In reviewing movies featuring people of color in chronological order for Black History Month, we're now at 1944 when director/actor Spencer Williams made this parable about the dangers of deliberately falsifying a scandal of a decent preacher in order to keep one's bar in business. The man of the cloth is played by real-life reverend Samuel H. James as Jasper with Williams as the bar owner. I'll just now say that while the whole thing can be a bit heavy handed and perhaps in-your-face, the intentions were heartfelt and still effective. One has to admit, though, those "fly chicks" that attempted to tease Jasper were fine especially the one that showed some leg! And those images of Hell can be a little haunting. If there's some demerits, it's that the acting and film stock are very amateurish. Still, it's the intention that counts. So on that note, Go Down, Death! is worth a look. P.S. The forward at the beginning acknowledges the poem the title is based on by James Weldon Johnson who was born in Jacksonville, FL, which is where I once lived from 1987-2003.
