That's how things were done in the Jim Crow South, every adult black man was addressed by white people as "boy", it was an act of everyday, constant, demeaning, contemptuous, humiliating, oppression
If a black man was known to the white person he might be called by his first name, and if he was older and the white person was fond of him, he might be called "Uncle Firstname", but he was never, EVER called "Mister". And that's why the sequel to this movie is named "They Call Me MISTER Tibbs", because the Poitier character insisted on being called "Mister".
Damn, white people suck.
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But the "boy" thing was more widespread than you'd think, sometimes in a 1930s movie you will see a non-southern hero or heroine at a train station or seaport, and they'd address the porters who handled their luggage as "boy". I don't think I've seen that in a film made after 1940, I guess the "boy" thing went out of fashion during the WWII man shortage... outside the South.
Actually, I think in Casablanca, Ingrid Bergman of all people calls Dooley Wilson 'boy' and that was 1942.
shareYou know, you're right. She did ask Captain Renault. The line was something like "Who's that boy over there playing the piano?"
I think what clearly distinguishes the two is that in Casablanca the term is used entirely without malice or intent to insult. They didn't interact much, of course, but from what we did see Sam treated Ilsa with kindness and concern.
It's annoying as heck, although I will say he isn't the only grown man that gets called "boy," he is called that the most
shareWhy am I hearing this post in the voice of Norm Macdonald?
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