The movie Putney Swope was made in 1969. Robert Downey was its director as well as writer. The role of Swope was played by Arnold Johnson. The movie is a comedy and focuses on the racism and ethnicity against Black people.

The movie is a satirical attempt to criticize black militancy as well as concentration of power in the hands of whites. It also throws light on how dishonestly the tug-of-war for power is played. The theme of the movie revolves around a black executive of a company who is the member of board of directors of an advertising company. The black executive, Swope, dramatically succeeds in getting the top position of Chairman when the white chairman suddenly dies. Every member wanted to be the chairman himself but the mode of selection of new chairman is given in the rules of the company which provided that the candidate of chairmanship cannot vote for himself. Every member voted in the secret ballot method and everybody wanted to vote for such a candidate who has “no chance” of getting any vote from anybody. Ironically, everybody votes for Swope and he is elected as the first black chairman of the company.

Swope fires every white executive except one and gives the company a new name “Truth and Soul Inc”. The company discontinues business with the companies which produce immoral products e.g. alcohol, cigarettes, toy-guns. The business achieves its boom and it is when the U.S. Government intervenes and regards the company as a “security risk”. So the movie is a sharp satire on the racist culture in the United States of America.

Putney Swope