The Landlord (1970)

A young white man (Beau Bridges), who comes from a conservative but wealthy family, buys an apartment house in a downtrodden black neighborhood with the intention of evicting the tenants and gentrifying the apartment. What happens, however, is an eye opening learning experience. THE LANDLORD is a film that could only have come out of the 1970s. It's an uneven comedy (with some dramatic elements) so perhaps it shouldn't surprise us that the film is filled with stereotypes, both black and white. The rich whites are unapologetic racists and the blacks are funky and fun. But it was one of the first mainstream films that dealt with black rage and black pride. One can look past its often glib execution and savor its arrows when it hits its targets. Three performances stand out. Louis Gossett Jr., the great Diana Sands (who's amazing) and Lee Grant (in an Oscar nominated role) who manages to rescue her caricature and turn it into a personal acting triumph. Directed by Hal Ashby (his first film as a director) from Kristin Hunter's novel. Also in the cast: Pearl Bailey, Susan Anspach, Robert Klein, Trish Van Devere, Walter Brooke, Mel Stewart and Marki Bey.