This week’s mystery movie was the 1964 film “Nothing but a Man,” with Ivan Dixon, Abbey Lincoln, unit manager William Rhodes, assistant cameraman Peter Vollstadt, electrician Frank Sukosd, location manager Philip Clarkson, assistant Clayton Riley, costumes by Nancy Ruffing, secretary Sandi Nelson, associate editor Robert Machover, assistant editor Peter Gessner, services by Cal Penny, sound mixer Albert Gramaglia, harmonica by Wilbur Kirk, titles by F. Hillsberg, music performed by Mary Wells, the Gospel Stars, Martha and the Vandellas, the Miracles, Holland Dozier, Little Stevie Wonder, the Marvelettes, musical artists by arrangement with Motown Record Corp., sound by Robert Rubin, edited by Luke Bennett, photographed by Robert Young, written by Michael Roemer and Robert Young, directed by Michael Roemer. Produced by Robert Young, Michael Roemer and Robert Rubin in association with Du Art Film Laboratories. (Note: Robert Young was the director of a previous mystery movie, “The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez”).
“Nothing but a Man” is available on DVD from TCM.
Writing in the New York Times (Sept. 21, 1964 ) Bosley Crowther said:
It is a lean, unpretentious little picture about a young Negro laborer in Alabama who gives up a good job on the railroad to marry the daughter of a Baptist preacher and settle down, then runs into all kinds of trouble because he refuses to be what he calls “a white man’s” N-word and say “yassuh, boss.”
On the surface and in the present climate, it might seem a drama of race relations in the South, and in a couple of sharp exchanges of the hero with arrogant white men, the ugly face of imminent racial conflict shows.
But essentially it is a drama of the emotional adjustment of a man to the age-old problem of earning a livelihood, supporting a family and maintaining his dignity. The conditions of making a living are made more difficult for the man in this case because he is a Negro and will not play the expected Negro role, despite the warnings of his fellow workers and the urgings of his father-in-law.
For Monday, we have a mystery woman.
Update: This is Helene Arrindell.
For Tuesday, we have a clean-shaven mystery gent.
Update: This is Yaphet Kotto.
For Wednesday, we have two mystery ministers.
Update: This is Marshal Tompkin and Stanley Greene.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and Monday’s and Tuesday’s mystery guests), Michael Lott (mystery movie and Monday’s and Tuesday’s mystery guests) and Anne Papineau (mystery movie and Monday’s and Tuesday’s mystery guests.
For Thursday … if you blink you’ll miss her.
Update: This is Esther Rolle.
Also for Thursday, we have this mystery woman…
Update: This is Gloria Foster.
… and this mystery gent.
Update: This is Julius Harris.
… here they are in the leading man’s car.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery ministers), Anne Papineau (Wednesday’s mystery ministers) and Sarah (Tuesday’s mystery gent).
And for Friday.
Update: This is Abbey Lincoln and Ivan Dixon.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guests), Roget-L.A. (mystery movie, Thursday’s mystery future TV star), Beachgal (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Tucson Barbara (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guests), Patricia van Hartesveldt (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery women), Sarah (mystery movie, Thursday’s mystery future TV star), Anne Papineau (Thursday’s mystery guests), Lee Ann, Megan and Thom (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guests) and Sylvia E. (mystery movie, Wednesday’s mystery ministers and Thursday’s mystery guests).
ladailymirror.com 
Monday: Helene Arrindell in NOTHING BUT A MAN (1964)
Tuesday: Yaphet Kotto
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“Nothing but a Man” is the movie for the week. Monday’s mystery woman is Helene Arrindell – “Doris” and Tuesday’s man in the mirror is Yaphet Kotto – “Jocko.”
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On Tuesday, Yaphet Kotto?
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Is this “Nothing But a Man” (1964)
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On Monday, Helene Arrindell
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Marshal Tompkin, Stanley Greene.
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On Wednesday, Stanley Greene and Marshal Tompkin
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I’ll guess Tuesday’s mystery actor is Yaphet Kotto.
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I see Isabel Sanford lurking in the back ground but what is this movie?
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She’s known for television, but not “Sanford and Son.”
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Esther Rolle, Gloria Foster, Julius Harris.
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Esther Rolle as Church Woman in Nothing But a Man (1964)?
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Pearl Bailey in top photo today and ST. LOUIS BLUES.
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Tues – clean shaving man is Yaphet Kotto
Wed – up front preacher man is Stanley Greene
Mon – is Helene Arrindell
Thur – in the pews is Esther Rolle
Thus – mystery woman with coffee pot and in the car is Gloria Foster
Thurs – mystery gent is Julius Harris
on Friday, we should see our main stars, Abby Lincoln and Ivan Dixon
Our movie is Nothing But A Man
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On Wen we have a 2nd preacher man – it probably is Rev. Marshal Tompkin
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For Friday we have our stars, Abby Lincoln and Ivan Dixon
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Well, I see Helen Williams, Julius Harris, Esther Rolle and Gloria Foster, so this must be “Nothing But a Man.”
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Is the movie GONE ARE THE DAYS (aka PURLIE VICTORIOUS)?
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Thursday: Gloria Foster, with Esther Rolle in the row behind her. I think this is Nothing But a Man, 1964.
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Thanks to Esther Rolle today, I can confidently say this is 1964’s “Nothing But a Man.”
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On Thursday, looks like Esther “Florida” Rolle, Gloria Foster and Julius Harris. Fingers crossed.
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Nothing But a Man With Esther Rolle, Gloria Foster as today’s mystery woman, and Julius Harris as today’s mystery man.
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I looked at into this picture yesterday and talked myself out of it. Anyway….
Nothing But a Man 1964
Weds. – I think Stanley Greene and Marshall Tompkin
Thurs (ah-ha day) Esther Rolle, Gloria Foster, Julius Harris and the mystery driver must be Ivan Dixon
Looking forward to the Saturday break down of the movie and seeing Ivan Dixon and Abbey Lincoln on Friday.
Thanks
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Abbey Lincoln, Ivan Dixon.
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NOTHING BUT A MAN. Yaphet Kotto Tuesday, Stanley Greene and Marshal Tompkin Wednesday, Gloria Foster, Julius Harris, and Esther Rolle Thursday, and Abbey Lincoln and Ivan Dixon today.
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Ivan Dixon is Nothing But a Man.
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Ivan Dixon today?
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Our co-stars, Ivan Dixon and Abbey Lincoln
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A film that just gets better with every repeat viewing, there’s not a false note to be found here. I shudder to think what the end result would have been had this become a “Hollywood movie”, and grateful that it didn’t. Interesting to note that it was filmed in New Jersey, in 1963, since a film of this subject matter would not been difficult if not impossible in the south at that time. Excellent film.
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