Gone Are the Days!

Purlie Victorious ( AKA Gone Are the Days) is a stage bound film version of the popular play, written by star Ossie Davis and featuring his spouse Ruby Dee, the always hilarious Godfrey Cambridge, and a young Alan Alda. It shows its years and betrays an obvious low to non-existent budget but is a showcase for its cast, which also includes a ripe turn from Sorrell Booke as a died in the wool Ol' Suthun Genelman.

This was a film that hasn't been seen since its theatrical release years ago since it was shown only once on television. After years of speculation,the motion picture "Purlie Victorious"(AKA Gone Are The Days)finally comes out on DVD. Released in 1963 and based on the stage play,written by Ossie Davis,this was a film that was well-acted but shot on a low budget scale. Ossie Davis oozes charisma and his spouse Ruby Dee is playing a character much younger than he is,since at the time this film was made Ruby Dee was very convincing at the age of 39. The film itself is mostly a stagebound,broadly acted about racism in the South and financial chicanery,since this movie was made in 1963 which gives the setting for the tone of bigotry here in the height of the civil rights movement of that period. Davis' play would later turned into the musical "Purlie!",which ran on Broadway and starred Ben Vereen and Sherman Hemsley. But getting back to the movie per se,since the reason it hasn't been seen in years is because of some of racist commentary and so forth. It has finally come to DVD for the first time in years.

What makes this movie stand out is the performances which are absolutely brilliant beyond compare. Its features a cast of who's who here which includes the hilarious Godfrey Cambridge and Sorrell Brooke as a died in the wool Southern Gentleman. Sorrell Brooke is better known for playing Southern type characters mainly in the role of Boss Hogg on the series "The Dukes Of Hazzard". It also features here the film debut of actor Alan Alda since this was his first feature film as one of the Southern aristocrats. The film would be a steppingstone for Alda,whom would go on to bigger and better things,and this would be long before anyone heard of the word MASH.

Actually, I have yet to see a live version with Ossie & Ruby but read the play years ago. I can't wait to see it realized especially with the original author, Ossie Davis, playing Purlie. I did see a version with Melba Moore playing Lutiebelle which was quite good - but Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee are, as far as I'm concerned, the quintessential First Couple in African-American theatre - any chance to see them perform together is always a treat. Even as a read, the play is quite hilarious and it works all the more imagining such talent as Ossie & Ruby realizing the roles. As a matter of fact, I read "Purlie Victorious" and 'Day of Absence" by Douglas Turner Ward, another excellent example of black theatre, together - they complement each other quite well as shining examples of black comedy satirizing existing racial attitudes then (hmmmm..and now..) The play is timeless, is not at ALL archaic by todays standards as many of the same issues tackled in Purlie as well as Day of Absence still exist, alas, in 2007.

But on a lighter note, owning a copy of "Purlie Victorious" performed by its auspicious author, the incomparable Ossie Davis, is simply a must for your collection.