Review of Hurry Sundown (1967) by Jay N — 16 Dec 2010

"An explosive film. Its young stars are dynamite!".

A ruthless up and coming Southerner (Michael Caine) is determined to buy up the tracts of land that border his land - one owned by his cousin, the other by a black man. Though the filmaker's intentions were good, the film was dismissed and lambasted by critics for being too simple and it's characters too full of racial stereotypes. It didn't help that it was released at the height of the civil rights movement. It is the 1st major motion picture with African American leading actors to be shot in the deep south, which lead to more controversy, including death threats.

In addition to Caine, the cast includes Jane Fonda, Burgess Meredith, Faye Dunaway (in her film debut), George Kennedy, Robert Reed (Mr. Brady on Brady Bunch), and Jim Backus (Mr. Howell on Gilligan's Island).

Footage from this film of a young Michael Caine was later used in the film Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002).

Rose Scott: I was a white folks' nigger! You've got to fight!

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Rose Scott: Sometin's ailin' you, Reeve.

Reeve Scott: No, Mama.

Rose Scott: Well, sometin's hasn't changed your mood since breakfast. Tell me.

Reeve Scott: Mama, you better dan anyo' dat radar dey had out in de Souf Pacific.

Rose Scott: I don' know nothin' 'bout radar, but I know when sometin's plaguin' ma chile.

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[Rose is expecting Julie to pay her a visit].

Rose Scott: Lor' Almighty, there she is!

[A black friend enters with her grandfather].

Reeve Scott: Shucks. An' we thought it was white folks!

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[Rose and Julie converse while Julie's child rests in Rose's arms].

Julie Ann Warren: Ah declare, Rose. Ah never saw him take to anyone like he does to you.

Rose Scott: Chillun' know who loves 'em.

Julie Ann Warren: Oh sometimes, Rose, Ah think you just about invented love.

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[The bigoted Judge Purcell rebukes a white lawyer for his help to the black defendant].

Judge Purcell: Don't you rattle your skeleton in my court! Your being here at all constitutes a treachery to the entire white community that's too colossal to be believed!

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Julie Ann Warren: It wasn't until I was ten years old that I realized that "damn" and "Yankee" were two separate words!