Flame in the Streets

UK drama has working class Brits simmering under racial tensions: in the warehouses, the factories, even at the public pool--the catalyst being a hard-working black man who gets a coveted factory promotion over the petty, envious whites (wasn't this the same situation in "Black Legion" from 1937?). John Mills plays a union organizer who tries bringing peace to the locals but is confounded by the unexpected romance between his white daughter and a black teacher from the West Indies. Ted Willis adapted his play "Hot Summer Night", forgetting that screen material needs to be less theatrical, more subtle and sensitive. Each character spouts off with such pedagogic fervor, vigorously puffed up with their own righteous anger, that the main theme of tolerance is diffused (with that faux-calypso music playing, you'd think there would be more dancing than feuding!). OK melodrama, it beat "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?" to the screen by several years, and a few of the performances are thoughtfully rendered. Color film released by the The Rank Organisation was distributed to the States by Atlantic Pictures in black-and-white. ** from ****

It wasn't just in the USA that racial tension was rife in the 1960s, it was also pretty toxic for many living in urban Britain too. That's exemplified here by the young "Peter" (Johnny Sekka) who works at a factory where there's a sort of truce between the colours that's striven for by union man "Jacko" (John Mills) who just happens to be the father of "Kathie" (Sylvia Syms) who just happens to be the girlfriend of "Peter". Small world, but not an happy one. Her mother "Nell" (Brenda de Banzie) is more openly hostile to this pairing but dad isn't a great fan either. It's so much because they are racist in themselves, but more that they have a concern for their daughter in a big city where mixed-race relationships were distinctly frowned upon and "half-caste" babies even more so. These aren't just paper-based threats, we can see from the stirring that goes on at their workplace that the young locals are just as keen on causing trouble; making their lives awkward and even dangerous. It's all building to a Guy Fawkes night bonfire that's likely to burn more than old wood from bomb-damaged buildings. There's some good and poignant writing underpinning this drama and the solid efforts of Mills, Syms, Sekka and Earl Cameron help condense quite a lot that's visceral into this tautly directed feature. It's de Banzie, though, who stands out for me. The conflicted mother whose not just concerned about her daughter, but also about the state of a marriage that she feels has systematically neglected her at the expense of her husband's union career and her family. That all comes to a boil too, leaving us with quite a lively and thought-provoking series of conclusions. It's violent at times, but ultimately Roy Ward Baker has let the words and the imagery do most of the heavy lifting here, and I thought it a potent piece of British cinema.

Flame in the Streets was adapted from a stage play and often feels like it. The acting is occasionally stilted and other times too heavy-handed. Not the worst offender nor entirely out of step of other performances of its mostly pre-method era. It's just that, given it's serious subject matter, it didn't need any extra help to wind up the audience and it might have done a better overall job if it was more clever and subtle in its approach. Additionally, some of the dialog, especially from minor characters, is very on the nose and almost comically rote. In some ways this film feels more like it's from the 30s or 40s and not the early 60s.

The plot involves a union leader who, full of righteousness, defends a black man's promotion to a minor management role in a manufacturing company. His progressivism and sense of fairness is challenged and turned on its ear when he learns his daughter intends to marry a black man. All of this takes place amid the backdrop of his crumbling marriage and a neighborhood that has started to boil over with racial tensions.

While it's easy to criticize the execution, I appreciated how directly and incisively it goes after its controversial themes, particularly that of the half-way liberal who will righteously advocate for the downtrodden as long as, on some level, he can continue to see them as lower and separate from himself, and those truly close to him. That hypocrisy is still very relevant today as many talk endlessly and fiery about inclusion, but at the end of the day still seem to be surrounded by people who look the same as they do.

This film is a very enjoyable and courageous film about racism in London in the early 1960s. Apparently, there was a lot of negative feeling towards West Indians living there--and it's all quite similar to the feelings in much of the US at the same time.

The first portion of the film involves workers and their union. A major problem is that a lot of white workers are resentful of blacks--especially when they are placed in positions of authority. One of the union reps, Jacko Palmer (John Mills), believes in promoting people according to their merits--and goes to bat for these people.

Ironically, at the same time this is happening, Jocko's daughter is dating a Jamaican man. She is uneasy about how people will treat her but she loves the man and wants to marry him. When she tells her 'liberal-minded family', they show themselves to by hypocritical butt-heads--and the mother is truly vile in the way she talks about blacks and shows herself to be a shameful mother. How is all this to work out by the end of the film?

I liked the film and appreciate that it didn't pull its punches. I love "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" but at times it did seem a bit too sanitary and 'nice'. In contrast, this British film used extremely disturbing and graphic language--and better showed the ugliness of racism. Well worth seeing.

Considering this was made over 60 years ago it still packs a powerful punch, not least because of the use of extreme racial language which is not considered PC today.

The sound and vision is amazing. It could have been made last week.

Sylvia Syms and John Mills give stellar performances.

I wonder how it would be received today by the snowflake generation.

The fights at the end, possibly inspired by the 1958 Notting Hill Riots, somewhat distracted from the real issues within the film. These were about relationships and prejudice, non more so than Brenda de Banzie's shameful character.

Historically this is a very interesting and important film.