Buck and the Preacher **(1972, Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, Ruby Dee, Cameron Mitchell) – Classic Movie Review 7902

Sidney Poitier makes his directorial début with the unusual 1971 Western Buck and the Preacher concentrating on black characters, in which he also stars and teams with Harry Belafonte as escaped slaves going West. They are under constant threat of attack from rednecks who resent their new-found freedom.

Poitier plays wagon scout Buck, Belafonte plays the con-man preacher, Ruby Dee plays Ruth and Cameron Mitchell plays the nasty white bad guy they come to battle.

Buck and the Preacher is a low-action movie, with a shaky tone, but the effective star pairing, the well-etched characters and good-natured message help to sustain the interest. The story and screenplay are by Ernest Kinoy (story written with Drake Walker), but the script of this too easy-going Western never attains the distinction it needs to set it out from the rut, while the direction is undistinguished and unfocused, except on the performances, which are good and strong.

Also in the cast are Denny Miller, Nita Talbot, John Kelly, Tony Brubaker, Bobby Johnson, James McEachin, Clarence Muse, Lynn Hamilton, Doug Johnson, Errol John and Ken Maynard.

Buck and the Preacher is directed by Sidney Poitier, with Joseph Sargent (uncredited), runs 103 minutes, is made by Columbia Pictures Corporation, E & R Productions Corp and Belafonte Enterprises, is released by Columbia, is written by Ernest Kinoy, is shot by Alex Phillips, is produced by PJoel Glickman, and is scored by Benny Carter.

Poitier took over directing from Joseph Sargent when he became dissatisfied with the film’s point of view. Poitier’s third work as director Uptown Saturday Night (1974) also stars him with Belafonte.

Dee plays the wife of Poitier’s character Buck, like she does in Edge of the City (1957) and A Raisin in the Sun (1961).

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7902

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