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One Potato, Two Potato

Play trailer Poster for One Potato, Two Potato Released Jul 29, 1964 1h 32m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 6 Reviews 63% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
Julie (Barbara Barrie), a young Midwestern mother, takes all the right steps to assure a promising environment for her newborn daughter. She relocates, gets a job and secures a legal divorce. When Julie falls in love with Frank (Bernie Hamilton), an African-American man who works at the same factory, her ex-husband, Joe (Richard Mulligan), takes her to court in the hopes of getting custody. Frank is advised to flee to keep his new family together, but instead he confronts the biased system.

Critics Reviews

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Melissa Anderson Village Voice Both husband and wife are shrewdly observed characters in a film untainted by sentimentality, a quality that American films about race, then and now, fall back on. Oct 19, 2016 Full Review Frank J. Avella Edge Media Network The best performance is by Mulligan, who is most remembered for his TV comedies, but is scarily powerful here as a man who has been taught to hate for no reason other than Frank's skin color. Rated: B- Jun 15, 2021 Full Review Henry Geldzahler Vogue They have constructed a film to make a point, and, even if that is obvious throughout the film, it was worth making and it is worth seeing. Apr 28, 2020 Full Review Merl Edelman Los Angeles Free Press It is a film which should be seen. Perhaps cheered. Jan 24, 2020 Full Review Wendy Michener Maclean's Magazine It is pleasantly shocking to watch the very real face of Barbara Barrie with its slightly off-centre prettiness and terrifying vulnerability. And the Negro in-laws (Robert Earle Jones and Vinette Carroll) have an authenticity that speaks for itself. Jun 27, 2019 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Packs a powerful lesson on racism. Rated: B+ Aug 2, 2010 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Mike P Well intentioned but heavy handed racial melodrama swings a little too hard with the gavel; as Midwestern single mother Barbara Barrie hooks up and shacks up with handsome, soft spoken co-worker Bernie Hamilton...And that's all good...Except that this is 1963; and she's white, and he's black...So all hell breaks loose. Maybe too loose...I mean Larry Pearce directs this ham-fisted screed with all the subtlety of a German Tank...And I know things were different back then; in this Jim Crow era narrative; but this movie is also only interested in being as manipulative and melodramatic as possible and pushing all our buttons; and it shows. I mean it's obvious. But the acting is great, and I did like some of the romantic scenes between Hamilton and Barrie at the beginning. But beyond that I can't recommend this. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 05/01/25 Full Review Linda P I found this movie by accident many years ago. Excellent movie, I cried like a baby. It's worth watching Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/02/24 Full Review Steve D I THINK it means well but its message is muddled. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 04/15/24 Full Review Audience Member Much better than Guess who's coming to dinner. More realistic. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review s r Despite the message, the acting often fell flat. It was also predictable and became a bit tedious. The directing was behind these shortcomings and the writing. Saw it on TCM. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Years ahead of its time. 1964 saw this along with with Nothing But A Man. Great landmark films. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review Read all reviews
One Potato, Two Potato

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Cast & Crew

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Larry Peerce

Director

Barbara Barrie

Julie Cullen Richards

Bernie Hamilton

Frank Richards

Richard Mulligan

Joe Cullen

Harry Bellaver

Judge Powell

Marti Mericka

Ellen Mary

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One Potato, Two Potato

One Potato, Two Potato (1964) One Potato, Two Potato (1964) One Potato, Two Potato (1964) One Potato, Two Potato (1964) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Julie (Barbara Barrie), a young Midwestern mother, takes all the right steps to assure a promising environment for her newborn daughter. She relocates, gets a job and secures a legal divorce. When Julie falls in love with Frank (Bernie Hamilton), an African-American man who works at the same factory, her ex-husband, Joe (Richard Mulligan), takes her to court in the hopes of getting custody. Frank is advised to flee to keep his new family together, but instead he confronts the biased system.
Director
Larry Peerce
Producer
Anthony Spinelli
Screenwriter
Orville H. Hampton, Raphael Hayes
Distributor
Cinema V
Production Co
Bawalco Picture Company
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 29, 1964, Original
Runtime
1h 32m