Everything about The Liberation Of L B Jones totally explained
The Liberation of L.B. Jones is a
1970 American drama film directed by
William Wyler, his final project in a career that spanned forty-five years. The
screenplay by
Jesse Hill Ford and
Stirling Silliphant is based on Ford's 1965 novel
The Liberation of Lord Byron Jones.
Plot Synopsis
The title character, a wealthy
African American funeral director in
fictional Somerset,
Tennessee, seeks legal representation from the local law firm run by Oman Hedgepath and his newlywed nephew Steve Mundine. Jones is seeking a
divorce from his considerably younger wife Emma, alleging she'd an affair with white police officer Willie Joe Worth, whom he suspects is the biological father of her unborn child. In an effort to avoid a public scandal, Worth begs Emma not to contest the divorce, but she hopes to collect enough
alimony to allow her to maintain the lavish lifestyle to which she's become accustomed. When she refuses to cooperate, Worth severely beats her, then - with the aid of fellow officer Stanley Bumpas - arrests Jones on false charges. The man escapes and eventually confronts the two policemen, who shoot and
castrate him but are not held accountable for their actions, despite their confession. Bumpas subsequently is murdered by Sonny Boy Mosby in retaliation for a vicious beating he once inflicted on the man.
Principal cast
Critical reception
In his review in the
New York Times,
Vincent Canby said, "I'm sure that Wyler and his screenwriters . . . were out to make a suspense movie that would also work as contemporary social commentary. In the interests of
melodrama, they've simplified the characters from Hill's novel to such a degree that they seem more
stereotyped than may have been absolutely necessary . . . Wyler's direction is notable only for the coldness and for an impatience to get on with the story at the expense of any feeling of real involvment . . . I must say I wasn't bored by it, just depressed."
Variety called it "not much more than an interracial sexploitation film."
TV Guide rates it two out of a possible four stars and comments, "Though the cast gives some strong performances, ultimately the film is an empty affair. The questions of racism and southern prejudice had been well handled by other films long before this. Had it been made 10 years earlier it would have been a landmark, but in 1970 it was no longer fresh material. The script is pockmarked with cliches and stereotypes, though the technical aspects are fine. This last film of director Wyler was nothing special."
Awards and nominations
Lola Falana was nominated for the
Golden Globe Award for New Star Of The Year - Actress but lost to
Carrie Snodgress in
Diary of a Mad Housewife.
Further Information
Get more info on 'The Liberation Of L B Jones'.
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