Cleopatra Jones (1973)

Director:

Jack Starrett

Writers:

Max Julien (screenplay) and
Sheldon Keller (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

13 July 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Action

Tagline:

She's "Ten Miles of Bad Road" For Every Hood in Town!

Plot:

Cleopatra Jones is a United States Special Agent assigned to crack down on drug-trafficking in the U.S...

Plot Keywords:

Poppy Field | Crooked Cop | Straight Razor | Hapkido | Heroin

Cast

Tamara Dobson	...	Cleopatra Jones
Bernie Casey	...	Reuben
Brenda Sykes	...	Tiffany
Antonio Fargas	...	Doodlebug Simkins
Dan Frazer	...	Crawford
Bill McKinney	...	Purdy
Stafford Morgan	...	Sgt. Kert
Michael Warren	...	Andy (as Mike Warren)
Albert Popwell	...	Matthew Johnson
Caro Kenyatta	...	Melvin Johnson
Esther Rolle	...	Mrs. Johnson
Keith Hamilton	...	Maxwell Woodman
Jay Montgomery	...	Jimmy Beeker
Arnold Dover	...	Art
Angela Elayne Gibbs	...	Annie (as Angela Gibbs)
John Alderman	...	Bruce
Eugene Jackson	...	Henry
Lee Weaver	...	Friend
George Reynolds	...	Fireplug
Kanes J. Crawford	...	1st Boy on Skates
Edward Crawford	...	2nd Boy on Skates
Don Cornelius	...	Himself
Frankie Crocker	...	Himself
Shelley Winters	...	Mommy
Paul Koslo	...	Gang Member
Joe Tornatore	...	Zap (as Joseph A. Tornatore)
Hedley Mattingly	...	Mattingly
Christopher Joy	...	Snake
Teddy Wilson	...	Pickle (as Theodore Wilson)
John Garwood	...	Lt. Tompkins
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
William Bonner	...	Cop in Bust (uncredited)
Nick Dimitri	...	Cop in bust (uncredited)
Lisa Farringer	...	Eve (uncredited)
Bob Golden	...	Cop in Bust (uncredited)
Doug Johnson	...	B&S house worker (uncredited)
Lou Robb	...	Cop in Bust (uncredited)
Harv Selsby	...	Cop in Bust (uncredited)
Clay Tanner	...	Cop in Bust (uncredited)

Directed by
Jack Starrett

Writing credits
Max Julien		(screenplay) and
Sheldon Keller		(screenplay)
Max Julien		(story)

Produced by
Max Julien	....	co-producer
William Tennant	....	producer (as Bill Tennant)

Original Music by
J.J. Johnson

Cinematography by
David M. Walsh		(director of photography) (as David Walsh)

Film Editing by
Allan Jacobs

Art Direction by
Peter Wooley

Set Decoration by
Cheryal Kearney

Makeup Department
Leo Lotito Jr.	....	makeup artist (as Leo Lotito)
Ann Wadlington	....	hairdresser

Production Management
Sam Manners	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ronald Martinez	....	second assistant director (as Ron Martinez)
Jack Roe	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Bud Alper	....	sound (as Howard Bud Alper)

Stunts
Ernest Robinson	....	stunt coordinator
Charles Bail	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paul Baxley	....	stunts (uncredited)
Alex Brown	....	stunts (uncredited)
Roydon Clark	....	stunts (uncredited)
Howard Curtis	....	stunts (uncredited)
Nick Dimitri	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mickey Gilbert	....	stunts (uncredited)
Len Glascow	....	stunts (uncredited)
Duffy Hambleton	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Herron	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Hudkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Melvin Jones	....	stunts (uncredited)
Wayne King Sr.	....	stunts (uncredited)
Henry Kingi	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gene LeBell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Terry Leonard	....	stunts (uncredited)
Denver Mattson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Minor	....	stunts (uncredited)
John T. Mitchell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paul Nuckles	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Victor Paul	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Robotham	....	stunts (uncredited)
Wally Rose	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ronald C. Ross	....	stunts (uncredited)
Eddie Smith	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Stromsoe	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jerry Summers	....	stunts (uncredited)
George P. Wilbur	....	stunts (uncredited)
Glenn R. Wilder	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Earl Gilbert	....	gaffer
Tom May	....	key grip
Roger Shearman	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Giorgio di Sant'Angelo	....	costumes: Tamara Dobson
Thomas Welsh	....	wardrobe: men (as Tommy Welsh)

Editorial Department
Joel Cox	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Carl Brandt	....	composer: additional music
J.J. Johnson	....	conductor
Brad Shapiro	....	composer: additional music
Dan Wallin	....	scoring mixer (uncredited)

Other crew
Claudia Franck	....	dialogue supervisor
Bong Soo Han	....	karate teacher: hapkido karate (as Master Bong Soo Han)
Don Record	....	title designer

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1973) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1978) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (19??) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Ireland:15 | France:-12 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1973) | Sweden:15 | USA:PG | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Average Shot Length = ~4.4 Seconds. Median Shot Length = ~4.6 seconds.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the chase scene, the red Mustang starts off having no hubcaps, but later in the shot, we see one fly off, and the remaining hubcaps in later scenes.

Quotes:

Doodlebug:See you around, Super Honkie!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Disappearing Voices: The Decline of Black Radio (2008)

Soundtrack:

Theme from Cleopatra Jones

Who was that Bad Mamma Jamma???

Cleapatra Jones is one of those movies that you might have caught on t.v. as a little kid and thought, "Wow, that was amazing! I want to be just like her!" Then, when you are older and see it scheduled to come on t.v. again, or see it in the video store, you arrange to watch it with all sorts of anticipation and end up laughing through the entire movie-the choreographed fight scenes, the extreme villains, the jive "put downs". Either way, it is a cool movie to watch, whether you want to go "WOW" or joke it.

I think Tamara Dobson is absolutely stunning in the movie. Very glamorous and very "tough" (if you disregard the fake fight scenes)and within the context of the movie, she is very smart. Blaxploitation films had their place back in the day (and they still do).

Shelly Winters played a "surprising" role as the villain. If you need to get a handle on this, view the movie, "I'm Gonna to git You Sucka"- Towards the end of the movie, a whole list of actors/actresses, who are thought to be above playing in exploitation movies, are named in various exploitation films. Of course Cleopatra Jones is mentioned.

While the movie can be classified as "cheesy" by many, it does have action, adventure, and romance. The action is non-stop-Cleo is always kung fuing someone or driving the hell out of her Corvette to get away from the bad guys. Also, there a pretty neat scene where she rides a motorcycle up a steep hill to everyone's dismay (if you happen to catch CJ on DVD or VHS, use pause on this scene-it is clearly a Caucasian male, with brown makeup, who is actually riding the motorcycle). The adventure is during the beginning-she is in Turkey blowing up poppy fields. Also, her investigations takes her to various parts of town and she interfaces with various "interesting" supporting characters. And then there is the romantic scene with her and Bernie Casey.

If anything, CJ is a wonderful film to have going if you happen to have a 70's theme party or something.