Black Caesar (1973)

Director:

Larry Cohen

Writer:

Larry Cohen (writer)

Release Date:

7 February 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Hail Caesar, Godfather of Harlem...The Cat with the .45-Caliber Claws!

Plot:

Tommy Gibbs is a tough kid, raised in the ghetto, who aspires to be a kingpin criminal. As a young boy...

Plot Keywords:

Power | Criminal | Harlem | Mafia | New York

Cast

Fred Williamson	...	Tommy Gibbs
Gloria Hendry	...	Helen
Art Lund	...	McKinney
D'Urville Martin	...	Rev. Rufus
Julius Harris	...	Mr. Gibbs
Minnie Gentry	...	Mama Gibbs
Philip Roye	...	Joe Washington
William Wellman Jr.	...	Alfred Coleman
James Dixon	...	Bryant
Val Avery	...	Cardoza
Patrick McAllister	...	Grossfield
Don Pedro Colley	...	Crawdaddy
Myrna Hansen	...	Virginia Coleman
Omer Jeffrey	...	Tommy as a boy
Michael Jeffrey	...	Joe as a boy

Also Known As:

The Godfather of Harlem (UK)

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Netherlands:16 | Finland:(Banned) (1988) | West Germany:18 | USA:TV-MA (cable rating) | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Trivia:

Originally offered to Sammy Davis Jr., who turned it down.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Towards the end, when Tommy leaves the building, the elevator door closes though his leg is in the doorway.

Quotes:

Tommy Gibbs: You can sleep until noon, if you want anything, just press a button.
Mama Gibbs: Me? Live in this apartment? Why they'd hang me right off that terrace, Jew folks ain't even allowed here.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Happiness Is No Fun. (2005)

Soundtrack:

Down and Out in New York City

Shouldn't be so cool but it is.

A low budget remake of "Little Caesar" with a scene from "Scarface" thrown in should not be this enjoyable. Credit two people: star Fred Williamson and writer/director,Larry Cohen. In Williamson's hands, Tommy Gibbs is a magnetic presence. He is very cool and smart. His success is no surprise but also his downfall is no surprise. How he turns could have been overplayed or understated for an actor with more ego. The scene was necessary and effective because in the end this movie was not about glamorizing gangsters. Cohen's contributions are also significant. He understood he wasn't making a message film, even though the message is there. The movie is full of bloody violence (it seemed to me that during the pool massacre, some of the victims were spouting blood before they were shot) because that was what fans of this genre wanted. In the end, however, viewers see that even with James Brown blaring about what a bad mutha Tommy Gibbs was, he was just as much a pawn as everyone else. Of course, the sequel would change that thought.