I can't believe how infuriated I got with the scene involving Will Geer. He played a hardcore racist. All you n-words are good for is your women. He breaks in all who work for him. And more....
Anyway, just proof he was a great actor. Can't believe Grandpa Walton would say such things.
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Will Geer was an incorrigible liberal throughout his career. What you're seeing there was a good actor.
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This reminds me of "Roots." Popular white actors who were "good guys" on classic TV shows--Chuck Connors ("The Rifleman"), Lorne Greene ("Bonanza"), Andy Griffith and Burl Ives---did extremely well in their portrayal of racists in this movie, similar to Will Greer in this one. I guess it's a good thing; it's testament to their range as versatile actors.
shareWasn't Ralph Waite (patriarch of *The Waltons*) a slave-packin' ship's captain as well in this? Or was that another film?
shareYou're confusing this movie with "Roots." And this is yet another instance of a TV white "good guy" gone "bad guy" in this movie.
shareI was referring to *Roots* in response to the post above mine. No slave ships in *Black Like Me.*
shareRalph Waite was on the slave ship, but Ed Asner (Lou Grant) was the captian. Ralph brought him a black "belly warmer" for the night, but Ed wouldn't have it, said he ran a Christian ship
Other Roots good-guy-that-goes-bad were Robert Reed, Henry Fonda, Sandy Duncan and Robert Culp