Putney Swope

Robert Downey Sr.'s most notable (or least bad) film is this terribly dated 1969 satire of race relations, released on the heels of the social tumult of the Civil Rights movement. Set at a Madison Avenue advertising agency, the plot revolves around the accidental election of the company's sole African American employee to CEO, after which all of the white executives are fired and replaced with militant blacks who create a visceral marketing environment that revolutionizes society. The problem with Putney Swope is that it's rarely amusing: from today's vantage point, Downey's comic vision seems ham-handed and puerile (the uptight whites versus radical blacks humor crashes and burns almost immediately upon impact). Surreal notions and sight gags (such as having little people actors playing the U.S. President and First Lady) make no sense today (as if they did in 1969!). As a curio from a tumultuous era, Putney Swope is a bizarre relic of that period's anything-goes school of filmmaking, yet the film is hardly one of the better entries, and Downey's sloppy direction serves as a reminder of why he registers as a footnote in the realm of independent cinema (truth be told, none of his subsequent work is worthy of reconsideration). DVD extras include an interview with and audio commentary by Downey. Not recommended. (P. Hall)