To kill a Mocking Bird, Sergeant Rutledge and Town on Trial.

Many years ago during a television documentary about films the British Director Alex Cox said when he and his girlfriend settled in to watch a pre 80s film they would have a friendly bet on how long into the film before the black guy was killed or falsely accused of a terrible crime. Of all the thousands of old films I have watched only twice has the plot involved a false accusation of rape and in both films the accused men were black.

The most famous of all is of course To kill a Mockingbird (1962) starring Gregory Peck. Although obviously innocent the whole town convicts Tom Robinson on his colour alone and he is killed trying to 'escape'. This is one of those films where you know that despite the dignity of Tom Robinson his innocence will not save his life.

I have not seen the film Sergeant Rutledge (1960) in years, it stars Woodrow Wilson Woolwine 'Woody' Strode (What a name!). The plot again centres around a false accusation of rape. Thankfully in this film the accused innocence is proved when another man confesses.

In the 1957 British film Town on Trial starring John Mills during the latter part of the film at a dance hall surrounded by woodland a young lady's scream is heard by men inside the hall, one male says 'what was that' to which another replies 'probably some dame saying no', then they all return to their drinking.

Today I find it distasteful how easily writers throw in sex in modern films, there seems to be more attention to this and the special effects than character building and a good plot, or am I just getting old?