Black Caesar (1973)

Director:

Larry Cohen

Writer:

Larry Cohen (written by)

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:

Criminal | Power | Mob | Gang War | Mafia

Cast

Fred Williamson	...	Tommy Gibbs
Gloria Hendry	...	Helen
Art Lund	...	McKinney
D'Urville Martin	...	Reverend Rufus
Julius Harris	...	Mr. Gibbs (as Julius W. Harris)
Minnie Gentry	...	Momma 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
Allan Bailey	...	Motor (as Allen W. Bailey)
Cecil Alonzo	...	Sport
Francisco De Gracia	...	Cab Driver (as Francisco DeGracia)
Larry Lurin	...	Carlos
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Andrew Duggan	...	Man at Shoeshine (uncredited)

Directed by
Larry Cohen

Writing credits
Larry Cohen		(written by)

Produced by
Larry Cohen	....	producer
James Dixon	....	associate producer
Peter Sabiston	....	executive producer
Janelle Webb	....	co-producer (as Janelle Cohen)
Benjamin Fisz	....	producer (uncredited)
Kenneth Rive	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
James Brown
Lyn Collins
Fred Wesley

Cinematography by
Fenton Hamilton

Film Editing by
George Folsey Jr.

Casting by
Mike Carey
Michael D. Corey		(as Mike Corey)

Production Design by
Larry Lurin

Makeup Department
Rick Baker	....	makeup designer (uncredited)

Production Management
Allan Bailey	....	production manager: New York (as Allen W. Bailey)

Sound Department
Marvin Kerner	....	sound effects editor
Alex Vanderkar	....	sound

Special Effects by
Rick Baker	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Nick Dimitri	....	stunts (uncredited)
Orwin C. Harvey	....	stunts (uncredited)
Larry Holt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Minor	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paul Stader	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
James Winburn	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jim Dunn	....	camera operator
Alex Fernbach	....	camera operator
Deke Gibson	....	still photographer (as 'Deek' Gibson)
Mike Horner	....	camera operator (as Don Hart)
Robert Isenberg	....	camera operator (as Bob Isenberg)
James Signorelli	....	director of photography: Harlem sequence
Stu Spahn	....	camera operator

Casting Department
Black Beauty	....	casting: New York

Music Department
Barry De Vorzon	....	music supervisor (as Barry DeVorzon)
Lenny Stack	....	composer: song "Big Daddy"
Janelle Webb	....	composer: song "Big Daddy" (as Janelle Cohen)

Transportation Department
Francisco De Gracia	....	transportation manager (as Francisco DeGracia)

Other crew
Cecil Alonzo	....	production coordinator
Franco Guerri	....	production assistant
Paul Stader	....	technical advisor
Joan Tucker	....	script girl
David Sheldon	....	production executive (uncredited)

Production Companies

• American International Pictures (AIP)
• Larco Productions

Distributors

• American International Pictures (AIP) (1973) (USA) (theatrical)
• Globo Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS) (widescreen)
• Orion Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• R.C.V. 2001 (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (????) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Black Beauty  casting: New York
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)  titles
• Polydor Records  soundtrack

Also Known As:

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: When Tommy shoots one man, the blood spray comes from in front of man.

Quotes:

Reverend Rufus:Mama! Does Tommy know you're here?
Mama Gibbs:Pray for him, Rufus... you were always a good boy, pray for him.
Reverend Rufus:Okay Mama, we'll pray for him.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "TCM Underground: Black Caesar/Hell Up in Harlem (#1.21)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Mama's Dead

Larry Cohen plus Fred Williamson equals movie dynamite!

'Black Caesar' is one of the most underrated movies of the early 70s blaxploitation boom. Fred "the Hammer" Williamson was one of the most charismatic and cool male stars of the period. Added to that writer/director Larry Cohen ('Q', 'The Stuff', 'Maniac Cop', 'It's Alive!, 'God Told Me To',etc.) and you've got yourself movie dynamite! This gritty rise and fall crime saga will not only appeal to fans of 'Superfly' and 'Coffy' but also to fans of 'Scarface', 'Goodfellas', 'The King Of New York' and even 'The Godfather' trilogy. Williamson plays Tommy Gibbs, a crippled ghetto kid who grows up with one thing in mind - revenge. He ingratiates himself with a local mobster Cardoza (Val Avery, 'The Anderson Tapes') then works his way up until one day he seizes power and becomes "the black Godfather". Along the way he uses and discards many people including his girlfriend Helen (Gloria Hendry, 'Black Belt Jones'), and creates many enemies, not least of which is corrupt cop McKinney (Art Lund, Junior Jackson's Dad in 'The Last American Hero'), a man he has a long history with. The supporting cast in this one is really strong and also includes Julius Harris ('Superfly') as Gibbs' estranged father and D'Urville Martin ('Dolemite') as his childhood friend, the now Reverend Rufus. 'Black Caesar' is gritty, exciting and raw. Williamson's performance is unforgettable and the whole thing is brilliant entertainment. Highly recommended!