a “green book” which was a guide for Black travelers to find safe lodging, food and services during the era of Jim Crow laws. The story focuses on the development of an unlikely friendship between the two men, as they navigate their differences in race, culture, and socioeconomic status. The real-life Vallelonga also co-wrote the script, based his own experience driving Shirley for a tour in the South, and the film won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2019.

Are there any books about the true story behind the movie Green Book (2018)?

Yes, there are several books about the true story behind the movie Green Book (2018). Some of these include:

1. “The Negro Motorist Green Book: 1940-1967” by Victor H. Green - This is the original travel guide that inspired the movie. It was published annually from 1936 to 1966 and listed safe places for African American travelers to stay, eat, and visit during the Jim Crow era.

2. “Driving While Black: African American Travel and the Road to Civil Rights” by Gretchen Sorin - This book explores the history of African American travel from the 1930s to the 1960s and how it intersected with the civil rights movement.

3. “Across That Bridge: A Vision for Change and the Future of America” by John Lewis - This memoir by civil rights leader John Lewis includes his experiences with segregated travel and how it shaped his activism.

4. “Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism” by James W. Loewen - This book discusses the history of all-white communities that enforced segregation through violence, including their impact on African American travel.

5. “The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration” by Isabel Wilkerson - This book tells the story of the Great Migration of African Americans from the South to the North and West, including the challenges they faced during travel.

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