Gone Are the Days!

Gone Are the Days! or Purlie Victorious is a 1963 American comedy-drama film starring Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee and Godfrey Cambridge. It is based on the 1961 Broadway play Purlie Victorious, which was written by Davis.^[1] Davis, Dee, Cambridge, Beah Richards, Sorrell Booke and Alan Alda (in his film debut), reprised their roles from the Broadway production.

Gone Are the Days!
Directed by	Nicholas Webster
Screenplay by	Ossie Davis
Based on	Purlie Victorious by Ossie Davis
Produced by	Brock Peters Nicholas Webster
Starring	Ossie Davis Ruby Dee Godfrey Cambridge
Cinematography	Boris Kaufman
Edited by	Ralph Rosenblum
Production company	Hammer Film Corp.
Release date	September 23, 1963 (1963-09-23)
Running time	99 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Cast

• Ossie Davis as Reverend Purlie Victorious Judson
• Ruby Dee as Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins
• Godfrey Cambridge as Gitlow Judson
• Hilda Haynes as Missy Judson
• Beah Richards as Idella Landy
• Alan Alda as Charlie Cotchipee
• Charles Welch as Sheriff
• Ralph Roberts as Deputy
• Sorrell Booke as Ol' Cap', Stonewall Jackson Cotchipee

Reception

The New York Times review stated "The cancers of segregation, blind bigotry and Uncle Tom were made funny but real, and therefore howlingly effective, by the dual artistry of playwright-star Ossie Davis. As a Negro seeing his people and their tormentors comically plain, he filled the stage with humor, insight and passion."^[1] The critic noted, however, that "Mr. Davis's, [sic] manufactured folk tale has, with the passage of just two years and the shedding of blood in Birmingham, lost some of its laughter. And the somewhat static quality of Nicholas Webster's direction, which clings to stage techniques, is not much of a help."^[1]