An African-American prison psychiatrist finds the boundaries of his professionalism sorely tested when he must counsel a disturbed inmate with bigoted Nazi tendencies.
Acting
Poitier's controlled fury vs. Darin's sniveling menace—pure tension.
Writing
Dialogue that weaponizes psychotherapy against itself.
Direction
Cornfield makes 89 minutes feel like a pressure cooker.
Director
Hubert Cornfield
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Bobby Darin took the role against type after pop stardom; Poitier reportedly coached him through the ugliest scenes.
Released two years before the Civil Rights Act, the film's framing of a Black authority figure forced to serve white supremacy carried brutal contemporary weight.
US
