Shaft's Big Score! (1972)

Director:

Gordon Parks

Writer:

Ernest Tidyman

Release Date:

8 June 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

A brand new caper.

Plot:

Shaft is back to find the murderer of an old friend on the cold hard city streets with a little help from his new friends.

Plot Keywords:

Nudity | Chase | African American | Funeral | Blaxploitation

Cast

Richard Roundtree	...	John Shaft
Moses Gunn	...	Bumpy Jonas
Drew Bundini Brown	...	Willy
Joseph Mascolo	...	Gus Mascola
Kathy Imrie	...	Rita
Wally Taylor	...	Johnny Kelly
Julius Harris	...	Capt. Bollin (as Julius W. Harris)
Rosalind Miles	...	Arna Asby
Joe Santos	...	Pascal
Angelo Nazzo	...	Al
Don Blakely	...	Johnson
Melvin Green Jr.	...	Junior Gillis
Thomas Anderson	...	Preacher
Evelyn Davis	...	Old Lady
Richard Pittman	...	Kelly's Hood #1
Robert Kya-Hill	...	Cal Asby
Thomas Brann	...	Mascola's Hood
Bob Jefferson	...	Harrison
Dan Hannafin	...	Cooper (as Dan P. Hannafin)
Jimmy Hayeson	...	Caretaker
Henry Ferrentino	...	Det. Salmi
Frank Scioscia	...	Rip
Kitty Jones	...	Cabaret Dancer
Gregory Reese	...	Foglio
Marilyn Hamlin	...	Mascola's Girl
Cihangir Gaffari	...	Jerry (as John Foster)
Joyce Walker	...	Cigarette Girl
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Foster
Gordon Parks	...	Croupier (uncredited)

Directed by
Gordon Parks

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ernest Tidyman

Produced by
David Golden	....	associate producer
Roger Lewis	....	producer
Ernest Tidyman	....	producer
Stirling Silliphant	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Gordon Parks

Cinematography by
Urs Furrer

Film Editing by
Moe Howard		(as Harry Howard)

Casting by
Judith Lamb

Art Direction by
Emanuel Gerard

Set Decoration by
Robert Drumheller

Costume Design by
Joseph G. Aulisi		(as Joe Aulisi)

Makeup Department
Martin Bell	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William C. Gerrity	....	assistant director

Art Department
Robert Hart	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Lee Bost	....	sound
Hal Watkins	....	sound
Robert Rogow	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Tony Parmelee	....	special effects

Stunts
Alex Stevens	....	stunt coordinator
Marvin Walters	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Ronald M. Lautore	....	camera operator (as Ronald Lautore)
Gary Muller	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)

Music Department
Tom McIntosh	....	music supervisor
Richard Hazard	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Tom McIntosh	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Walter Burrell	....	unit publicist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
• Shaft Productions Ltd.

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1972) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Fox-MGM (1973) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM-EMI (1972) (UK) (theatrical)
• Audio Visual Enterprises (1986) (Greece) (VHS)
• CBS Television Network (1976) (USA) (TV)
• Living Colour Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:MA | Finland:K-16 | New Zealand:R13 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16 (nf) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Ontario) | UK:X (original rating) | Iceland:16 | Singapore:M18 | Italy:VM14 | Germany:16 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Laguardia Place 520, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The shotgun used by John Shaft in the last part of the film is the High Standard HS-10B designed circa 1970, originally a law enforcement only firearm.

Goofs:

Continuity: In one scene, the rotor-blades of a helicopter just finish winding down. In the next several scenes, the rotor-blades are still rotating.

Quotes:

Shaft:[carrying a semi-automatic shotgun] Drop the guns and freeze! When this baby starts kicking, it won't stop. So, nobody get cute!
[a thug goes for his gun and Shaft blows him away]
Shaft:Who's Next?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Ron Howard/The Clash (#8.3)" (1982)

Soundtrack:

Move On In

'Shaft' scores.

My Take: Fine Harlem-set thriller with a thrilling climax.

Richard Roundtree returns as the black foul-mouthed private eye John Shaft, reprising the role he made famous in the previous film SHAFT. Made in 1972, SHAFT'S BIG SCORE clearly shows its age as an old star vehicle. Almost everything, from clothing, quips and concept, have been outdated by today's bigger standards. Still, there's much to enjoy in Roundtree's iconic portrayal as the private eye Shaft as he gets tangled up with the mob, led by gangster Gus Mascola (Joseph Mascolo).

So much of the film is devoted to a lot of mob meetings and Shaft at his private eye work, and less comes the action. Up until the finale, a terrific long helicopter chase, the film is devoted to Ernest Tidyman's (THE FRENCH CONNECTION) well-written if often tedious screenplay. Long out-dated and outdone by better anti-Bond cop movies as DIRTY HARRY and THE FRENCH CONNECTION which still stood the test of time. Still, SHAFT'S BIG SCORE! is an enjoyable caper, Roundtree and the action finale delights.

Rating: *** out of 5.