Putney Swope

R

Released Jul 10, 1969

1h 28m

Comedy

List

69%

16 Reviews

Tomatometer

75%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

When its chairman dies, an advertising firm's executive board must elect someone to fill the position. Each member, unable to vote for himself, casts a secret ballot for Putney Swope (Arnold Johnson), the firm's only black executive, assuming he wouldn't receive any votes from the other members. But once in power, Swope makes radical changes to the firm -- like keeping only one white employee and refusing to advertise harmful products -- all under the firm's new moniker, "Truth and Soul, Inc."

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Shioka O

I see this satire was ahead of the time and risky, perhaps still is.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

11/20/22

Full Review

Audience Member

This film feels like it was made yesterday, as the premise and dialogue embraced the truth when it was made in 1969, so it feels forever fresh, hip, young, and funny. Downey Sr had been employed in advertising and used his experiences to inform this film, which gives it the feel of the real commercial behind the commercial. It may take you a while to get over the fact Downey Sr dubbed his voice over Arnold Johnson's (Putney), if you get over at all. Why was that done? I don't know. It seems like a very controlled move from the writer-director. You may love Putney Swope, but the real man animating him is off camera, so, it does have a bit of a creeper puppet and puppeteer vibe, though not enough for the underlying messages of the film to come across. Antonio Fargas as The Arab is the one to watch in this, as his energy is off the hook.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

Full Review

Audience Member

My absolute favorite comedy, all-time. The most quotable lines of pretty much any film. I saw it in an art house in Dayton with a former priest (he married a nun, truth) and a Mormon. While I laughed my head off, they were open-mouthed and shocked! Outrageous, but so on target for the times. Thank you Robert Downey, Sr.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The best comedy movie ever made!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

Full Review

Tony S

a must see satirical look at race in America I howled with laughter

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/12/18

Full Review

camille l

Après de longues années à faire des films totalement absurdes dans son coin, Robert Downey Sr. livre en 1969 une comédie satirique hilarante avec Putney Swope, qui voit le seul Noir d'une agence de pub être nommé à la tête de celle-ci. Il décide alors de virer tout le monde et de ne mettre que des Noirs dans l'agence. Ce qui aurait pu être un brûlot sociétal n'est au final qu'une grosse comédie absurde avec des fausses pubs à pleurer de rire, des personnages qui enchaînent les punchlines et une absence de sens commun à l'ensemble qui rend le film assez radical. Pas pour tout le monde, Putney Swope est une oeuvre singulière qui tape sur tout et sur rien en même temps, qui ne respecte rien et qui a Antonio Fargas habillé en émir pendant 1h30. Que demande le peuple?

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Robert Downey Sr.

Director

Arnold Johnson

Putney Swope

Pepi Hermine

President of the United States Mimeo

Allen Garfield

Elias, Jr.

Laura Greene

Mrs. Swope

Stanley Gottlieb

Nathan

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Penelope Gilliatt

New Yorker

Some of Downey's film is lousy. Some of it has a peculiar surreal opportunism and rudeness to his hosts -- to the party, to the payers, to the American economy -- the works blissfully.

Jul 7, 2022

Full Review

Variety

The situations include political caricature, but disappointedly nothing much beyond marginal interest occurs. The comedy is only intermittently funny and the satire is mostly shallow and obvious.

Dec 17, 2006

Full Review

Derek Adams

Time Out

A satire on American ways of life, written and directed by Downey and misfiring on most cylinders.

Feb 9, 2006

Full Review

Roger Moore

Movie Nation

Kind of over-the-top, but too underwhelming for its own good

Rated: 2/4

Dec 23, 2022

Full Review

Christopher Lloyd

The Film Yap

Robert Downey Sr.'s absurdist social satire about a Black man radicalizing an ad agency seems almost tame nowadays, but was considered quite off-the-wall and daring in its time.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 14, 2022

Full Review

Sandra Dobson

Baltimore Afro-American

Putney Swope was racist, a bit crude, but no one can say that it isn't one of the most (if not the only) provocative movies of the year. Everyone should go see it. If not for thorough enjoyment, then to "dig yourself."

Jul 28, 2020

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Synopsis

When its chairman dies, an advertising firm's executive board must elect someone to fill the position. Each member, unable to vote for himself, casts a secret ballot for Putney Swope (Arnold Johnson), the firm's only black executive, assuming he wouldn't receive any votes from the other members. But once in power, Swope makes radical changes to the firm -- like keeping only one white employee and refusing to advertise harmful products -- all under the firm's new moniker, "Truth and Soul, Inc."

Director: Robert Downey Sr.
Screenwriter: Robert Downey Sr.
Production Co: Herald Ace
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 10, 1969, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 20, 2017
Runtime: 1h 28m
Sound Mix: Mono

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