Brothers (1977)

Thinly disguised account of the relationship between radical black activist Angela Davis and Black Panther and prison inmate George Jackson, who was one of those killed in a failed 1971 prison breakout.

Director:

Arthur Barron

Writers:

Edward Lewis, Mildred Lewis

Stars:

Bernie Casey, Vonetta McGee, Ron O'Neal

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bernie Casey	...	David Thomas
Vonetta McGee	...	Paula Jones
Ron O'Neal	...	Walter Nance
John Lehne	...	McGee
Stu Gilliam	...	Robinson
Renny Roker	...	Lewis
Owen Pace	...	Joshua
Dwan Smith	...	Kendra
Martin St. Judge	...	Williams
Ricardo Brown	...	Horton
Susan Barrister	...	Tina
John Zaremba	...	Judge #2
Sam Nudell	...	Attorney Sirrell
John Shay	...	Judge #1
Al Turner	...	Henry Taylor

Storyline

Thinly disguised account of the relationship between radical black activist Angela Davis and Black Panther and prison inmate George Jackson, who was one of those killed in a failed 1971 prison breakout.

---

Plot Keywords:

prison | blaxploitation | racism | based on true story

---

Taglines:

She was a somebody; a notorious, beautiful, radical black professor. Their love story shocked the nation. This film is that story.

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 August 1977 (France)

Also Known As:

Bracia

Filming Locations:

North Dakota State Penitentiary - 3100 Railroad Avenue, Bismarck, North Dakota, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Edward Lewis Productions, Soho Productions, Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Did You Know?

Quotes

David Thomas: [Being taught how to play Chess] This a White folks game.
Walter Nance: You got it... now theoretically, the white side should always win...
David Thomas: Why?
Walter Nance: Because the white side always gets to move first.

---

Connections

Referenced in Heroes (1977)

User Reviews

"Brothers" amplifies your soul and tells it like it is

"Brothers", which features the multi-talented Bernie Casey, is a classic film. It not only reflects the 1970's culture from which it comes, but also states truth in very black and white terms. The bad guys are easily recognisable (white) the good guys are equally so (black, except for the traitor). Some viewers might not appreciate the overtly didactic style of the movie, but I valued it enormously. This film, accompanied by a brilliant and stirring score, takes us back to a much more civic age. For example, the word "community" is used twice within the first five minutes. While the bulk of the film is tragedy, you can't help but come away from it feeling inspired to act. Is that scary in today's selfish culture? Is that not "entertaining" enough? Those who forget what it means to be a citizen (and those who yearn for soul in film) will definitely need to check out "Brothers".