Mi sangre me condena

"Bernice" (Sonya Wilde) falls in love with, and marries, the well-to-do "Rick" (James Franciscus) and she soon becomes pregnant. Thing is, though, she has one hell of a secret. His entirely white family do not know that she is, well, not... His mother (Elizabeth Council) begins to suspect something is afoot when "Bernice" can't provide her family at the impending birth and, indeed, the only evidence of her mother's existence comes from a photograph that is less than convincing. As is always the case, the web of lies becomes more and more complicated and harder for her to plausibly sustain - especially when the baby arrives and her curious reactions seriously test her relationship with her husband. My problem with this is the underpinning story is really rather weak and the issues it presents us with are all enveloped in scenarios that are a bit contrived. Neither leading actor here really brings much to the party - in fact, it's really only Council who, briefly, engages. The contentious subject matter was clearly all that was on anyone's mind here - the production and delivery of that potentially potent analysis of racism and bigotry is, however, completely lacklustre and this really smacks of a mid-budget television movie.

Fred M. Wilcox's claim to fame is having directed several classic MGM movies: "Lassie Come Home", "The Secret Garden" and "Forbidden Planet", but this final movie, made for Allied Artists. Is a quite well-made drama with that exploitation movie title "I Passed for White". Writing, producing and directing, he does a fine job with the material.

His script weaves together two major themes: the endemic racial prejudice that continues to exist in America (see: the way jerks like Trump and Vance ridicule Kamala Harris due to her mixed-race status) and more significantly what happens when one lies about oneself instead of finding strength in one's true identity.

Sonya Wilde impresses in the difficult title role, as Wilcox carefully details her problems growing up in a world that's anxious to pigeonhole her. She looks 100% Caucasian but is a member of a Black family, with both her kindly grandma and jazz saxophonist brother identifying as Negro. Tired of being picked on, she heads for Chicago to try a new life on her own, and is fortunate (?) enough to be seated on the plane next to dreamboat James Franciscus.

Growing up I was a big fan of Franciscus, enjoying him as star of "Naked City" and especially "Mr. Novak", and later thrilled (literally) when he starred in Dario Argento's "Cat O' Nine Tails". He was virtually an identical movie type to his contemporary Robert Redford, whose stardom came later and clearly has overshadowed Jim's 100%.

Sonya's inability to stay true to herself in Chicago is quite believable, and once she tries to pretend she's not a Negro in order to make a living and have friends, the lies expand and multiply, and poor Sonya is doomed to suffer.

Franciscus is quite convincing as the too good to be true ideal husband with the kicker that both he and Sonya are genuinely in love. But... society and its pressures intervene.

One interesting fact is that the original score is by "Johnny Williams", one of his first movie assignments, including plenty of excellent jazz music by the future wunderkind of film music. This is a classy, A-movie all the way, with only Wilcox's version of the usual (fake) Hollywood happy ending giving the wrong message in an otherwise sincere drama.

I PASSED FOR WHITE, one of those title-says-it-all kinda movies, is much better than you'd think. Thanks to the gorgeous Sonya Wilde, who has wonderful acting skills... what a shame she only appeared in a handful of television guest spots thereafter, mostly playing Native Americans on Westerns.

Wilde plays Bernice Lee - her hip brother blows sax at a club and her grandmother has words of wisdom, but no real answers, for what's really troubling Bernice. She can't keep a job when the employers find out she's part black... It was the early sixties, after all.

She decides to become Lila and, on a plane to another state and another life, she meets handsome businessman James Franciscus as Rick Leyton. After a windswept romance they get married. Of course he doesn't realize her secret and the rest of the film has the John "Johnny" Williams's score blasting whenever anyone almost discovers her ruse: especially Rick's pesky mother, continuously asking to meet Bernice's parents.

Wilde handles the melodrama perfectly and reaches for lies about her phantom family better than a lifelong politician. The tension builds nicely between the newlyweds, who make real sparks when times are good. Although Wilde looks so white, the audience won't always share in the controversy of a mixed couple relationship. If it weren't for that pounding soundtrack you might forget what she's so worried about in the first place.

What makes this movie special is that it is a true story written by Mary Bradley about people known to her personally, Reba Lee and her mother. The ending was what really happened in real life and the book and movie were pretty much true to life, not "based on a true story" like so many other movies that end up paying only lip service to the true story. Reba Lee's mother was Mary Bradley's seamstress, so she got the story first hand from the people it happened to. To me, that makes the story even more meaningful than if the author had simply interviewed someone she didn't know and told the story from her own viewpoint. I saw the movie many, many years ago and I am not sure I remember details exactly, but it seems to me that the movie was pretty faithful to the book. If you can find either the book or the movie, it is well worth your time to read or watch it.

I Passed For White seems to be a hidden gem like its leading lady Sonya Wilde. Her voice & sweet personality mixed with innocent xensuality reminded me of a young Marilyn Monroe. I began watching this sometime back, months ago on YouTube, & finally got back to it, after it came to mind yesterday. There's been a lot of focus on African-Americans pasing for Caucasion but some in various areas of the US have also passed themselves off as Native Americans, without a drop of Native American blood, when their ancestors were found listed as a person of color. That's the case with some so-called tribes of the South.

No matter what they passed as to avoid racism, it's a ugly blemish on a huge part of American society, that can't live & let live, & feel it's their right to punish people who not only don't look white, but even those known to have non-white ancestry.

This movie showcases that ignorance perfectly. My only complaint is the ending which made it feel unfinished. I for one wanted more.