This movie shows that the free enterprise system and the quest for the almighty buck transcends all racial and ethnic barriers. Ultimately the market place determines the message that is sent to the public. This movie dramatizes that point. A conservative white-collar advertising company is taken over by a group of street-wise African Americans chaired by a no-nonsense black man who wants to make a buck and believes he can sell products by telling the the truth. But the movie shows that no matter how hard he tries to do something different, the market place and the political system demands that he conform, rendering him no different than his predecessors. Interesting, off-beat movie.
56 Reviews
"Putney Swope" Is A Passionate Piece of Cinema History
D_Burke29 June 2009
"Putney Swope" is a unique, low low low budget gem from the late 1960's which probably would have been forgotten in time if it hadn't been for two things: Paul Thomas Anderson (who named Don Cheadle's character in "Boogie Nights", Buck Swope, after the eponymous hero of this film) and the limited DVD release. Watching "Putney Swope" is like listening to hardcore punk rock: it may not make a lot of sense (at least to me it didn't upon watching it for the first time), but you have to respect the film for its passion and unabashedly rebellious message. I didn't understand a lot of things about "Putney Swope", but for the most part, I liked it. The more I think about the movie, the more it grows on me.
The film is advertised as a parody of New York's Madison Avenue, best known in the 1960's as the advertising capital of the world. Members of Generation X and Y may be lost on this concept, but fortunately "Mad Men" is on TV to provide us with this otherwise lost piece of U.S. History. What you need to know before watching this movie is that these ad agencies were largely male, and even more largely white establishments.
With this premise in mind, the movie opens up with an ad agency board meeting. The members are predominantly white except for Putney Swope (Arnold Johnson, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Dick Gregory in this film), the token African-American on the board. The board members are so self-absorbed and soulless that when their chairman falls dead in front of them, their only concern is who will become chairman next. Without even removing the body from the boardroom, they begin a paper ballot to elect the next chairman.
Putney Swope is elected by a landslide, but not because the other members think Swope is qualified. Voting for Swope was an ill-fated attempt for these board members to sabotage any other member's chance of being elected chairman. With their plans backfired, Swope takes charge and "sink(s) the boat", firing all but one of the original members and hiring all people of color in their place .
After this point, the film became (for me) very weird and hard to follow plot-wise. There may not have even been a plot, really. The whole idea of the film seems to be a "what if" scenario, with the result being that the new "Truth and Soul Inc." firm would be unconventional, but successful nonetheless. The firm ends up making so much money that the members build a huge glass case to keep the cash in for unexplained purposes. It could be because Swope doesn't trust banks, although that point is not touched upon or explained in the film. It could also be metaphoric in some way, but who knows.
Most of the movie takes place inside the ad agency, with occasional scenes in the White House with a president who, for some unknown reason, is a midget. My assumption is here that some political joke was being made, but I can't figure out what. Were the filmmakers saying that the president is a small, insignificant part of American life? Were they saying that the latest elected officials (Nixon at the time) were insignificant candidates? I don't know. I found it a bit eerie, however, that the man playing the president bore a striking resemblance to future president Ronald Reagan. It is funny to make that connection 40 years after the movie was made.
What this film may have benefited from is showing how consumers outside the ad agency reacted to the new ads. Of course, the ad footage possessed a strange, funny appeal for its unconventional creativity, but did these ads convince people to buy the product? If so, how? The movie hinted on the idea that the new ad campaign was successful through client interaction and the calls from the White House. However, it would have been revealing to see average people, since that demographic has always been most profitable for advertisers.
Although the parodies and political messages this film may have made probably didn't stand the test of time, this film still had a lot of unique qualities. Arnold Johnson had a magnetic X factor to him that benefited him greatly in this film. Swope's rough voice was actually director Robert Downey, Sr.'s voice dubbed in, sometimes poorly, but fit the character so well in being an authoritative outsider. He hires and fires workers at random, but earns the respect of all but one of the employees for revolutionizing the ad agency and seeking out new ideas.
The premise of the film was, and still is, incredibly risky, especially since the film was written and directed by a white man (Robert Downey, Sr.). However, this film declines to fall victim to negative black stereotypes which would lead to the rise and fall of the blaxploitation genre years later. Although some of the sex scenes may be a bit off-putting for some viewers, the main message is that a black owned and operated business can thrive through innovation and risk taking. Many people may not take a positive message away from this movie, but I just did.
"Putney Swope" remains an overlooked movie from a strange era, and Downey, Sr. (even despite his son's recent comeback) never quite got the recognition as a director he deserved. However, if you find a DVD of this movie, buy it and watch it. If it's on Netflix, ditto. It's a movie that can be confusing at times, but is worth watching for its gusto, ambition, and its non-conformist stature even by today's movie standards.
The film is advertised as a parody of New York's Madison Avenue, best known in the 1960's as the advertising capital of the world. Members of Generation X and Y may be lost on this concept, but fortunately "Mad Men" is on TV to provide us with this otherwise lost piece of U.S. History. What you need to know before watching this movie is that these ad agencies were largely male, and even more largely white establishments.
With this premise in mind, the movie opens up with an ad agency board meeting. The members are predominantly white except for Putney Swope (Arnold Johnson, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Dick Gregory in this film), the token African-American on the board. The board members are so self-absorbed and soulless that when their chairman falls dead in front of them, their only concern is who will become chairman next. Without even removing the body from the boardroom, they begin a paper ballot to elect the next chairman.
Putney Swope is elected by a landslide, but not because the other members think Swope is qualified. Voting for Swope was an ill-fated attempt for these board members to sabotage any other member's chance of being elected chairman. With their plans backfired, Swope takes charge and "sink(s) the boat", firing all but one of the original members and hiring all people of color in their place .
After this point, the film became (for me) very weird and hard to follow plot-wise. There may not have even been a plot, really. The whole idea of the film seems to be a "what if" scenario, with the result being that the new "Truth and Soul Inc." firm would be unconventional, but successful nonetheless. The firm ends up making so much money that the members build a huge glass case to keep the cash in for unexplained purposes. It could be because Swope doesn't trust banks, although that point is not touched upon or explained in the film. It could also be metaphoric in some way, but who knows.
Most of the movie takes place inside the ad agency, with occasional scenes in the White House with a president who, for some unknown reason, is a midget. My assumption is here that some political joke was being made, but I can't figure out what. Were the filmmakers saying that the president is a small, insignificant part of American life? Were they saying that the latest elected officials (Nixon at the time) were insignificant candidates? I don't know. I found it a bit eerie, however, that the man playing the president bore a striking resemblance to future president Ronald Reagan. It is funny to make that connection 40 years after the movie was made.
What this film may have benefited from is showing how consumers outside the ad agency reacted to the new ads. Of course, the ad footage possessed a strange, funny appeal for its unconventional creativity, but did these ads convince people to buy the product? If so, how? The movie hinted on the idea that the new ad campaign was successful through client interaction and the calls from the White House. However, it would have been revealing to see average people, since that demographic has always been most profitable for advertisers.
Although the parodies and political messages this film may have made probably didn't stand the test of time, this film still had a lot of unique qualities. Arnold Johnson had a magnetic X factor to him that benefited him greatly in this film. Swope's rough voice was actually director Robert Downey, Sr.'s voice dubbed in, sometimes poorly, but fit the character so well in being an authoritative outsider. He hires and fires workers at random, but earns the respect of all but one of the employees for revolutionizing the ad agency and seeking out new ideas.
The premise of the film was, and still is, incredibly risky, especially since the film was written and directed by a white man (Robert Downey, Sr.). However, this film declines to fall victim to negative black stereotypes which would lead to the rise and fall of the blaxploitation genre years later. Although some of the sex scenes may be a bit off-putting for some viewers, the main message is that a black owned and operated business can thrive through innovation and risk taking. Many people may not take a positive message away from this movie, but I just did.
"Putney Swope" remains an overlooked movie from a strange era, and Downey, Sr. (even despite his son's recent comeback) never quite got the recognition as a director he deserved. However, if you find a DVD of this movie, buy it and watch it. If it's on Netflix, ditto. It's a movie that can be confusing at times, but is worth watching for its gusto, ambition, and its non-conformist stature even by today's movie standards.
That brief window of time: '67 to '74
mozli3 April 2010
Putney Swope along with a number of other films: Uptight, Zabrieski Point, The Spook who sat by the Door, Easy Rider, Midnight Cowboy depicted the times of the big change of America like no other. No matter how much conservative America may want to pull the country back to the pre-60's these films show that the change became irreversible. Putney Swope has its problems(editing and much of the acting is amateurish)yet holds up well for being over forty years old. The topics still ring quite true. While viewing this one can't help but wonder if the folks that make the AMC show MADMEN are influenced by this film. The ending, though funny, has a politically horrific feel to it. A foreshadow of 9/11? The irony that Robert Downey is the father of one of America's best and most popular movie stars adds to the entertainment and poignancy.
Unforgiving Satire
Sardony25 September 1999
Robert Downey Sr's PUTNEY SWOPE is an outrageous stab in the back of the advertising world. Apparently, Downey had a nose-diving career in the advertising industry, and this film are all his "I hate this job" daydreams while trying to endure it. The opening Boardroom scene is some of the most bizarre, wacky and brilliant satire ever committed to film. It's the story of the accidental voting-in of the Board's token black man as President of the agency (he's their Music Director). From there, Downey's daydreams turn the struggling white-led advertising company upside down and into the successful black-run "Truth And Soul" advertising agency (Complete with what you might call a corporate Intranet: "The Drum" -- see the movie, you'll understand). The movie is refreshingly un-P.C., with dialogue like, "I'm a happy Chink!" and the proposed advertising campaign that has Colombus meeting Indians with "cleft heads." Oh yes, and a pot-smoking midget President of the U.S.A. There's one thing that is really annoying (to me, anyway; others don't seem to mind): that the lead character's voice appears dubbed. WHY did they do that?? Was the actor unintelligible or something? In fact, looking at the credits for this flick, I see that Downey himself provided the voice for Swope. I sure wish he'd email me with the reason why... Also in the cast is actor Alan Arbus, himself a one-time Ad-man. If you like bizarre outrageous humor, this is a definite for you!
Silly Mad Men
Cineanalyst9 July 2021
A silly satire from Iron Man's late father, Robert Downey Sr., "Putney Swope" begins strong as an absurdist depiction of a Madison Avenue advertising agency, including its underlying vacuousness and racism. While the corpse of the last chairman still lies on the table--and freshly removed of his watch and wallet--the agency's board elects its new boss, the board's only African American, the eponymous Putney Swope, because no one was allowed to vote for themselves, and they all thought nobody else would vote for Swope. The new chairman, then, ensures that he'll implement minimal changes at the firm, to which the film cuts to him replacing the white employees of the newly-named "Truth and Soul, Inc." with African Americans--eventually only retaining a single white employee and the stupidest one at that. (One of the funnier scenes involves that employee requesting a raise.) It's a hilarious opening.
What follows is more hit and miss, loosely plotted and frequently scattershot almost to the point of making a Marx Brothers comedy look rigidly structured by comparison, characterizations at times seeming more stereotypical for the mere sake of political incorrectness than satirical, and just a lot of nonsense that seems (to me, at least) inexplicable. I especially don't know quite what to make of the business with a diminutive president of the United States. The film is surely very much a product of its times and being made outside of the studio system, as well, although there is some timelessness to the issues of commercials, corporate ethics and race relations. Stylistically, it's rather well filmed, and I especially like the distinction between the color cinematography for the commercials while the rest of the film is in black and white.
It's also interesting that Downey dubbed his own voice in for that of lead Arnold Johnson, who reportedly had trouble learning his lines. Speaking of random humor, it's funny that my interest was peaked in "Putney Swope," even before Downey Sr.'s recent death, by his son talking about it in an interview when discussing his blackface in "Tropic Thunder" (2008). These Downeys have surely been willing to take some creative risks and poke some fun at their own industry, which alone is worthy of respect.
What follows is more hit and miss, loosely plotted and frequently scattershot almost to the point of making a Marx Brothers comedy look rigidly structured by comparison, characterizations at times seeming more stereotypical for the mere sake of political incorrectness than satirical, and just a lot of nonsense that seems (to me, at least) inexplicable. I especially don't know quite what to make of the business with a diminutive president of the United States. The film is surely very much a product of its times and being made outside of the studio system, as well, although there is some timelessness to the issues of commercials, corporate ethics and race relations. Stylistically, it's rather well filmed, and I especially like the distinction between the color cinematography for the commercials while the rest of the film is in black and white.
It's also interesting that Downey dubbed his own voice in for that of lead Arnold Johnson, who reportedly had trouble learning his lines. Speaking of random humor, it's funny that my interest was peaked in "Putney Swope," even before Downey Sr.'s recent death, by his son talking about it in an interview when discussing his blackface in "Tropic Thunder" (2008). These Downeys have surely been willing to take some creative risks and poke some fun at their own industry, which alone is worthy of respect.
Not Great But Worth Seeing.
annette-pulliam30 January 2022
smart, sharp, cutting edge, and a big middle finger to the establishment, now as then
Quinoa198411 February 2009
When someone refers to the independent cinema realm in the United States it's often inferred that it means the filmmaker or people behind the project had much more creative freedom and did what they wanted. This, today, is not really always the case unless someone is a solid "auteur" and creative freedom still comes with the caveat that one has to find distribution with one of the independent divisions of major studios or by getting picked up somehow for some kind of low-level deal at a worthwhile film festival. But Putney Swope, Robert Downey Sr's film about a tough-as-nails African-American accidentally promoted to head advertising guru at a production company, *is* independent cinema, the kind of work that went right along with the likes or Romero's Night of the Living Dead and Cassavetes Faces at the same time of getting no real typical studio distribution but causing waves, kicking ass and taking names in the cinema world. For all its moments that are rough and crude, it's unforgettable.
It's also a film that is funny, very and excruciatingly funny. Sometimes the sense of humor is just so ridiculous it's nearly impossible not to laugh, from the mere appearance of the President Mimeo with his wife to lines of dialog from the advertisements Swope's team puts together like "I can't eat an air conditioner" in a real "soul" voice. It is as smart as the audience it is aiming at, which is anyone with two brain cells to put together who can see that this work isn't offensive or *too* shocking because it's meant to rattle the cage, and it does this pretty well in the first five minutes. Once that's past Downey Sr goes on his blitz of sorts as far as being a filmmaker with nothing to lose: his protagonist is part Fidel Castro, part Isaac Hayes circa 1972 (and yes it's 1969 in the film) and part hard-assed ad exec with a firing streak to make Mr. Spacely on the Jetsons look kind. And don't forget those side characters, dear God.
There's so many memorable lines and moments that it's hard to keep track. From maybe the most hilarious botched assassination attempt in any movie to the one ad for "Face-Off" skin cream that includes lines that would give South Park a run for its dirty-mouth money, to just little asides with the one guy from Jack Hill's movies playing the Muslim who keeps giving lip to Swope and that one boy with the the nun who curses up a storm and impresses Swope in a swift stroke. It's a pretty direct message about media and advertising, but there's also a lot of powerful moments where it just hits the nail on the head about racism in America, sometimes without having to do more than a gesture and sometimes with doing something HUGE like having black panther types going this way and that around Swope's advertising regime. And for a low-budget production (I mean super low, hence the comparison to Night of the Living Dead and Faces) Downey got some really good actors, all non-union, and it's hard to imagine that some of them might have had their first time on camera here.
It should be mentioned that Downey's style doesn't make it perfect: it is crude and sometimes too crazy and dated for its own good, and I'm sure I didn't get some of the underlying humor of a couple of the ads since I'm from a full generation after these ads were aired (albeit the "Miss Redneck Jersey" was definitely not lost on me). In general though this is one of the finest of its time period, a satire that stings and a feature with a predominantly black cast that is all too knowing of what comes from an excess of power, regardless of skin color. It is, as someone might say, "good s***."
It's also a film that is funny, very and excruciatingly funny. Sometimes the sense of humor is just so ridiculous it's nearly impossible not to laugh, from the mere appearance of the President Mimeo with his wife to lines of dialog from the advertisements Swope's team puts together like "I can't eat an air conditioner" in a real "soul" voice. It is as smart as the audience it is aiming at, which is anyone with two brain cells to put together who can see that this work isn't offensive or *too* shocking because it's meant to rattle the cage, and it does this pretty well in the first five minutes. Once that's past Downey Sr goes on his blitz of sorts as far as being a filmmaker with nothing to lose: his protagonist is part Fidel Castro, part Isaac Hayes circa 1972 (and yes it's 1969 in the film) and part hard-assed ad exec with a firing streak to make Mr. Spacely on the Jetsons look kind. And don't forget those side characters, dear God.
There's so many memorable lines and moments that it's hard to keep track. From maybe the most hilarious botched assassination attempt in any movie to the one ad for "Face-Off" skin cream that includes lines that would give South Park a run for its dirty-mouth money, to just little asides with the one guy from Jack Hill's movies playing the Muslim who keeps giving lip to Swope and that one boy with the the nun who curses up a storm and impresses Swope in a swift stroke. It's a pretty direct message about media and advertising, but there's also a lot of powerful moments where it just hits the nail on the head about racism in America, sometimes without having to do more than a gesture and sometimes with doing something HUGE like having black panther types going this way and that around Swope's advertising regime. And for a low-budget production (I mean super low, hence the comparison to Night of the Living Dead and Faces) Downey got some really good actors, all non-union, and it's hard to imagine that some of them might have had their first time on camera here.
It should be mentioned that Downey's style doesn't make it perfect: it is crude and sometimes too crazy and dated for its own good, and I'm sure I didn't get some of the underlying humor of a couple of the ads since I'm from a full generation after these ads were aired (albeit the "Miss Redneck Jersey" was definitely not lost on me). In general though this is one of the finest of its time period, a satire that stings and a feature with a predominantly black cast that is all too knowing of what comes from an excess of power, regardless of skin color. It is, as someone might say, "good s***."
POINTED YET OFF-BEAT...!
masonfisk8 April 2024
A 1969 skewering of the ad business from Robert Downey Sr. (yes his father!). Putney, a black man, wins control of an ad agency after one of the board members keels over after a heart attack & once he asserts his power, the agency's output (the commercials are played out fully during the narrative) attacks the status quo (he also fills up his employee coffers w/people of color) to nominal effect. Heralded as a counter culture hit when it came out, for me it felt repetitive even though the humor was very pointed & timely but like most artifacts of cult, they'll be embraced by a few & ignored by the majority of others. P. T. Anderson is a big admirer as evidenced by putting Downey Sr. In Boogie Nights playing a security guard at a music studio & the Chinese guest of a crazed drug dealer, played by Alfred Molina, who's setting off firecrackers for no reason is rationalized by Molina's immortal line "he's Chinese!", is lifted from Swope. Allen Garfield shows up as one of the board members, Mel Brooks as a character named Mr. Forget It while Antonio Fargas, Huggy Bear from Starsky & Hutch, steals the show as the Arab.
How Many Syllables, Mario?
LatigoMeans13 January 2004
I can't say how many times that one line has made me laugh or how often I've described that scene to folks not familiar with this film. I saw it the year it was released, I was 19. I don't think there were a dozen people in that East Village theater that night. For years I thought we were the only ones who saw it. Nice to see here that others found it as hysterical as I had, and see it's lasting value despite the time gone by. Rent it, buy it or steal it.... a must see.
Downey, Downey, Down He Goes . . .
zardoz-131 October 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Writer & director Robert Downey, Sr., a pioneer of the underground film movement in the 1960s, satirized the New York Madison Avenue advertising world with his avant-garde comedy "Putney Swope." Downey doesn't confine his ridicule to advertising, but tackles black militant culture, the dynamics in Hollywood's portrayal of race, the elite white power structure, and character of corruption in any power struggle. As audacious and ambitious as "Putney Swope" strives to be, it qualifies as a terrible film, amateurishly made on a shoe-string budget with a no-name cast and humor that lacks hilarity. Everything about this movie reeks with improvisation. "Putney Swope" stirred up controversy during its initial release with its politically incorrect handling of race issues and consumer culture. Like most Marx Brothers movies, the plot is thin, providing an excuse for Downey's anecdotal gags, most of which are terrible.
The chairman of a prestigious Madison Avenue ad agency dies during a board meeting. Before the body has been removed, the board holds a secret ballot vote to determine who will replace him. Each member understands that they are forbidden to vote for himself. Sheer accident occurs when everyone votes for the token black member, Putney Swope (Arnold Johnson), since none thought anybody would cast a ballot for him. Swope pink slips all but one of the white executives, surrounds himself with black, pistol packing employees, and renames the firm "Truth and Soul Advertising." Swope decides to alter the face of American advertising. He refuses to accept clients whose products are alcohol, tobacco, or war toys. Swope's clients stage an exodus after he becomes the CEO, and grandstanding attracts a new line-up of clients that show up at his office lugging bags of money and prepared to suffer abuse from Swope's militant employees. Swope exploits his African-American staff, too, ruthlessly appropriating their ideas after he fires them and conjures up a number of offensive advertising campaigns, all of which are hailed as a 'new wave' of marketing genius. Incredibly, Swope's conservatism proves successful but the agency becomes the target of government operatives who argue Swope's advertising tactics constitute "a threat to the national security." The high point of this black & white, 85-minute comedy are the television commercials shot in color. Unfortunately, Downey doesn't know when to cut off these ads that consistently start out cleverly but wear out their welcome. The funniest part of "Putney Swope" involves our eponymous protagonist's dealings with U.S. President Mimeo in Washington D.C. (Pepi Hermine), a marihuana-toking midget with a Kissinger-like Teutonic adviser (Larry Wolf) spouting tasteless jokes while trying to convince Swope to come up with an advertising campaign for his new car, the Borman 6.
The chairman of a prestigious Madison Avenue ad agency dies during a board meeting. Before the body has been removed, the board holds a secret ballot vote to determine who will replace him. Each member understands that they are forbidden to vote for himself. Sheer accident occurs when everyone votes for the token black member, Putney Swope (Arnold Johnson), since none thought anybody would cast a ballot for him. Swope pink slips all but one of the white executives, surrounds himself with black, pistol packing employees, and renames the firm "Truth and Soul Advertising." Swope decides to alter the face of American advertising. He refuses to accept clients whose products are alcohol, tobacco, or war toys. Swope's clients stage an exodus after he becomes the CEO, and grandstanding attracts a new line-up of clients that show up at his office lugging bags of money and prepared to suffer abuse from Swope's militant employees. Swope exploits his African-American staff, too, ruthlessly appropriating their ideas after he fires them and conjures up a number of offensive advertising campaigns, all of which are hailed as a 'new wave' of marketing genius. Incredibly, Swope's conservatism proves successful but the agency becomes the target of government operatives who argue Swope's advertising tactics constitute "a threat to the national security." The high point of this black & white, 85-minute comedy are the television commercials shot in color. Unfortunately, Downey doesn't know when to cut off these ads that consistently start out cleverly but wear out their welcome. The funniest part of "Putney Swope" involves our eponymous protagonist's dealings with U.S. President Mimeo in Washington D.C. (Pepi Hermine), a marihuana-toking midget with a Kissinger-like Teutonic adviser (Larry Wolf) spouting tasteless jokes while trying to convince Swope to come up with an advertising campaign for his new car, the Borman 6.
As outstanding now as it was "then"
caa8211 November 2006
This film had about everything one could wish when viewing it originally, at the end of the 1960's decade. It was immensely entertaining, and provided a contemporary view of the many changes which had occurred during that period - and were still ongoing - in terms of the Black Power movement, Vietnam, and the volatile movement which followed the quieter, preceding postwar 1950's.
All of this and one of the funniest films, then or now.
Viewing it for the second time recently, I was surprised to find it as engrossing as when seen originally. Its humor is as funny, and its message as strong.
And in viewing it now, you get all of this, while at the same time gaining the added enjoyment of its being a "period piece," and a superb chronicling of its this historic, turbulent time.
All of this and one of the funniest films, then or now.
Viewing it for the second time recently, I was surprised to find it as engrossing as when seen originally. Its humor is as funny, and its message as strong.
And in viewing it now, you get all of this, while at the same time gaining the added enjoyment of its being a "period piece," and a superb chronicling of its this historic, turbulent time.
Madcap anarchy
gbill-7487714 March 2022
This indie production from 1969 is intriguing at the outset as a biting satire of a New York ad agency, but unfortunately when it shifts to satirizing the black power movement, it gets mired in a variety of racist tropes. I admired its madcap anarchy and its attempts to flout all things traditional, but the comedy was uneven to say the least, and I thought it squandered an opportunity to do something more powerful with its interesting premise, disintegrating into a mélange of juvenile bits.
It's clear at the beginning that the ad agency has no morals, either in what they're peddling or in how they begin voting for a new chairman while the old one still lies dead from a heart attack over the boardroom table. When they elect the only African-American man in the room, it's even more interesting, as the only thing we know about him before that happens is that he believes they shouldn't be advertising toy guns. (The others at that point naturally shut him down, saying that appealing to youngsters' aggression keeps them from "becoming faggots," and we see how wickedly pointed director/writer Robert Downey Sr. Can be).
When Putney Swope (Arnold Johnson) gets the job, he promises no changes but then hires a team of militant brothers, one of whom brandishes a pistol and tells a white employee he has to take the freight elevator, and another of whom suggests they have watermelon breaks. One of their clients is an Asian-American man who sets off firecrackers in the lobby and says "I'm a happy chink" after a bizarre idea to market is incinerating mousetrap is pitched. We see one of the Islamic employees praying in a ridiculous, exaggerated manner, and women ogled and their "jugs" commented on. A blond maid is abused by her black employer, and a foulmouthed white boy wants to be adopted by Swope, as long as he "doesn't do it out of guilt."
I don't think there was malicious intention here, it's all meant to be unfiltered satire of anything and everything and trying (I think) to show that power will corrupt whoever has it, regardless of race, but for portions of this it played as conservative white America's biggest fears about a world run by people of color. Both the existing establishment and the black militants are satirized, and indeed we hear one of them saying that their ads are just as tasteless as those which came before them, but I have to say, the film was much more enjoyable when it was satirizing the existing establishment.
There are some funny bits, like the white guy who goes to his black boss and points out he's making less than his peers, in a nice inversion. The boss tells him that if he gives him a raise, everyone else will ask for one too, and then he'll be right back where he started. The guy says he didn't think of that, and the boss tells him that's why he's where he is in the company, because he doesn't think, and he meekly slinks off. I also liked some of the raunchy commercials the team dreams up, they're wildly entertaining and cut through the usual BS that Madison Avenue produces.
Unfortunately, the film comes with just so much other baggage that it was weighed down considerably, try as I might to avoid being overly PC while watching it over a half a century later. Definitely a product of its time and by an original filmmaker, but I ended up not enjoying it.
It's clear at the beginning that the ad agency has no morals, either in what they're peddling or in how they begin voting for a new chairman while the old one still lies dead from a heart attack over the boardroom table. When they elect the only African-American man in the room, it's even more interesting, as the only thing we know about him before that happens is that he believes they shouldn't be advertising toy guns. (The others at that point naturally shut him down, saying that appealing to youngsters' aggression keeps them from "becoming faggots," and we see how wickedly pointed director/writer Robert Downey Sr. Can be).
When Putney Swope (Arnold Johnson) gets the job, he promises no changes but then hires a team of militant brothers, one of whom brandishes a pistol and tells a white employee he has to take the freight elevator, and another of whom suggests they have watermelon breaks. One of their clients is an Asian-American man who sets off firecrackers in the lobby and says "I'm a happy chink" after a bizarre idea to market is incinerating mousetrap is pitched. We see one of the Islamic employees praying in a ridiculous, exaggerated manner, and women ogled and their "jugs" commented on. A blond maid is abused by her black employer, and a foulmouthed white boy wants to be adopted by Swope, as long as he "doesn't do it out of guilt."
I don't think there was malicious intention here, it's all meant to be unfiltered satire of anything and everything and trying (I think) to show that power will corrupt whoever has it, regardless of race, but for portions of this it played as conservative white America's biggest fears about a world run by people of color. Both the existing establishment and the black militants are satirized, and indeed we hear one of them saying that their ads are just as tasteless as those which came before them, but I have to say, the film was much more enjoyable when it was satirizing the existing establishment.
There are some funny bits, like the white guy who goes to his black boss and points out he's making less than his peers, in a nice inversion. The boss tells him that if he gives him a raise, everyone else will ask for one too, and then he'll be right back where he started. The guy says he didn't think of that, and the boss tells him that's why he's where he is in the company, because he doesn't think, and he meekly slinks off. I also liked some of the raunchy commercials the team dreams up, they're wildly entertaining and cut through the usual BS that Madison Avenue produces.
Unfortunately, the film comes with just so much other baggage that it was weighed down considerably, try as I might to avoid being overly PC while watching it over a half a century later. Definitely a product of its time and by an original filmmaker, but I ended up not enjoying it.
One of the finest...
biggus-316 November 2005
Certainly one of the most hilarious films of all time. Excellent original music, clever, heady...it's hard to be articulate about something this good. There isn't one character that you don't instantly love to watch- Myronex "Putney, there's trouble in the black room!" "My name is Rufus." The lines, thrown away left and right, are classics themselves, recalling Slapshot, Caddyshack, Anchorman, Repoman, Dolemite, any comedy whose dialog is not of the formulaic set-up punchline variety. "Putney, Myronex called you tasteless!" "My organization is pro-integration..." "Where's Lopez? 'He's in my head'" They don't sound brilliant until you hear them in the context of the scene. ...This movie will eat your brain, it's too good. I've read reviews calling this film racist, which couldn't be farther from the truth. Every scene is gold, from the Etherial Cereal commercial to the Brothers In the Black Room meeting to that haunting trumpet in the closing scene. One word - genius.
Take that, whitey!
lee_eisenberg19 January 2006
Made at the height of the Black Power movement, this movie portrays African-American Putney Swope (Arnold Johnson) getting made CEO of a corporation after the white CEO dies (the white executives all hate each other and can't decide who should succeed the previous CEO). Once in power, he decides to turn it into a militant organization.
I don't know how Robert Downey Sr did it, but he did it! "Putney Swope" is the ultimate jab at America's power structure. It's the sort of thing that seems like it would have come out of Richard Pryor's mind. This is a comedy classic in every sense of the word. A real masterpiece. Hilarious.
I don't know how Robert Downey Sr did it, but he did it! "Putney Swope" is the ultimate jab at America's power structure. It's the sort of thing that seems like it would have come out of Richard Pryor's mind. This is a comedy classic in every sense of the word. A real masterpiece. Hilarious.
Sporadically amusing
edgeofreality5 April 2020
Mad-magazine style put down of various late 60s US institutions, companies, groups and the advertising business in particular. It starts well in a board room meeting where the new chairman is chosen - a black guy with the title for a name. But the whole black jive stuff that follows is less sharp, and much of the humour was over or under my head. I liked certain Catch 22 moments, like the black boss telling the white guy he can't get a raise to equal his black colleagues' pay because then they will want a raise too. 'I didn't think of that', says the white guy. 'That's why we don't pay you as much. You don't think'. The repetition of certain lines and the repeated appearances of certain characters works on occasion too - like a photographer called Mark Focus who keeps failing to get work, or a pervert who abuses a 13 year old. 'At least he isn't superstitious'. But overall, despite some funny bits and some interesting b/w photography, my attention frequently wavered - aside from the actual ads, filmed in color, which kept you watching and we're mostly memorable. I'm sure at the time this was offensive to the establishment, but now it seems kind of muted.
broad-as-a-barn-door satire
mjneu5927 December 2010
When the chairman of a major advertising corporation stutters himself to death over a conference table, the token black board director takes charge and vows to not only rock the boat, but sink it as well, transforming the company into a wildly-successful and massively influential anti-white, anti-establishment three-ring circus. Very much a product of its time, this non-conformist comedy may have once been daring and outrageous, but what was meant to be vulgar in 1969 looks merely dated today. The result is a rambling, scattershot collection of rude gags and raunchy humor, maintained at an enjoyable antic pace and bound together with only the thinnest facsimile of a narrative thread. Some of the jokes hit their targets squarely, but others miss by shamefully wide margins.
Revolutionary
shneur13 March 2005
I thought I might be disappointed viewing this film again after so many years. On the contrary, I was more impressed now than in my callow youth with its honesty and brave humour. In 1969, the transition among African-American groups from a predominant policy of conciliation and integration to one of confrontation and self-determination was still quite new, and more than a little controversial. It took courage and finesse to portray both the Establishment and the Anti-establishment as the caricatures they often closely approximated in real life. Special mention should be made of Arnold Johnson's performance: he successfully avoided having his character lapse into either sociopathy or buffoonery. I'd rather watch this than "To Sir With Love" any old day!
Obscure Political Essay, Howlers Galore
tom-day7 January 2010
The outrageous humor that peppers this cheap dated B&W film enlivens the leaden cynical world view behind the plot. It is obscure to the nth degree, a serious flaw. For example: Putney is on the phone to "The President", who is a midget and a pawn. Why? Never explained.
Mr. Swope fails to take the high road, which would have turned his surprise elevation to a position of power into a grand leap forward for his Brothers. Instead he improvises, day to day, in the end painting a picture of leadership that lacks any sense of responsibility to his racial group or to society as a whole. The word "opportunist" comes to mind.
Meanwhile "The President" also lacks any sense of responsibility to the role he inhabits.
The cynical, or should we say realist, view of those in power is as relevant today as it was forty years ago. The humor, erotic scenes, and gross vulgarity are enjoyable, if you're in the right mood.
Mr. Swope fails to take the high road, which would have turned his surprise elevation to a position of power into a grand leap forward for his Brothers. Instead he improvises, day to day, in the end painting a picture of leadership that lacks any sense of responsibility to his racial group or to society as a whole. The word "opportunist" comes to mind.
Meanwhile "The President" also lacks any sense of responsibility to the role he inhabits.
The cynical, or should we say realist, view of those in power is as relevant today as it was forty years ago. The humor, erotic scenes, and gross vulgarity are enjoyable, if you're in the right mood.
The Truth & Soul Movie is a 1 of a Kind Original - Like Nothing else!
Zorynarecords223 April 2007
Warning: Spoilers
1969 was the year. New York City was the place. Putney Swoope was the second Robert Downey film to achieve some recognition. The first was Chaffed Elbows (1966). Putney Swoope achieved a much wider release. Pound (1970) and Greasers Palace (1972) were even more profane and obnoxious. Those 2 films were mean spirited to the point that they actually stalled the Prince's feature film career for several years.
The subject at hand is Putney Swoope. And it is a mad farce/satire that has to be seen to be believed. I'm not going to go through the plot here. What Plot?? People looking for a plot are going to be scratching their heads. Keep Scratching!! This film is not about PLOT! One could compare this to a Mel Brooks movie; only without the Hollywood parody party that Mel always threw. I also see a little bit of Monty Python in this. By the way: This film was shot before Monty had debuted on the BBC!!!
I notice that the Gags and Lines that are drop dead hilarious DO NOT transfer well by word of mouth. You have to see them within the context of the film. There are some flaws in the film; but even the flaws are unique. For instance: Actors often repeat the SAME LINE over and over again; and somehow it works. How Many Syllables Mario? Putney Says the Borman Six Girl Has Got to Have Soul! etc...
The B/W photography is outstanding. The Sound/Score is even better! The editing is only so-so. The acting is above average. The script is priceless. The jokes are as un-PC as you can get: MR. Bad News says "Sonny Williams just got caught in a motel with a 13 year old girl" Putney says "Well at least He's not superstitious" Uptight conservatives beware. The Anti-Establishment mindset of this film will drive you straight out of the room. Nothing is sacred.
There are many things in this film that pertain to today: NO SMOKING!!! Reverse Racism; with African Americans treating Caucasions like trash. The manipulation of Mass Media over the masses; Madison Avenue, Deroit, Hollywood intentionally pedaling something that any 8 year old can tell is pure garbage; The Internet, I'm talking about "the drum"; Interracial dating; I could go on and on....
I should also mention that there is about 8 min of this film that was shot in 16 mm Color. These are the commercials shot by Putney's agency. The spots work fairly well the first time around. They get tiresome though on repeated viewings. The real magic here is within the B/W sections of the film. It's the non-scenically lines they stay with you: "Rent Yourself A CHORT Schmuck". "I love You, I Love You, I love You... did you take your pill?". "anything that I have to say would just be redundant". And a host of others. I also really like the bit with the mounted minnow up on the wall: "The game warden wanted me to throw it back... I put up such a fight, I decided to have it mounted!"
Standouts in the cast include Buddy Buttler as Putney's bodyguard #1. He should have been a much bigger star. Antonio Fargas as the Arab. He did go on to stardom on TV and in Films. Arnold Johnson has the right look as Putney Swoope. Robert Downey used his Own voice instead because Arnold couldn't remember some of his lines. Also Downey realized that He could fill in any additional dialog/jokes later on if he dubbed his Lead actor.
The film does have some shortcomings. The short run time is one. I wish the beginning with the White board members would have been extended. Stan Gotlieb and Allen Garfield are outstanding. The ending seams to have been thrown together as if he just couldn't think of any more gags. All in all, this is one of the Best low-budget independent films of it's time. A time when very few indys' played outside of New York, Chicago, San Francisco and L.A. Anyone who loves satire and comedy should see this at least twice. Downey's Putney Swoope is Ahead of and Beyond it's time.
The subject at hand is Putney Swoope. And it is a mad farce/satire that has to be seen to be believed. I'm not going to go through the plot here. What Plot?? People looking for a plot are going to be scratching their heads. Keep Scratching!! This film is not about PLOT! One could compare this to a Mel Brooks movie; only without the Hollywood parody party that Mel always threw. I also see a little bit of Monty Python in this. By the way: This film was shot before Monty had debuted on the BBC!!!
I notice that the Gags and Lines that are drop dead hilarious DO NOT transfer well by word of mouth. You have to see them within the context of the film. There are some flaws in the film; but even the flaws are unique. For instance: Actors often repeat the SAME LINE over and over again; and somehow it works. How Many Syllables Mario? Putney Says the Borman Six Girl Has Got to Have Soul! etc...
The B/W photography is outstanding. The Sound/Score is even better! The editing is only so-so. The acting is above average. The script is priceless. The jokes are as un-PC as you can get: MR. Bad News says "Sonny Williams just got caught in a motel with a 13 year old girl" Putney says "Well at least He's not superstitious" Uptight conservatives beware. The Anti-Establishment mindset of this film will drive you straight out of the room. Nothing is sacred.
There are many things in this film that pertain to today: NO SMOKING!!! Reverse Racism; with African Americans treating Caucasions like trash. The manipulation of Mass Media over the masses; Madison Avenue, Deroit, Hollywood intentionally pedaling something that any 8 year old can tell is pure garbage; The Internet, I'm talking about "the drum"; Interracial dating; I could go on and on....
I should also mention that there is about 8 min of this film that was shot in 16 mm Color. These are the commercials shot by Putney's agency. The spots work fairly well the first time around. They get tiresome though on repeated viewings. The real magic here is within the B/W sections of the film. It's the non-scenically lines they stay with you: "Rent Yourself A CHORT Schmuck". "I love You, I Love You, I love You... did you take your pill?". "anything that I have to say would just be redundant". And a host of others. I also really like the bit with the mounted minnow up on the wall: "The game warden wanted me to throw it back... I put up such a fight, I decided to have it mounted!"
Standouts in the cast include Buddy Buttler as Putney's bodyguard #1. He should have been a much bigger star. Antonio Fargas as the Arab. He did go on to stardom on TV and in Films. Arnold Johnson has the right look as Putney Swoope. Robert Downey used his Own voice instead because Arnold couldn't remember some of his lines. Also Downey realized that He could fill in any additional dialog/jokes later on if he dubbed his Lead actor.
The film does have some shortcomings. The short run time is one. I wish the beginning with the White board members would have been extended. Stan Gotlieb and Allen Garfield are outstanding. The ending seams to have been thrown together as if he just couldn't think of any more gags. All in all, this is one of the Best low-budget independent films of it's time. A time when very few indys' played outside of New York, Chicago, San Francisco and L.A. Anyone who loves satire and comedy should see this at least twice. Downey's Putney Swoope is Ahead of and Beyond it's time.
One of the funniest movies of all time...
Kansas-527 April 2002
I saw this movie in its brief run in "art house" cinema in '69. I found it so funny that I literally spent part of the movie on the floor, having laughed so hard I fell out of my seat. In retrospect, years later, I thought it had been done by Melvin Van Peebles. When I mentioned it to a friend, he said that a friend of his, Downey Sr., filled virtually every non-acting role in the flick: Director, writer producer, etc. He was right of course, and my memory was wrong, except that this WAS one of the funnies movies ever made. The part of "the Arab" was particularly priceless.
Famous Madison Avenue dark comedy
gortx26 July 2021
When Robert Downey Sr. Passed away recently, I realized that I had only seen bits and pieces of this, his signature film. Even today, one can see how this Underground meets mainstream (by way of the counter-culture) satire struck a chord at the time.
A Madison Avenue advertising firm whose Executive Board "accidentally" votes to elect the sole black man, Putney Swope (Arnold Johnson), as their new chairmen - because they all thought the others would be too racist to vote for him. Swope cans most of the execs and installs people of color to most of the important positions of power. Swope has a white maid and makes a low level white man ride the freight elevator etc. Etc..
The basic kernel of an idea is a good one, and there are moments here. Unfortunately, the tone is dry. So dry as to be arid most of the time. The idea of turning the tables has some punch, but, most of them land pretty softly. The Un-PC tone has only gotten more so over the years.
The highlights are the TV commercials the firm, now dubbed Truth And Soul, Inc., produces - including a standout pimple commercial for 'Face-Off' cream with an interracial couple singing idyllically in the park. These sequences are the only scenes shot in color. They add some life, but, the fim doesn't really have any momentum. There are bits and pieces everywhere but they don't really add up. Swope hires and fires at every whim, but we rarely see anything get actually accomplished, yet the firm is supposedly swimming in cash and has advertisers literally begging to get a piece of Swope's wisdom. Even in a farce, there has to be some verisimilitude.
The mostly little known cast is dotted with performers like Allen Garfield, Antonio Fargas and Allan Arbus (Mel Brooks has a blink and you miss it role). The most amusing casting is dwarf actor Pepi Hermine as the German accented President of the United States. Director Downey dubs his voice in for Arnold Johnson, and his gravely delivery dominates the movie. Watching PUTNEY one can't help but notice how Robert Downey Jr.'s voice as the "black man" in TROPIC THUNDER has an uncanny resemblance to his father's here.
PUTNEY SWOPE delivers some jabs, but, in the end, it's one of those films which is more famous for its impact than it is actually successful.
A Madison Avenue advertising firm whose Executive Board "accidentally" votes to elect the sole black man, Putney Swope (Arnold Johnson), as their new chairmen - because they all thought the others would be too racist to vote for him. Swope cans most of the execs and installs people of color to most of the important positions of power. Swope has a white maid and makes a low level white man ride the freight elevator etc. Etc..
The basic kernel of an idea is a good one, and there are moments here. Unfortunately, the tone is dry. So dry as to be arid most of the time. The idea of turning the tables has some punch, but, most of them land pretty softly. The Un-PC tone has only gotten more so over the years.
The highlights are the TV commercials the firm, now dubbed Truth And Soul, Inc., produces - including a standout pimple commercial for 'Face-Off' cream with an interracial couple singing idyllically in the park. These sequences are the only scenes shot in color. They add some life, but, the fim doesn't really have any momentum. There are bits and pieces everywhere but they don't really add up. Swope hires and fires at every whim, but we rarely see anything get actually accomplished, yet the firm is supposedly swimming in cash and has advertisers literally begging to get a piece of Swope's wisdom. Even in a farce, there has to be some verisimilitude.
The mostly little known cast is dotted with performers like Allen Garfield, Antonio Fargas and Allan Arbus (Mel Brooks has a blink and you miss it role). The most amusing casting is dwarf actor Pepi Hermine as the German accented President of the United States. Director Downey dubs his voice in for Arnold Johnson, and his gravely delivery dominates the movie. Watching PUTNEY one can't help but notice how Robert Downey Jr.'s voice as the "black man" in TROPIC THUNDER has an uncanny resemblance to his father's here.
PUTNEY SWOPE delivers some jabs, but, in the end, it's one of those films which is more famous for its impact than it is actually successful.
Sell, Baby, Sell!
slokes28 March 2015
What would happen to an ad agency circa 1969 that became appropriated by a cell of black radicals led by a gravel-voiced man with an affection for Fidel Castro duds? Watching "Putney Swope" doesn't offer much of an answer, but its quicksilver style and dark humor makes for a fascinating if frustrating experience.
A Manhattan agency struggles with loser clients, less than a million a day in gross earnings, and a CEO splayed dead in the boardroom. To replace him, the board members (proscribed from voting for themselves) all cast their secret-ballot votes for the board's token black, Putney Swope (Arnold Johnson) knowing he won't win. Guess what? After taking control, Swope decides he'd rather sink the boat than rock it, replacing the white guys with various "brothers" and filling the airwaves with tasteless but surprisingly effective commercials.
A counterculture sleeper hit when it came out in 1969, "Putney Swope" is not a story so much as a loose collection of blackout sketches tied to the strange title character, who has moral qualms about marketing booze, tobacco, and war toys but treats both staff and clients with naked contempt.
Confronting a group of ingratiating clients, Swope (whose voice is dubbed throughout the film very gratingly by writer-director Robert Downey Sr.) demands a million each in cash, no please or thank you.
"Give us the name of your product, what its supposed to do, then take a walk," he says. "We don't need lames in the hallway."
"Putney Swope" starts strong, opening with the white board members and Swope taking a meeting from a strange guy in jackboots, Nazi regalia, and a motorcycle jacket emblazoned with the words: "MENSA Chapter." He turns out to be a consultant who gives a four-sentence speech about beer and is gone. Then they get to arguing. One objects to Swope's recommendation about dropping war toys: "Deny a young boy the right to have a toy gun, and you'll suppress his destructive urges and he'll turn out to be a homosexual, or worse."
Soon after the takeover occurs, however, the film loses its way. Downey seems at a loss as to what to do with Swope, and shifts the story into a series of vignettes about black radicalism and commercial parodies. The parodies run on too long and often misfire. The race angle is more interestingly presented, not so much because Downey is really exploring it so much as using it as a handy third- rail for his politically incorrect comedy. It's bold and daring but more than a little gormless, too.
One worker suggests replacing coffee breaks with watermelon breaks. As two black men drag out a white client, he exclaims that he feels like an Oreo cookie. As he makes love to a woman in her bedroom, Swope pulls down her Sidney Poitier poster.
"Every single account pulled out!"
"I wish I pulled out! Too many dependents, baby!"
Johnson seems lost in the central role, which I blame on Downey taking away his voice. Downey claimed he had to do this because Johnson kept forgetting his lines. If so, why didn't Downey let Johnson dub himself?
Downey also spends too much time on Antonio Fargas, who wears Arab get-up (Swope: "Who do you think you are? Lawrence of Nigeria?") and talks a blue streak in what Downey says in his DVD commentary was largely improvisation. Fargas has the right in-your-face tone for this film, but his talking for effect becomes more wearying than funny.
The best things about "Putney Swope" are the way it moves (credit editor Bud S. Smith and Downey) and the score by Charley Cuva, which is often brilliant. As a time capsule, it's fascinating, and you will laugh more than once. But it leaves an empty feeling.
A Manhattan agency struggles with loser clients, less than a million a day in gross earnings, and a CEO splayed dead in the boardroom. To replace him, the board members (proscribed from voting for themselves) all cast their secret-ballot votes for the board's token black, Putney Swope (Arnold Johnson) knowing he won't win. Guess what? After taking control, Swope decides he'd rather sink the boat than rock it, replacing the white guys with various "brothers" and filling the airwaves with tasteless but surprisingly effective commercials.
A counterculture sleeper hit when it came out in 1969, "Putney Swope" is not a story so much as a loose collection of blackout sketches tied to the strange title character, who has moral qualms about marketing booze, tobacco, and war toys but treats both staff and clients with naked contempt.
Confronting a group of ingratiating clients, Swope (whose voice is dubbed throughout the film very gratingly by writer-director Robert Downey Sr.) demands a million each in cash, no please or thank you.
"Give us the name of your product, what its supposed to do, then take a walk," he says. "We don't need lames in the hallway."
"Putney Swope" starts strong, opening with the white board members and Swope taking a meeting from a strange guy in jackboots, Nazi regalia, and a motorcycle jacket emblazoned with the words: "MENSA Chapter." He turns out to be a consultant who gives a four-sentence speech about beer and is gone. Then they get to arguing. One objects to Swope's recommendation about dropping war toys: "Deny a young boy the right to have a toy gun, and you'll suppress his destructive urges and he'll turn out to be a homosexual, or worse."
Soon after the takeover occurs, however, the film loses its way. Downey seems at a loss as to what to do with Swope, and shifts the story into a series of vignettes about black radicalism and commercial parodies. The parodies run on too long and often misfire. The race angle is more interestingly presented, not so much because Downey is really exploring it so much as using it as a handy third- rail for his politically incorrect comedy. It's bold and daring but more than a little gormless, too.
One worker suggests replacing coffee breaks with watermelon breaks. As two black men drag out a white client, he exclaims that he feels like an Oreo cookie. As he makes love to a woman in her bedroom, Swope pulls down her Sidney Poitier poster.
"Every single account pulled out!"
"I wish I pulled out! Too many dependents, baby!"
Johnson seems lost in the central role, which I blame on Downey taking away his voice. Downey claimed he had to do this because Johnson kept forgetting his lines. If so, why didn't Downey let Johnson dub himself?
Downey also spends too much time on Antonio Fargas, who wears Arab get-up (Swope: "Who do you think you are? Lawrence of Nigeria?") and talks a blue streak in what Downey says in his DVD commentary was largely improvisation. Fargas has the right in-your-face tone for this film, but his talking for effect becomes more wearying than funny.
The best things about "Putney Swope" are the way it moves (credit editor Bud S. Smith and Downey) and the score by Charley Cuva, which is often brilliant. As a time capsule, it's fascinating, and you will laugh more than once. But it leaves an empty feeling.
Next to "Dr. Strangelove" (which would make and excellent double feature,) my highest rating for a comedy
CULTEGUY8 January 2003
Warning: Spoilers
If you get a chance to get a hold of this lost (for many years) gem, I doubt you will be disappointed. PS has an odd blend of social satire and ultra-cool blaxploitation-- even hints of slapstick, but it's so odd that it was not only ahead of it's time, nothing has been seen like it since.
I strongly disagree with people who say that the film is dated, especially with Spike Lee's "Bamboozaled" (SP?) a few years back which was a misfire of trying to capture the same message. (Good filmmaking, disjointed script.)
Robert Downy's direction is brilliant, allowing many of his actors to improvise, the film gets better as it goes along and the jokes swagger from hit or miss one-liners that are as forgiven as those found in a Mel Brooks comedy, to sheer non-PC 'I can't believe they just said that' fun.
Favorite parts, the commercials. The film switches from gritty black and white depictions of the ad agency to beautiful (perhaps 16mm) color and gets away with it.
I refuse to hint at any spoilers, but if you get the chance to see the DVD version be sure and watch the Downey interview (but leave it until after the movie.)
My vote 10/10-- most underrated film of the late 60's, early 70's. Thank you Prince.
I strongly disagree with people who say that the film is dated, especially with Spike Lee's "Bamboozaled" (SP?) a few years back which was a misfire of trying to capture the same message. (Good filmmaking, disjointed script.)
Robert Downy's direction is brilliant, allowing many of his actors to improvise, the film gets better as it goes along and the jokes swagger from hit or miss one-liners that are as forgiven as those found in a Mel Brooks comedy, to sheer non-PC 'I can't believe they just said that' fun.
Favorite parts, the commercials. The film switches from gritty black and white depictions of the ad agency to beautiful (perhaps 16mm) color and gets away with it.
I refuse to hint at any spoilers, but if you get the chance to see the DVD version be sure and watch the Downey interview (but leave it until after the movie.)
My vote 10/10-- most underrated film of the late 60's, early 70's. Thank you Prince.
VERY dated and obvious
preppy-313 November 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Black and white satire of a Madison Avenue ad agency being taken over by blacks. They're headed by Putney Swope (Arnold Johnson) who is determined to change things. However he turns out to be even WORSE than his white predecessors. That's about as original as this gets.
I'm sure this was considered daring and shocking in 1969 but it just seems silly today. The jokes are either unfunny (the president is a midget. HOW is this funny?), cruel or obvious and the film is full of unlikable characters. It's done in a very experimental way which makes it even harder to take...or understand. The movie just gets more bizarre and surreal as it goes along. The ending comes out of nowhere. To make it worse, with the sole exception of Johnson, ALL the acting is bad. Antonio Fargas (a regular in these types of films) is especially annoying as the Arab. This gets three stars because the commercial parodies (done in bright color) ARE amusing and there's a rare good line here and there. I heard this was a cult classic but this is more interesting than good. Skip it...unless you're in experimental 1960s films.
I'm sure this was considered daring and shocking in 1969 but it just seems silly today. The jokes are either unfunny (the president is a midget. HOW is this funny?), cruel or obvious and the film is full of unlikable characters. It's done in a very experimental way which makes it even harder to take...or understand. The movie just gets more bizarre and surreal as it goes along. The ending comes out of nowhere. To make it worse, with the sole exception of Johnson, ALL the acting is bad. Antonio Fargas (a regular in these types of films) is especially annoying as the Arab. This gets three stars because the commercial parodies (done in bright color) ARE amusing and there's a rare good line here and there. I heard this was a cult classic but this is more interesting than good. Skip it...unless you're in experimental 1960s films.
I don't know how to rate this film
wfgwilliams24 July 2007
I heard about this movie when it came out but never got to see it. It must have played on the weekend I was busy. It finally was released to DVD and I bought a copy.
There is no way to rate this film. I have no way of predicting how anyone will respond to it: love, hate, detest, indifferent. Should you watch this movie your response will be somewhere in there.
I would have to say that it is a film for its time. A great deal of what it was satirizing at the time has changed so much that it no longer has any relevance in that sense. I remember at that time one of the demands of young movie goers was that films, indeed everything involving the culture, should be relevant. That was the 'buzz word.' This film was relevant alright, but almost forty years later I have to ask, "relevant to what?" I'm glad I finally got to see it. This film is touted as a comedy. I didn't laugh once while viewing it, though I did appreciate the acerbic wit. Some of it I found downright crude, though I'm sure that was intentional.
I will wait awhile and view it again some time. I have a feeling that I will get different things from it. I may even laugh at the stuff that's intended to be funny.
Would you enjoy this film? I don't know. Should you watch it? Oh yes, you should.
There is no way to rate this film. I have no way of predicting how anyone will respond to it: love, hate, detest, indifferent. Should you watch this movie your response will be somewhere in there.
I would have to say that it is a film for its time. A great deal of what it was satirizing at the time has changed so much that it no longer has any relevance in that sense. I remember at that time one of the demands of young movie goers was that films, indeed everything involving the culture, should be relevant. That was the 'buzz word.' This film was relevant alright, but almost forty years later I have to ask, "relevant to what?" I'm glad I finally got to see it. This film is touted as a comedy. I didn't laugh once while viewing it, though I did appreciate the acerbic wit. Some of it I found downright crude, though I'm sure that was intentional.
I will wait awhile and view it again some time. I have a feeling that I will get different things from it. I may even laugh at the stuff that's intended to be funny.
Would you enjoy this film? I don't know. Should you watch it? Oh yes, you should.
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