In 1940s Chicago, a young black man takes a job as a chauffeur to a white family, which takes a turn for the worse when he accidentally kills the teenage daughter of the couple and then tries to cover it up.
Acting
Victor Love's panic is so visceral you'll hold your breath.
Production
Chicago shot on location, no Hollywood gloss allowed.
Director
Jerrold Freedman
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was the first feature film adaptation after Wright himself starred in a 1951 version. The novel had been banned and censored for decades.
The 1986 release bombed because distributors had no idea how to market Black tragedy without exploitation framing. Sound familiar?
US
