Review of Putney Swope (1969) by Richard C — 18 Apr 2007

When the Chairman of an advertising agency dies during a Board meeting, the remaining Board Members vote for his successor and unwittingly appoint the token black man, Putney Swope (Arnold Johnson) in the misguided belief that no-one else would vote for him. The result is a radical overhaul of the company, with black employees replacing whites, offensive adverts and lots of unorthodox management practices.

Shot on a miniscule budget and with a cast of mainly non-union African American actors/actresses, Putney Swope is a prime slice of 60s "underground" satire that gleefully mocks a culture guided by the whims of consumerism and capitalism. Drawing upon his own personal experience in the advertising industry, Robert Downey Snr employs a rapid fire approach in his attack and whilst admittedly not all find their mark, he certainly gets to bite the hand that fed him.

Despite the fact that some of the gags have dated poorly and the low budget meant sacrificing quality acting, the film's strong points lie in its rapier-like dialogue (spat with particular venom by Antonio Fargas as the "Arab") and a number of gloriously trashy TV advert parodies. Perhaps the most subversive aspect of the film is its in-your-face take on race relations in the US and I have no doubt that some white patrons would have felt a little uneasy sitting in the cinema.

The film does lose some of its impetus as it progresses but a number of bizarre, almost surreal additions, such as a dope-smoking dwarf as the President of the US, ensure that it remains interesting if not always entertaining. And just in case you are wondering it was a deliberate decision to dub Swope (the voice is that of the director as Johnson could not remember his lines).

If you are a fan of the whole American counter-culture/underground period of the late 60s/early 70s then this is certainly worth a looking. The lack of coherence and plot make it difficult to watch at times but taken in its historical context this is essential viewing. Recommended.