One Potato, Two Potato

One Potato, Two Potato is a 1964 blackandwhite American drama film directed by Larry Peerce and starring Barbara Barrie and Bernie Hamilton.

Eventually, Julies exhusband, Joe, returns, seeking to establish a visitation relationship with Ellen. However, when he finds that Julie and Ellens new family is black, he finds this unacceptable and petitions the court for legal custody of Ellen. Franks lawyer tells him that Joe is likely to win. Agreeing with the lawyers analysis, William advises Frank to take Julie and the children and flee the state. Frank, however, decides to stay and fight the case in court. When Julie appeals to Joe directly, it only angers him, and he even briefly attempts to force himself on Julie physically. When Frank learns what has happened, he is intensely frustrated by his inability to defend his wife by directly confronting Joe, since he knows that if he does, that will be the end of whatever small chance he and Julie have of winning the custody case.The judge in the case looks carefully into Ellens family situation, including interviewing her directly. She affirms how much she loves Frank and she seems oblivious to the racial issues at play. When the judge asks her about her baby brother being different from her, the only thought that occurs to her is that her brother is a boy, while she is a girl. The judge recognizes that the family situation in the Richards home is superior for Ellen in every way except for the fact that she is white, growing up in a black household. While the judge does not condone racial prejudices and agrees that they should be fought, he also says that he cannot ignore that they exist and, if Ellen remains with Frank and Julie, will negatively impact her when she reaches adulthood. For that reason, he grants Joes petition for custody. ........

Source: Wikipedia