The serious consequences of light behavior In America of the sixties of the last century, perhaps, there was no hotter topic than the relationship between races. Under Martin Luther King, black citizens of the United States fought hard against racial prejudices that had persisted since the Civil War and prevented people of color from being treated as full members of society. The filmmakers also could not pass by the questions of interest to the audience and shot several significant pictures on the subject of racism, among which it is worth mentioning two films with the participation of Sidney Poitier – Guess Who Will Come to Dinner and Midnight Heat. Both films were prestigious productions, shot at major film studios and awarded many awards. But low-budget cinema did not ignore the subject of interracial relations. Among them is the almost forgotten drama “Shanty Tramp”. This expression can be translated as “slumdog”, but in the slang of the American South it can mean a prostitute.
In her hometown, lost somewhere in the American South, a young woman Emily Stryker returns. Having a very frivolous nature, Emily tries to flirt with the entire male population of the city, which naturally leads to an attempted rape. From trouble, the heroine is saved by a young black guy named Daniel, with whom she begins a passionate affair. Many residents of the city do not like this, including the conservative preacher Fellowes, who himself is not indifferent to Emily. Daniel is hunted down and forced to flee the city. Meanwhile, Emily finds refuge in her father’s house, but there is no understanding.
The filmmakers are to be commended for their courage in displaying almost taboo themes at the time and for trying to show the underlying racism that was still flourishing in many southern states at the time. But the quality of the film leaves much to be desired, and the matter here is not only in the modest budget of the film, but also in the weak professional qualifications of its creators. For example, the performer of the leading role in many scenes clearly overplays, and it is no coincidence that after this film she did not appear anywhere. On the other hand, the film greatly benefits due to the authentic southern atmosphere, as many locals and even police officers participated in the shooting, which took place in Florida.
6 out of 10