Film: The Spook Who Sat by the Door (1973) [Dir. Ivan Dixon]

Fight whitey to a stand still.

Force him to make a choice between the two things which he seems to dig most of all.

There is no way the United States can police the world

and keep us on our ass too, unless we cooperate.

When we revolt we reduce it to a simple choice. Whitey finds out he can't make either.

Matinees, your manager is finally back and ready to kick it up into high gear. This week's film is truly revolutionary--often mis-relegated to Blaxploitation--The Spook Who Sat by the Door is actually a protest film. Based on the socially critical book by Sam Greenlee and confronting racism via guerilla warfare in the United States, this film terrified white America and was shut down in theatres across the country. United Artists (UA) pulled distribution after only three (successful) weeks out after the realization that this wasn't a Blaxploitation flick and whitey was freaking---then UA buried it, with many copies simply disappearing. Driven underground for years and bootlegged, this film's righteous anger pulsates and collides head on with institutionalized violence, oppression and complacency. The film argues for liberation and action. As film commentator DeWayne Wickham puts it, "This movie had a message. And it scared the hell out of white folks."

Let's deal with the title first, because it is layered and offensive to read---"sitting by the door" refers to early affirmative action in the U.S., in which a company would hire a token African American employee and put that person in a highly visible location to show how "diverse" the institution was. "Spook" is a double entendre of both a hideous racist slur and a slang term for spies---our hero Dan Freeman deals with both.

Sam Greenlee and others were interviewed about the film in the documentary Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise and Fall of the Spook Who Sat by the Door. As the writer and filmmaker, Greenlee discusses how prints were destroyed (First Amendment violation) and how director Ivan Dixon buried the negatives in a mis-marked canister---the only way the film survived. In other interviews, Greenlee mentions that while the film was pulled out of fear, the FBI made recruits read his book. (Pause: I wonder how awesome a coffee chat between Greenlee and Fanon would roll, and I want to be there in that dream scene).

To the film! Dan Freeman is recruited to train with the CIA as one of the first African American agents, after a white senator tries to collect more Black votes by arguing for more integration in federal agencies.

CIA executives, the "General" and Carstairs, do not want integration and curve the training and test to be impossible to meet, but Freeman makes the cut---and kicks a little ass on the sly, hinting at his revolutionary goals.

During training, Freeman meets a beauty he calls Dahomey Queen who will prove to be a long term comrade.

Putting in five patronizing years outside D.C., Freeman quits the CIA and takes a cover as social worker making mad cash during the War on Poverty (and doing a subtle critique of social professions paying everyone well but the people they are supposed to be helping).

Back in his hometown of Chicago, Freeman first susses out the situation, talking to old friends like Ms. Doogan and Shorty, discovering COINTELPRO's rampage in the neighborhood.

He then begins recruitment and training, going first to the Cobras' hangout to bring them in.

Leader of the Cobras is Do-Daddy Dean who becomes Freeman's second in command and trainer.

Cobras Stud Davis and Sweet Willie form the rest of the inner circle of the Black Freedom Fighters of Chicago.

The Black Freedom Fighters train using Dan's expertise and subversive tactics.

Old friend Pete Dawson and ex-girlfriend Joy don't know Dan is undercover and he gathers intelligence in their bourgeois soirees.

"What we got now is a colony...what we want to create is a new nation."

While the film takes place in Chicago, filming was done guerilla style (illegally) in Chicago for spatial vignettes and longer action scenes in Gary, Indiana. Greenlee talks about shots for the L train and other areas on location in Chicago that were done without permits because Mayor Daley was freaked out by the film. So they "stole" the shots, as Greenlee says.

Legend Herbie Hancock scored the film. And you know this is your flick tonight. Dig it.