[Van Peebles's] short films, such as Sunlight and Three Pickup Men for Herrick, are rather mediocre productions…. [Sunlight illustrates] the tragedy of a black man who steals in an attempt to get enough money to marry the woman he loves. He is caught and imprisoned. Years later he is released from prison and returns in time to be the silent and unobserved witness at his daughter's wedding. The surprise ending and a rather nice score played by a group of San Francisco musicians do not offset the unexceptional photography and the wooden acting, although there are some notable shots achieved during the chase scene.

Three Pickup Men for Herrick is a well-conceived, if clumsily photographed, drama about the anxiety and suspense undergone by a group of men who stand at a 'pickup spot,' waiting for a white contractor to select some of them for a construction job...