Shirley Knight’s ‘Dutchman’ still resonates
With over 200 theater, film, and television credits throughout her 60-plus year career, you might think a 55-minute black and white low budget 1960s movie filmed in a week entirely inside a train carriage with only two principal characters wouldn’t rate high on Shirley Knight’s list of favorite roles.
But you’d be wrong. With its racial themes based on the Amiri Baraka play, 1966’s “Dutchman” remains a favorite with Knight and still stirs emotions with viewers.
“I saw the play and told my husband we had to make it as a film even though it was short,” recalled Knight, who coproduced and starred in the production.
“We couldn’t get it done in New York so went to England to shoot. We didn’t have a lot of money, but people helped out, like offering us music for the score.”
Knight plays flirtatious and highly unstable Lula, a white woman who meets Clay (the late Al Freeman Jr.), an African-American fellow train traveler, on the New York City subway.
The dialogue between the two takes place entirely on the train and skillfully symbolizes the conflict between White and Black America of the period, building to the shocking conclusion.
“It’s still shown in university Black Study courses,” said Knight, a longtime practitioner of social activism.
Despite winning awards for “Dutchman” at the Cannes and Venice Film Festivals, the story created considerable controversy at the time.
“I also did the play in Los Angeles and people were insulting us, sending things to the theater, and trying to shut us down. In fact, the first night we did ‘Dutchman’ someone from the government turned up because they were worried about it. It was a crazy time with apartheid in South Africa and all the ugly racial issues going on in the South.”
A multi Emmy winner (as well as a Tony recipient), Knight was twice nominated for supporting actress Oscars for two of her earliest films while still in her 20s.
“I was shocked, actually, as were my parents and was just happy to attend the ceremonies. At the Oscar dinner when I was nominated for ‘The Dark at the Top of the Stairs,’ my father sat next to Shirley Temple. I kept hoping he wouldn’t tell her that I was named after her because she must have heard that thousands of times. Of course, he did, but she was very gracious.”
Throughout her career, Knight worked on the big and small screen alongside many Hollywood legends, including Claude Rains, George C. Scott and Richard Burton (see www.shirleyknight. org).
“I was fortunate to work with these wonderful actors who taught me a great deal. Richard Burton became one of my dearest friends,” she said.
In one of her earliest roles, Knight played Burton’s daughter in 1960s “Ice Palace” filmed partly in Alaska.
“It had a great cast but was a terrible film,” she said laughing. “However, during time off, he would teach me how to read Shakespeare. I mean, how lucky for a young actress to learn Shakespeare from Richard Burton!”
While Knight would later draw on her experience in numerous TV movies to highlight social issues including bulimia and anorexia, abortion, adoption, alcoholism, disabilities and child abuse; her role in “Dutchman” remains a favorite.
“A few years ago, Jane Fonda and I were honored at a film festival for being quintessential American actresses of the ’60s,” she said. “They showed six of her films and six of mine, including ‘Dutchman.’”
Knight still recalls the audience response from that screening.
“It was fascinating to see their reaction after all this time. They were horrified by the story and ending.”
Nevertheless, when the lights were raised, Knight says they stood to applaud “Dutchman.”
“I’m still very proud of the film.”