Gordon's War (1973)

Director:

Ossie Davis

Writers:

Howard Friedlander (written by) and
Ed Spielman (written by)

Release Date:

16 May 1974 (Sweden)

Genre:

Adventure | Crime

Tagline:

They said it would take an army to get the mob out of Harlem. This is the army! This is Gordon's war!

Plot:

Four Vietnam Vets go to war against the drug dealers and pimps of Harlem.

Plot Keywords:

Drugs | Drug Dealer | Vietnam Vet | Heroin | Overdose

Cast

Paul Winfield	...	Gordon Hudson
Carl Lee	...	Bee Bishop
David Downing	...	Otis Russell
Tony King	...	Roy Green
Gilbert Lewis	...	Spanish Harry
Carl Gordon	...	Luther the Pimp
Nathan C. Heard	...	Big Pink
Grace Jones	...	Mary
Jackie Page	...	Bedroom Girl
Chuck Bergansky	...	Caucasian Killer (as Charles Bergansky)
Adam Wade	...	Hustler
Hansford Rowe	...	Dog Salesman
Warren Taurien	...	Goose
Ralph Wilcox	...	Black Hit Man
David Connell	...	Hotel Proprieter
Rochelle LeNoir	...	Gordon's Wife (as Richelle LeNoir)
Michael Galloway	...	Gray-Haired Executive
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Beverly Goodman	...	Girl in Audience (uncredited)
Charles McGregor	...	Jim - Drug Dealer on Subway Station Platform (uncredited)
John Henry Redwood	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Ossie Davis

Writing credits
Howard Friedlander		(written by) and
Ed Spielman		(written by)

Produced by
Robert Schaffel	....	producer (as Robert L. Schaffel)
Edgar J. Scherick	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Angelo Badalamenti		(as Andy Badale)
Al Elias

Cinematography by
Victor J. Kemper		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Eric Albertson

Casting by
Sylvia Fay

Art Direction by
Perry Watkins

Set Decoration by
Robert Drumheller

Costume Design by
Anna Hill Johnstone

Makeup Department
Scott Cunningham	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Max Henriquez	....	assistant makeup artist (uncredited)
Esmeralda Sanchez	....	makeup trainee (uncredited)

Production Management
Ira Loonstein	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Neil A. Machlis	....	second assistant director (as Neil Machlis)
Dwight Williams	....	assistant director
Kirby De Villier	....	trainee assistant director (uncredited)
Laurie B. Eichengreen	....	assistant director trainee (uncredited)

Art Department
Thomas Saccio	....	property master
Harold Farrington	....	scenic artist (uncredited)
Carlos Quiles	....	head carpenter (uncredited)
Kenneth Weinberg	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Al Gramaglia	....	sound re-recordist
Lee Bost	....	sound mixer (uncredited)
Fred James	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Robert Rogow	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Tony Parmelee	....	special effects (uncredited)
Cliff Wenger	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Everett Creach	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
James P. Dolan	....	gaffer (as James Dolan)
James Finnerty	....	key grip
Lew Barrett	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Jack Brown	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Ronald Dolan	....	best boy (uncredited)
Edward Gold	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Ed Larkin	....	grip (uncredited)
Keith Wilson	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
George Newman	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Lyn Griffith	....	apprentice film editor
Patrick McMahon	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Horace Ott	....	conductor
Horace Ott	....	music arranger

Transportation Department
Edward J. Gildea Sr.	....	driver (uncredited)
Raymond Hartwick	....	teamster captain (uncredited)
Edward Iacobelli	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Horace Balmer	....	technical advisor
Joseph DeCosta	....	technical advisor
George Hx Hudson	....	location consultant
Julia Tucker	....	script supervisor
Grace Blake	....	production secretary (uncredited)
Barbara De Fina	....	production office coordinator (uncredited)
Joe Ray	....	assistant to producer (uncredited)
Ed Rich	....	location auditor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Palomar Pictures (I)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1973) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1977) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Shout! Factory (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• Cinefear (????) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Charles A. Moses Co.  publicity (uncredited)
• DeLuxe Laboratories  color prints (as De Luxe)
• Filmsounds  sound effects editing
• Harlem Community, The  we would like to thank and acknowledge the support of: for helping make this picture a reality
• Magno Sound  sound re-recordist
• Panavision  filmed with Panavision equipment
• TVC Laboratories  color (as TVC)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

90 min | Germany:85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (TVC)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:(Banned) (1973) | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Palomar Pictures (I)

Trivia:

Director Ossie Davis let the actors choose their own wardrobes.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Spanish Harry is riding the motorcycle being chased by Gordon and he cuts through the park, it cuts to Spanish Harry's point of view and you can clearly see the shadow of the camera mounted to the motorcycle.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in And Now My Love (1974)

Soundtrack:

Come on and Dream Some Paradise

Paul Winfield wants to get rid of all the drug pushers in Gordon's War

After playing a villain in Trouble Man, Paul Winfield was then cast by director Ossie Davis as Gordon Hudson, a Vietnam vet who starts an all-out war on the drug pushers in Harlem after his wife died of an overdose. He gets help from fellow veterans Bee Bishop (Carl Lee), Otis Russell (David Downing), and Roy Green (Tony King). Among the people they're after: Luther the Pimp (Carl Gordon) and Spanish Harry (Gilbert Lewis). Not all is serious, though, during one scene Roy gets very lucky with a fine white woman (Jackie Page credited as "Bedroom Girl") and you get to see...oh, watch the movie. Also, music artist Grace Jones appears as Mary, one of many naked women assembling the stuff in abandoned buildings. Lots of cool explosions and a climatic chase of a car pursuing a motorcycle keeps the film on an exciting level. So on that note, Gordon's War is worth a look. P.S. On the Wikipedia site, it's revealed that Lewis was the original King of Cartoons on "Pee-wee's Playhouse". He'd eventually be replaced by William "Blacula" Marshall.