I had picked this one from the shelf because of Sidney Poitier. Probably one of the most elegant man in the world, his performance in In the Heat of the Night, just a year before this one he co-wrote, was immaculate. Together with his two other films, also made in 1967, Sidney established himself as one of the best of actors. I had high hope for both the film and his performance in For Love of Ivy.
I don't think he had let me down in terms of performance as an actor, but the script could certainly be much improved if he or those around him were not so anxious to project a role model for the black community. The protagonist was not exactly those impecable ones as in the three films made in the height of his career, 1967, (including: To Sir, with Love; Guess Who is Coming for Dinner), but still the script-writers appeared too timid and rather reluctant to go beyond the 'an admirable hero with flaws' definition and I also found his co-star, the stylish Abbey Lincoln too well-groomed for a maid whose only ambition was to become a secretary (because she knew not what else she wanted). The normal/tight control of the Hollywood machine was at work, though it was not of Sidney's doing, it did make this particular film rather flat, contrived and lacking in edges. The follow up was an anti-climax.
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