Putney Swope

REVIEW
While the liberal wing of Hollywood was making a big show out of taking Sidney Poitier home to dinner, Downey was preaching true equality when he argued that given half the chance blacks could be every bit as corrupt as whites. Having spent the better part of a decade directing TV commercials, Downey set his fable in the milieu he knew well -- Madison Avenue advertising. When token black Swope is accidentally elected the agency's new president, change is in the air. First up, a corporate make over, starting with the name. Now called "Truth & Soul," the company vows not to accept any politically incorrect clients -- until the cash flow gets tight. Downey mixes faux commercials with a wild narrative style that influenced mainstream movies for years to come.