Today, this would be an easy film to criticize. After all, the budget and production values were very low for black-produced movies of the 1930s and 40s. And, on top of that, the main characters in this film, Mantan Moreland and F.E. Miller, are rather negative black stereotypes. But, if you look at this in context, it's actually a pretty good film. First, at that time black audiences were generally not even allowed in theaters due to segregation. And, since the Hollywood products featured only white leads, some black entrepreneurs decided to make films with all-black casts--but the funding never even came close to the major studios and was even often lower than the so-called poverty row studios like Monogram and even PRC. So, what can you expect--Shakespeare?! Second, while folks today might blanch and the sort of people portrayed by Moreland and Miller, it was only intended to be seen by blacks--and whites would not have seen these types of characters. So, you incredibly politically correct types out there, do NOT judge this film too quickly or too harshly--it represents one of the better films of its type.
Moreland and Miller are hobos and spend the initial portion of the film trying to find food. However, they happen upon some rich black guys and 'play a friendly game of dice'--after which the pair leave with the car, clothes AND chauffeur. Suddenly, Moreland and Miller look rich and sophisticated--and they are looking for excitement. Now this is pretty weird, but they find a sanitarium that is really a gambling joint--complete with sexy ladies and booze. Although the place is a clip-joint, Moreland has amazing luck--and eventually owns the place as he breaks the bank! How does this happen? Yup--it turns out the place is haunted and the spirits are out to teach everyone a lesson! As you can tell from the description of the film, it is NOT a sophisticated film. And, as I said before, politically correct folks will probably have heart attacks when they see black people gambling, trying to steal chickens and talking like characters from an episode of TV's "Amos 'n Andy"--but it is fun. My suggestion is watch it--learn about a seldom talked about piece of black history as well as enjoy the silly plot, as Moreland was a funny guy and the script writers actually did a pretty good job.
