MOVIES FROM THE 60S AND 70S FEATURING BLACK WOMEN

Since there was no African American female in the 1960s that enjoyed a career similar to that of Sidney Poitier, I chose three early films that showcased outstanding black actresses.  I immediately encountered a problem, however, because there weren’t a lot of movies that starred black women in those days, and it was difficult to access many of the films that did.  For example, I had hoped to use Porgy and Bess (1959) with Dorothy Dandridge but could not find it, and Paris Blues featuring Diahann Carroll (1961), For Love of Ivy with Abbey Lincoln (1968), and Sweet Charity starring Paula Kelley (1969) weren’t being streamed.  I finally chose A Raisin in the Sun (1961) because the cast included both Ruby Dee and Diana Sands with Sidney Poitier, Paris Blues (which I had to buy) that presented Diahann Carroll alongside Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, and Sidney Poitier, and Coffy with blaxploitation star Pam Grier (1973).  I could have used Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner as my third choice since Beah Richards was nominated for an Academy Award for playing Sidney Poitier’s mother, but went a different route because Ms. Grier’s popularity in the 1970s was like what Mr. Poitier enjoyed the previous decade. 

Lorraine Hansberry entitled her play A Raisin in the Sun, on which the film is based, from Langston Hughes’ poem “Harlem”.  In it, the poet compares a deferred dream to a festering sore, rotten meat, or a raisin in the sun which has hardened to the point of being inedible.  The movie opens in a small apartment in South Chicago where Ruth Younger (Ruby Dee) is starting her day.  It is immediately apparent that her routine is to rouse nine-year-old son Travis (Stephen Perry), who is sleeping on the living room couch, and start fixing breakfast while attempting to wake her husband, Walter Lee (Sidney Poitier).  As Travis grabs his clothes and heads into the hall, it becomes clear that not only is the apartment of inadequate size, but the family shares a communal bathroom with other tenants.  Then two more characters who also live in the apartment, Walter’s mother Lena (Claudia McNeil) and sister Beneatha (Diana Sands), often referred to as Bennie, appear.   

This is an exciting time because Lena is going to receive a $10,000 check ($80,000 in today’s market) from a life insurance policy her deceased husband, Big Walter, bought to take care of the family if he died.  Although the money is Lena’s, her children have already made plans on how to spend it.  Bennie, who is in college studying to become a physician, thinks it should go toward her schooling, while Walter, who claims privilege due to being the only man in the household, wants to use it to buy into a liquor store with his friends Bobo (Joel Fluellen) and Willie (Roy Glenn).  Having her own ideas, however, Lena reminds them that her husband bought the insurance to guarantee that his family would be taken care of after he was gone.  Therefore, she is going to make a down payment on a house outside the city where they can breathe fresh air and feel the sunshine on their faces. 

When Ruth backs up her mother-in-law by reminding Walter that the money isn’t his, he viciously turns on all three women.  After accusing his mother of not being supportive, bitterly criticizing his wife, who he characterizes as the perfect example of what is wrong with black women, for tearing him down rather than building him up, and faulting his sister for wanting to be a doctor when she could just as easily become a nurse and get married, Walter is convinced that he will have his way.  However, he’s made a mistake by attacking his sister because even though there are only a few years between Bennie and Ruth, changing attitudes regarding a female’s place in society occurred over that time and the two women define their roles differently.  Ruth is traditional, like her mother-in-law.  She married young, puts her husband and son before herself, and works for next to nothing as a servant in a white woman’s kitchen without complaint.  Bennie, on the other hand, remains single, pursues a formal education, dates many men, and eschews the religion which she believes has held black people back.      

Determined to do what she thinks is right, Lena waits until her son has left for work, then goes out and puts a third of the money down on an affordable house in Clybourne, a white suburb of Chicago considered one of the nicest neighborhoods in the metropolitan area.  When he gets home and finds out, Walter pitches such a fit that his mother backs down and entrusts the rest of the money to him, telling him to put half toward his sister’s education and the rest in a bank account so they will always have financial security.  Upon getting his way, Walter’s mood lightens, and he offers to drive the family out to see their new home.  Although it’s not fancy, the place is spacious and has such a big yard for Travis to play in that they compliment Lena on her choice.  Returning home, the Youngers hire a mover and excitedly start packing their possessions.  Shortly before moving day, however, a bookish looking white man, who introduces himself as Mark Linder, representative of the Clybourne Improvement Association, pays them a visit.  Thinking that he is acting on behalf of a welcoming committee, the family graciously invites the man in, brings him a chair, and offers him something to drink. 

Accepting their courtesy, Mr. Linder sits down and hesitantly explains that he is there to discuss a special community problem.  Clearly uncomfortable, he tells the Youngers that the association is worried they will regret buying the house because people are happiest when they live among their own kind.  Therefore, to keep them from making an egregious mistake, the neighbors are offering to buy the house back for a lot more than it cost.  Realizing that the man is saying the neighbors don't want them there, Walter resolutely tells him to leave.  On his way out the door, Mr. Linder hands Walter a card and says to call if they change their minds.  As soon as he leaves, Walter’s friend Bobo arrives visibly upset.  He tells Walter that Willie, who has been holding the money for the liquor store, has fled town, taking the cash with him.  Enraged Walter kicks Bobo out then confesses to his mother that he never went to the bank and that all the money, including the funds for Bennie’s education, is gone.  Unable to accept that his friend played him for a fool, Walter closes himself off in the bedroom, humiliated and defeated.

As life has taught her to do, Lena passively accepts the blow and tells her daughter- and daughter-in-law to cancel the movers and start unpacking.  Suddenly, Walter rushes out of the bedroom, energized with a plan that will recoup their money.  He calls Mr. Linder and asks him to come back, intending to soak the Clybourne Improvement Association for as much cash as he can get.  When the women voice disapproval Walter reminds them it is his right to decide because he is the man of the house.  Suddenly, Lena breaks in, reproachfully maintaining that Big Walter would have been ashamed to see the way his son is behaving. Her declaration wakes Walter up to how childish and unmanly he has been acting.  As head of the household, he’s supposed to take care of his family, not put them in financial jeopardy, or hold them back.  Thus, when Mr. Linder shows up, Walter announces that he just wanted the association to know they are going to keep the house.  Rather than argue, the confused man leaves just as the movers arrive.  As they load the large items into the truck, the Youngers grab their personal possessions and walk out the door.

Throughout the movie, Lena repeatedly refers to her potted plant, a scraggly shrub that somehow has survived for years under the smog-choked skies of the inner city.  She tells Ruth that it hasn’t flourished because there isn’t enough fresh air and sunshine where they live.  The plant is obviously a metaphor for those with ruined health from living in a toxic environment and working in backbreaking jobs that barely pay enough to keep them alive.  When she walks out the door at the end, she gently cradles the plant, carrying it with her.  Like her family, it is finally going somewhere it can thrive.

A long time ago I saw a movie where a person-of-color said France was a good place to live because the word black was used to describe one’s appearance rather than a judgment.  After failing for years to recall where the statement originated, I discovered it was in Paris Blues.  The plot is about two American expatriates, trombonist Ram Bowen (Paul Newman), whose moniker is a play on the name of the nineteenth-century French poet, Arthur Rimbaud (see films Eddie and the Cruisers 1983 and Total Eclipse 1995), and saxophonist Eddie Cook (Sidney Poitier).  Having a regular gig and loyal fan base, the men are content with the way things are until they meet American tourists Lillian (Joanne Woodward) and Connie (Diahann Carroll).   

The story which takes place in 1950s Paris opens with a panoramic view of old rooftops, a reminder that the city has a long history of being a center for the arts.   From there the focus zeroes in on Marie Seoul’s nightclub, a rathskeller featuring Ram and Eddie as headliners of a jazz band.  Although the men excel at playing popular tunes like 'Take the “A” Train' and 'Mood Indigo', Ram’s actual dream is to write and perform original compositions.  One day, he sees a billboard announcing that his old friend renowned musician Wild Man Moore (Louis Armstrong) is coming to town, and he goes to the train station hoping to get an evaluation of a piece he is writing.  While there he encounters the lovely Connie and, being a womanizer, immediately begins flirting with her.  Flattered, she responds in kind, telling him she and a friend have come to Paris on a two-week vacation.  The potential of an interracial relationship seems highly possible until Connie introduces Ram to Lillian, who is noticeably smitten.  Attracted to both women, Ram invites them to come to see him play at the club, but determined to have him choose her, Lillian edges Connie out by saying she’ll be there.

The women show up as promised, and Lillian seems intensely mesmerized by Ram’s performance.  At the end of the evening, he brings Eddie to their table, and because the saxophonist finds Connie intriguing, he suggests that the four of them go to breakfast.  Ram, who has a reputation for being irascible, says that he has other (better?) things to do and walks away.  Finding the rudeness inexcusable, Connie loses any attraction she might have had for the man, but Lillian, who still feels inexplicably drawn to him, tells her friend to go to the restaurant with Eddie, then turns around and follows (chases?) Ram.  After a brief conversation, they go to his apartment for sex, not bothering to exchange personal information until the next morning. 

Lillian describes herself as a single mother with two children who hasn’t had feelings for anyone in a long time, suggesting that she may be ready to try again.  Ram says he is a solitary man and whose life is wrapped up in his music, clearly cautioning her that he is a poor candidate as a love interest.  Taking a different tack, Connie and Eddie spend their evening together talking.  Still wounded by the hostilities he endured as a black man in America, the musician says he’s going to remain in France indefinitely because he hasn’t encountered racial discrimination in the five years that he’s lived there.   In response, Connie says she is active in the Civil Rights movement and although things back home have gotten better, there is still a lot of work to do, implying that by staying in Paris, Eddie is shirking his responsibilities.    

From that point on, the couples’ paths diverge.  Ram takes Lillian to a few places around the city, but they spend most of their time in his apartment having sex.  Since her attachment to the musician is emotional, she pressures him about coming back to America so they can be together, completely ignoring the warnings he’s given her from the start.  Each time he rebuffs her pleas by citing his music as the reason he cannot commit to anyone, she walks out, then returns a short time later hoping he’s changed his mind.  When Ram continues to turn her down, however, she gets fed up and arranges to leave Paris early.  Their future seems doomed until he meets with record producer Rene’ Bernard who says that the songs are okay but need more work to be considered serious compositions.  Crestfallen, he goes to Lillian and agrees to come with her, an offer that she readily accepts.  Vowing he’ll meet her at the train station in the morning, Ram leaves.

Connie and Eddie also become close quickly, but although emotions factor into their relationship, at the core of the connection is a shared history of racial discrimination.  Although she can appreciate why Eddie stays in France, Connie believes it is his obligation to return home and help black people gain equality.  Despite having different opinions, they discuss marriage, but their disagreement about where to live remains an almost insurmountable stumbling block.  Finally, Connie offers a compromise by suggesting Eddie try living in the U.S. for a year before making a final decision.  When he steadfastly refuses, she gives up and decides to return home with Lillian.  Connie really loves Eddie, however, and at the last minute she seeks him out to try one last time.  Having been miserable without her, Eddie agrees to give Connie’s idea a chance and says he’ll come to the states as soon as he gets his affairs in order.  The next morning, he joins the women at the train station to see Connie off, but Ram is running late.  Delaying to board for as long as she can, Lillian waits until the train is ready to pull out of the station before accepting defeat.  Just as she starts toward the steps, however, Ram arrives, not to join her, but to explain that he has to remain in Paris and continue working on his music.  As the train pulls out of the station, workers cover the billboard that displayed Wild Man Moore’s picture with a new advertisement. 

Other than receiving praise for its soundtrack, Paris Blues originally received negative reviews, a trend that changed over time.  Although Connie and Eddie clearly reflected racial problems in American society, the interactions within the couples also examined gender roles and sexuality.  At a time when Rob and Laura Petrie were still sleeping in separate beds, the erotic relationship between Ram and Lillian must have been shocking.  Even though their behavior predicted the coming sexual revolution, however, the relationship was actually traditional since she equated coitus with love and marriage, and he gladly took part in the sex act but refused to commit.  The emotional perspective between Connie and Eddie, on the other hand, is forward looking.  Although it eventually becomes intimate, the pair’s relationship is based on mutual respect.  They see one another as equals who can disagree yet remain together, a philosophy that works until the conundrum of where to live arises, a problem they resolve by having a strong sense of commitment and being willing to compromise.       

One of the best-known black actresses in the 1970s was blaxploitation star Pam Grier, who kicked butt long before Sigourney Weaver took on aliens, Kristy Swanson as Buffy slew vampires, and Linda Hamilton fought to save humanity from computers.  Appearing in an astounding eighteen films over the decade, the actress vanquished crooked prison guards, dirty cops, evil drug lords, and about any other bad guy she could find.  One of her most popular roles was as Coffy, a surgical nurse by day and a vigilante by night, who fights the heroin industry in an unnamed city reminiscent of Chicago.  In the opening, she fools drug dealer Sugarman (Morris Buchanan) and his henchman Grover (Mwako Cumbuka), into believing she is a junkie that will trade sex for a fix.  They go to a small apartment expecting her to give them a little somethin’ somethin’ but receive the business end of a sawed-off shotgun she uses to blow Sugarman’s head off and a high dose of heroin that uses to overdose Grover before reporting for her shift at the hospital.    

Coffy is sitting at the nurses’ station when her childhood sweetheart, police officer Carter (William Elliott) shows up.  Noting that she seems shaky and upset, he expresses concern about her well-being then asks her for a date although he knows she is seeing city councilman Howard Brunswick (Booker Bradshaw).  She agrees to go out with him as a friend if he’ll take her to the Juvenile Rehabilitation center where her eleven-year-old sister LuBelle (Karen Williams) is being treated for heroin addiction.  Blaming herself for leaving the girl with an older sister who is a hooker and an older brother that is on drugs, Coffy is making up for her error by paying for the child’s treatment.  When Carter asks why she didn’t turn the drug dealers in, she explains that it wouldn’t have done any good because the police officers in her hometown are in cahoots with the cartel just like they are in the city.

Afterward, they go back to Carter’s apartment where he gets a call from his partner Mac McHenry (Barry Cahill) asking him to come work for mobster Arturo Vitroni (Allan Arbus).  When he refuses, Mac hangs up and minutes later two masked men barge into the apartment to beat up Carter and rape Coffy.   Suspecting that Vitroni sent the thugs, Coffy asks around and learns that the mobster has become friendly with the local pimp and drug dealer, King George (Robert DoQui).  Since she needs more information to get revenge, Coffy tracks down one of the pimp’s girls who reveals where he hides his heroin and divulges that Vitroni is a freak who likes foreign women that are into kinky sex. 

By pretending to be a Jamaican prostitute, Coffy swings an invitation to a party that King George is throwing for the mobster.  While there, she replaces King’s heroin with sugar and orchestrates a bloody brawl with his top hooker, Meg (Linda Haynes).  Turned on by the Jamaican woman’s outlandish behavior, Vitroni orders George to set him up on a date with her.  The next evening, Coffy goes to the mob boss’ home and once they are alone in the bedroom, she produces a gun and draws down on him.  Unfortunately, one bodyguard remembers her from the hospital, so he busts into the bedroom, takes her gun, knocks her around, and locks her into a tool shed out back.  Figuring that the pimp was behind the attempted assassination, Vitroni sends his men to kidnap King, steal his heroin, and kill him. 

Another of Vitroni’s bodyguards named Aleva (John Perak) says he saw Coffy out with Howard Brunswick, the mobster’s silent partner.  Fearing that he cannot trust the councilman, Vitroni orders him to come over.  When he arrives Mac and the bodyguards take him into the pool room where the mobster accuses him of being a snitch, then has Coffy brought in.  Pretending that he doesn't care that the men have worked her over, Howard says he is only interested in the money that he and Vitroni are making and suggests the men kill should Coffy.  Since Vitroni doesn’t object, Mac and two bodyguards drag her to the police officer’s cruiser and drive away. 

The men decide a drug overdose would be the best way to get rid of the woman, so Mac pulls in at a secluded spot and one of the bodyguards shoots her up with some of George’s heroin, not realizing that it’s only sugar.  As she pretends to become woozy, Coffy offers to have sex with Omar (Sid Haig), the other bodyguard, and never one to turn down a pretty woman, he pulls her out of the car and drags her to a place that is more private.  Suddenly, Coffy pulls a sharp piece of metal she had hidden in her bra, stabs him in the neck with it, and escapes.  Since everything is going to hell, Mac pulls away leaving the mortally wounded bodyguard bleeding to death.  Pulling down a frontage road, he spies Coffy and tries to run her down, but she tricks him into driving into an obstruction and his car flips over.  She reaches inside the car window and takes his gun, getting away just before the cruiser catches fire.

Determined to finish things once and for all, Coffy makes her way into the city, steals a car, and drives back to Vitroni’s.  Noting that Howard has left, she holds the men at gunpoint until they reveal where he went, then kills them.  From there she heads to the councilman’s two-story beach house and breaks in, calling his name.  Howard appears at the top of the stairs and as she trains the gun on him, he joins her in the living room.  When he apologizes for the things he said back at the mobster’s place, Coffy’s resolve wavers until a half-naked woman steps out of his bedroom.  Realizing that the man she loved is once again playing her for a fool, Coffy kills him and walks away, confident that has done the right thing.     

In all three films, black women challenge the status quo while black men concern themselves with having money and power.  In A Raisin In The Sun Lena uses the insurance benefits to buy a home, Ruth defies her husband by taking Lena’s side, and Beneatha, who doesn’t consider herself beneath anyone, pursues her dream of becoming a doctor.  Walter, however, tries to force the women into submission by claiming he is superior because of his sex, even though he constantly makes errors in judgment.  In Paris Blues Ram betrays Lillian by choosing his music over her, and Eddie nearly loses Connie because he wants to hide out in France rather than joining her struggle for equality.  Finally, although the film Coffy displays female breasts, drug use, and a lot of violence, it also shows a protagonist that fights for both her gender and her race.  Rather than passively sitting by, Coffy settles the score with men who denigrate and exploit women, champions blacks who behave admirably, and destroys the men who get rich by promoting substances that will rob people of their futures.     

The 1961 version of A Raisin in the Sun is for rent on Amazon Prime, Vudu, Apple TV, and Google Play for three to four bucks or for sale at eBay and Amazon for around $15.   Paris Blues also circa 1961 is not streaming anywhere, but is available at Amazon, Walmart, and various classic movie sites for anywhere from $10 to $16.  Last, Coffy is streaming for free on Roku, Plex, and Brown Sugar (with a subscription), or for a couple of dollars on Amazon, Google Play, Apple TV, and Vudu.  If you’d rather own, the DVD will run you in the neighborhood of $15 at Best Buy, eBay, and Amazon. 

Next time I will discuss three movies from the end of the Twentieth Century starring IMDBs choice for the best black actress of all time, Whoopi Goldberg.  Between now and then, have a great Thanksgiving by overeating at home and watching some flicks.  Later.