Hello Stevemack12,
I believe the movie you recall is the 1969 film Putney Swope.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064855/
Plot Summary for Putney Swope (1969)
"Dark satire in which the token black man on the executive board of an
advertising firm is accidentally put in charge. Renaming the business
"Truth and Soul, Inc.", he replaces the tight regime of monied white
ad men with his militant brothers."
IMDb
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064855/plotsummary
User Comment
"A conservative white-collar advertising company is taken over by a
group of street-wise African Americans chaired by a no-nonsense black
man who wants to make a buck and believes he can sell products by
telling the the truth. But the movie shows that no matter how hard he
tries to do something different, the market place and the political
system demands that he conform, rendering him no different than his
predecessors."
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064855/
Editorial Reviews
"If you're looking for a movie that shocked the filmgoing public with
its outspoken take on race relations in corporate America circa 1969,
look no further than this Robert Downey debut effort. Made on a
shoestring in black and white, this film begins with a wonderful
moment of racial discomfort. The board of directors at a Madison
Avenue ad agency must elect a new chairman, and, in the maneuvering to
make sure that enemies don't get votes, all the board members
accidentally cast their ballot for the board's token black man, Putney
Swope (Arnold Johnson). Swope immediately cleans house and transforms
the agency into New York's hippest shop with a Black Power mentality
and a willingness to tell previously unspoken truths in advertising."
Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Putney-Swope-Gottlieb/dp/B000FUF7DK/
"After the CEO croaks during a boardroom meeting at a Madison Avenue
ad agency, members trying to sabotage each other's chance of winning
the top spot each vote for the token black guy, thereby electing
Putney Swope. Swope swoops into action, firing them all and replacing
them with armed radicals, soul brothers, and sexy red-hot mamas.
Re-naming the agency "Truth and Soul," Putney sets about
revolutionizing the corporate world of advertising, banning the
marketing of products such as cigarettes, alcohol and violent toys.
The agency produces raucous, kooky TV spots - offensive, humorous,
and, at first, wildly successful."
Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Putney-Swope-Gottlieb/dp/B000FUF7DK/
Amazon carries the DVD
Price: $17.99
76 used & new from $13.11
http://www.amazon.com/Putney-Swope-Gottlieb/dp/B000FUF7DK/
VHS copies are also available
http://www.amazon.com/Putney-Swope-Alan-Abel/dp/6303366880/sr=1-1/qid=1163820478/ref=sr_1_1/104-6619901-0859958?ie=UTF8&s=video
Search terms:
black chairman movie 1960..1978 site:www.imdb.com
I hope this is helpful!
Best regards,
Bobbie7 |