IVAN DIXON | USA | 1973 | 102 MIN | PG | ENGLISH | 4K
One of the most daring political films of the 1970’s, THE SPOOK WHO SAT BY THE DOOR embodies as much social significance today as it did upon its initial release. Based on the best-selling novel of the same name written by Sam Greenlee, the filmmaker, Ivan Dixon, explored the expression of what he considered to be “a fantasy that everybody felt, every Black male particularly.” PFS and Reelblack are excited to present the Philly Premiere of the 4K restoration of this seminal film followed by a discussion and book-signing with special guests Nomathandé Dixon (daughter of director Ivan Dixon) and Natiki Hope Pressley (daughter of author Sam Greenlee). Copies of the book The Spook Who Sat By The Door are available for advance purchase with book + ticket bundle thanks to Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee and Books. Limited books available at the screenings.
It is the deeply complex story of Dan Freeman, the fictional mild-mannered first black CIA agent, who uses his specialized paramilitary training to organize a black revolution. Due to its historical and cultural significance, the film was deservedly added to the National Film Registry in 2012. It seems only fitting that a film dealing with guerrilla warfare strategies required guerrilla filmmaking tactics.
Originally an independent film co-produced by Dixon and Greenlee with funds raised within the black community, the filmmaking process encountered a number of fits and starts along the way, including being denied film permits in what was then Mayor Daley’s Chicago. It was the neighboring Gary, Indiana (at the time led by its first African American mayor, Richard G. Hatcher) that provided the backdrop for the film’s explosive riot scenes, while stealthily grabbing hand-held shots on the streets of Chicago established the windy city as the story’s setting.
With the production running out of resources, it was the savvy cutting and packaging of early action footage, intentionally misrepresenting the film as a typical 70’s era Blaxploitation flick, which led to the acquisition of completion funds and a distribution deal with United Artists. After a limited-city initial release, with record-setting audiences at the height of the Black Power movement, the film was quickly pulled from theaters.
The content was found to be more than explosive in terms of its thought-provoking messages, examining not only the political injustices in the United States, but also the more subtle social layers within the African American experience. Dixon once said, “The Spook said everything I ever wanted to say about race in a film.”
Restored by The Library of Congress and The Film Foundation. Funding provided by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation
Presented with Reelblack.
Cast: Lawrence Cook, Janet League, Paula Kelly, J. A. Preston