Good Guys Wear Black (1978)

Director:

Ted Post

Writers:

Bruce Cohn (screenplay) and
Mark Medoff (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

June 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Action

Tagline:

Chuck Norris is John T. Booker and Booker is fighting back.

Plot:

An ex-US Army commando must find the reason why his comrades from his unit are being systematically murdered before he is next.

Plot Keywords:

Commando | Vietnam | Flying Kick | Commando Unit | Sniper

Cast

Chuck Norris	...	John T. Booker
Anne Archer	...	Margaret
James Franciscus	...	Conrad Morgan
Lloyd Haynes	...	Murray Saunders
Dana Andrews	...	Edgar Harolds
Jim Backus	...	Doorman
Lawrence P. Casey	...	Mike Potter - The Black Tigers (as Larry Casey)
Anthony Mannino	...	Gordie Jones - The Black Tigers (as Tony Mannino)
Soon-Tek Oh	...	Mjr. Mhin Van Thieu - The Black Tigers (as Soon-Teck Oh)
Joe Bennett	...	Lou Goldberg - The Black Tigers
Jerry Douglas	...	Joe Walker - The Black Tigers
Stack Pierce	...	Holly Washington - The Black Tigers
Michael Payne	...	Mitch - The Black Tigers
David Starwalt	...	Steagle - The Black Tigers
Aaron Norris	...	Al - The Black Tigers
Don Pike	...	Hank - The Black Tigers
Benjamin J. Perry	...	Finney - The Black Tigers (as Ben Perry)
Kathy McCullen	...	Kelly
Michael Stark	...	Pitman
James Bacon	...	Senator
Hatsuo Uda	...	Shoeshine Man
Virginia Wing	...	Mrs. Mhin Van Thieu
Viola Harris	...	Airline Ticket Agent
Jacki Robins	...	Fat Lady
Pat E. Johnson	...	C.I.A. Agent (as Pat Johnson)
Warren Smith	...	Morgan's Chauffeur
Dick Shoemaker	...	Newscaster

Directed by
Ted Post

Writing credits
Bruce Cohn		(screenplay) and
Mark Medoff		(screenplay)
Joseph Fraley		(story)

Produced by
Allan F. Bodoh	....	producer
Mitchell Cannold	....	associate producer
Michael Leone	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Craig Safan

Cinematography by
Robert Steadman		(director of photography) (as Bob Steadman)

Film Editing by
Millie Moore
William M. Moore		(as William Moore)

Art Direction by
Beala Neel		(as B.B. Neel)

Costume Design by
Jean-Pierre Dorléac		(as Jean-Pierre Dorleac)

Makeup Department
Robert Dawn	....	makeup artist (as Bob Dawn)

Production Management
Jesse Corallo	....	production manager
Jeff Sinclair	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gene Marum	....	first assistant director
John Patterson	....	second assistant director
Robert Shue	....	second assistant director (as Bob Shue)

Art Department
Louis Donelan	....	property master (as Lou Donelan)
Tim Donelan	....	property assistant
Robin Royce	....	set dresser (as Robinson Royce)

Sound Department
Dean Gilmore	....	sound recordist
John B. Schuyler	....	boom operator (as John Schuyler)

Special Effects by
Bob Dawson	....	special effects
Maggie Dawson	....	special effects assistant

Stunts
Hubie Kerns Jr.	....	stunt coordinator
Don Pike	....	car stunts
Peter Horak	....	stunts (uncredited)
Pat E. Johnson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Kim Kahana	....	stunts (uncredited)
Eric Lee	....	stunts (uncredited)
Aaron Norris	....	stunt double (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
J.B. Allin	....	assistant cameraman
Jose P. Bencomo	....	photographer: second unit, Vietnam
Pat Blymyer	....	gaffer (as Patrick R. Blymer)
Bill Brocias	....	second grip (as Bill Brocious)
Bobby Fiore	....	electrician
Frederick Gately	....	additional photographer (as Fred Gately)
Randy Hark	....	grip
Terry Harkins	....	second assistant cameraman
Tom Harvey	....	photographer: second unit, Vietnam
Sam Leavitt	....	additional photographer
Al Myers	....	camera operator
Dan O'Reilly	....	photographer: second unit, Vietnam (as Danny O'Reilly)
Lou Pazelli	....	key grip (as Lou Pazzelli)
Tim Ryan	....	dolly grip
Robert Schoenhut	....	assistant cameraman (as Bob Schoenhut)
Wendy Shoemaker	....	photographer: second unit, Vietnam
Phil Stern	....	still photographer
Mike Weathers	....	best boy
Jim Wilson	....	additional photographer
Ralph Woolsey	....	additional photographer
Jim Wilson	....	photographer: second unit, Vietnam (uncredited)

Casting Department
Patricia Lichtenfels	....	casting coordinator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Joseph W. Dehn	....	costumer

Editorial Department
David H. DePatie Jr.	....	assistant film editor (as David De Patie Jr.)

Music Department
Craig Safan	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Bret Hamilton	....	transportation coordinator
Bill Humberger	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Barbara Amato	....	script supervisor
Kevin Casey	....	production assistant
Carole Davidson	....	location auditor
Edward Fields	....	production assistant
Carol Shapiro Janson	....	unit publicist
Karen MacKain	....	production assistant (as Karen Mackain)
John Moczulski	....	titles
Aaron Norris	....	martial arts choreographer
Chuck Norris	....	martial arts choreographer
Carolyn Peterson	....	assistant to producer (as Carolyn H. Peterson)
Fred Shieppe	....	crafts services
Joel Westbrook	....	production coordinator

Thanks
Jonathan Harris	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Action 1 (uncredited)
• Mar Vista Productions
• Western Film Productions (uncredited)

Distributors

• American Cinema Releasing (1978) (USA) (theatrical)
• Danton Films (1979) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Kinosto (1981) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Future Film (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Vestron Video (1982) (USA) (VHS) (LaserDisc)
• Videotrage (1980s) (Finland) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Blowitz & Canton  publicity (as Blowitz & Canton Co., Inc.)
• Consolidated Film Industries (CFI)  color and opticals
• Producers' Sound Service  sound re-recording (as Producers Sound Service)
• R.F.G. Associates  sound effects
• Saska Skiwear  ski apparel furnished by

Also Known As:

"Black Fighter" - Europe (English title)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-15 (uncut) (2008) | West Germany:16 | Portugal:M/12 | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1981) | Norway:16 | UK:15 | USA:PG | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba)

Filming Locations:

Squaw Valley, California, USA

Company:

Action 1

Trivia:

Chuck Norris' first film as a Vietnam veteran; it would later become the basis for his role in the Missing In Action films during the 1980s. Co-star Soon-Tek Oh would later co-star in the second Missing In Action film as the film's villain.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Chuck Norris climbs out of the water at the end, a bunch of sailboats are shown behind him peacefully sailing past. Yet he had just drive a car into the water and it sank, and closeup shots of the water showed it still swirling violently where the car was. In reality, the boats would have immediately circled back to look for survivors in the car.

Quotes:

Booker:And so as history slowly places it into some kind of perspective, a few things about the Vietnam War have become clear. It was a war that never should have begun, and a country we never should have entered. And as thousands of victims died without really understanding why. Mainly because the reasons for the war were beyond any rules of logic. On Wednesday we'll sing patriotic songs and pretend I said none of the above.

Movie Connections:

Edited into How American Cinema Changed Hollywood Forever (2003) (V)

Chuck Norris vehicle with lots of action, thrills, suspense and spectacular fights

The film begins in Paris , 1973 during peace talks to end the Vietnam War.Later on, Riverside , California, five years later , a mild-mannered teacher named Booker (Chuck Norris) keeps his previous life as leader of a Vietnam commando (Soon-Tek Oh, Pierce, Aaaron Norris, among others) named ¨The Black Tigers¨ unit under wraps until he discovers that he's number one in a hit list. John Booker attempts to resolve why his former squad are being mysteriously killed, one time the Vietnam war is over.There's a conflict-ridden love interest as well, Norris falls in love with a lovely journalist (a youngster Anne Archer) who must to save her.

This exciting picture is plenty of action-packed, tension,suspense and cheesy sub-plot to boot with wild stunts .The movie displays a plethora of martial arts fights ,Norris cleans up the nasty fighters by means of punches ,kicks,bound and leaps with struggles certainly slick .It's violent, frenetic and hectic and not particularly literary but worthy entry in Kung-Fu genre , although runs out energy surprisingly early. Average Norris-thriller ,exciting and tense at times with fine work from Dana Andrews, Lloyd Haynes and James Franciscus as a brilliant and ambitious politician. And of course, Karate expert Chuck Norris who saves the day with lots of visceral violence , he's a nice wrestler who possesses incredible strength . The film belongs Norris's early period ,during the 80s as : ¨Code of silence,Delta Force,Silent rage,Octagon,Forced vengeance, Delta Force I,II, An eye for an eye¨ among others with successful box office at cinemas and video-rentals. In the 90s and 2000s with exception of ¨Walker Texas Ranger¨,the Norris star has gone down. Action addicts will give this one a passing grade ,all others need not apply. If you're a previous Norris fans,you'll like it but contains enough action and violence for enthusiastic of the Karate genre. The motion picture is regularly directed by Ted Post. It's followed by the sequel titled ¨A force of one¨ with Norris-Booker as team commander of some undercover narcotic agents who are being eliminated one-by-one.