The phrase well-intentioned has been utilized in pretty much every review that I have read of this movie whether it be through IMDb or other professional critical review sites. That is for certain, coming out at a time when perhaps such a portrayal was necessary, but sadly, nearly 60 years later, this has lost much of its impact simply based on the fact that one of the greatest white actors of the Twentieth Century, James Whitmore, gives a sincere performance, but unfortunately, in the dark makeup, he looks closer to Jim Backus in dark makeup then he does either as himself or a real black man. Yes, he tries to tan his skin through a sun lamp, and of course, that is not going to make even the slightest impact. So on with the shoe polish and it's as if Al Jolson and Eddie Cantor have come back to do a non-musical and present a social drama that proves just the opposite of the tagline. Never in 250 years could a white man ever know what it feels to be black.
Spontaneous mistreatment a couple of times does not indicate an education in the issues of the social injustices black people face, and it would make more sense for someone to call him out for trying to pass and looking almost ridiculous. We're supposed to believe that a black shoe shiner doesn't recognize Whitmore as a regular customer even with much darker skin. It's even more insulting when he asks him how to treat him to act more realistic, even after he explains what his intentions are. But it resorts back to stereotypical attitudes that change here and there, especially when the shoe shiner is confronted by a white man looking for fun with a black woman. It's the introduction to whitmore's education, and certainly, he will come out knowing a little bit about being black, but it barely touches the surface as it reaches 4 uncomfortable truths.
What this film is memorable for outside of the intentions is the ensemble of New York based stage actors, playing a variety of characters, and that includes Lenka Peterson as Whitmore's wife, Will Geer, Robert Gerringer, Roscoe Lee Browne, Al Freeman Jr., Sorrell Books and Thelma Oliver. I guess this story had to be told as it was based on a true event, written as a best-selling book, and much later on resulting with the author being beaten as a racial betrayer for doing his research. I'm hoping that his makeup was more realistic than what goes on here, and the film should be lauded for making an attempt. But there were other films made around the same time that dealt with racial issues more realistically, and while not a total embarrassment, it's not the classic that the people involved believed it would become.
Spontaneous mistreatment a couple of times does not indicate an education in the issues of the social injustices black people face, and it would make more sense for someone to call him out for trying to pass and looking almost ridiculous. We're supposed to believe that a black shoe shiner doesn't recognize Whitmore as a regular customer even with much darker skin. It's even more insulting when he asks him how to treat him to act more realistic, even after he explains what his intentions are. But it resorts back to stereotypical attitudes that change here and there, especially when the shoe shiner is confronted by a white man looking for fun with a black woman. It's the introduction to whitmore's education, and certainly, he will come out knowing a little bit about being black, but it barely touches the surface as it reaches 4 uncomfortable truths.
What this film is memorable for outside of the intentions is the ensemble of New York based stage actors, playing a variety of characters, and that includes Lenka Peterson as Whitmore's wife, Will Geer, Robert Gerringer, Roscoe Lee Browne, Al Freeman Jr., Sorrell Books and Thelma Oliver. I guess this story had to be told as it was based on a true event, written as a best-selling book, and much later on resulting with the author being beaten as a racial betrayer for doing his research. I'm hoping that his makeup was more realistic than what goes on here, and the film should be lauded for making an attempt. But there were other films made around the same time that dealt with racial issues more realistically, and while not a total embarrassment, it's not the classic that the people involved believed it would become.