The Spook Still Sits By The Door
Today is the birthday of one of my favorite novelist Sam Greenlee. Mr. Greenlee was best known for his 1973 movie made from his novel “The Spook Who Sat by the Door,” which envisioned a black power revolution led by a militant black ex-C.I.A. agent — it was pulled from theaters after a brief box office success. The film, same as the novel, achieved cult status as one of the few to portray the black power movement of the 1960s and ’70s from a militant’s point of view. Mr. Greenlee helped write the script, which, like the book, drew on his experiences working abroad for the United States Information Agency.
The protagonist, Dan Freeman, the "spook who sat by the door," is enlisted in the CIA's elitist espionage program. Upon mastering agency tactics, however, he drops out to train young Chicago blacks as "Freedom Fighters.” The portrayal was criticized by some as a revolutionary’s handbook, complete with detailed accounts of making Molotov cocktails, robbing banks and taking firearms from a National Guard armory. Mr. Greenlee said his purpose had never been to advocate those actions, but rather to explore what he considered a fantasy of many young black men at the time: turning the tables on the white establishment by using its power against it.
The Spook Who Sat by the Door had its premiere in 1973 and was an overnight smash. Initial takings impressed the movie trade press. But its troubles quickly resumed. Theatre managers were approached by FBI members who advised against holding further screenings. All the prints were seized, though director Ivan Dixon had the foresight to archive the negative under a different title, and it’s for this reason alone that the film survives today.
Is the fictional story of Dan Freeman, the first black CIA officer, and of the CIA's history of training persons and political groups who later used their specialized training in gathering intelligence, political subversion, and guerrilla warfare against the CIA.
Two years ago I received an invitation to exhibit my work in a international film festival in NYC. The art exhibit theme was black hero’s in movies. At the time I was working on a portrait for a friend of mine who is the granddaughter of Mr. Greenlee. I asked for her blessing to honor his legacy by live painting the portrait during the film festival and she approved. On the fourth day of the exhibit I completed the painting and presented as part of the festival.
The symbols within the painting is an interpretation of the legacy Mr. Greenlee left since his passing. The blue symbol on the left is the Throat Chakra (Vishuddhi) meaning “pure.” The function of the throat chakra is driving by the principle of expression and communication. Sam Greenlee recognized the power of using your voice to help create the change you desire. On the right side is the poster design for the 1973 film score The Spook Who Sat By The Door. He is wrapped in the Ghanaian flag because during an interview he tells a story of attending a Pan African literary conference in Ghana and the facilitator asked everyone in the room to introduce themselves. When he tell the room his name everyone stops what their doing and gave him a standing ovation.
Thank you to the family of Mr. Greenlee for giving me this opportunity.
