Film of the Week : The Spook Who Sat By The Door

The Spook Who Sat by the Door a 1973 film, which is based on the novel The Spook Who Sat By The Door by Sam Greenlee. It is both a satire of the civil rights struggle in the United States of the late 1960s and a serious attempt to focus on the issue of black militancy. Dan Freeman, the titular protagonist, is enlisted in the Central Intelligence Agency's elitist espionage program as its token black. Upon mastering agency tactics, however, he drops out to train young Chicago blacks as "Freedom Fighters." As a story of one man's reaction to ruling-class hypocrisy, the film is autobiographical and personal. As a tale of a man's reaction to oppression, it is universal and a true classic. The scenarios may seem all to familiar to us all, the film transcends through time. Spread The Word, Educate, and Discuss This Film

Directed by	Ivan Dixon
Produced by	Ivan Dixon Sam Greenlee
Written by	screenplay by Melvin Clay Sam Greenlee based on the novel by Sam Greenlee
Starring	Lawrence Cook Paula Kelly Janet League J.A. Preston David Lemieux
Music by	Herbie Hancock
Cinematography	Michel Hugo
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date(s)	September 21, 1973

The title refers to a practice in the early days of affirmative action, when the first Black person hired by a company or agency would be seated close to the office entrance, so that all who came and went could see that the company was racially mixed. The word "Spook" in the title has a dual meaning: it has been used as a racial slur against Blacks, as well as a slang term for a spy.