Great romp of a film. As has been said, this might be considered the first blaxploitation film. It is Ossie Davis' directorial debut and he shows great skill in overseeing all aspects of the production, from the music, to a wonderfully filmed car chase, and from great performances to making a film that balances humor and action adeptly. He uses locations in Harlem such that Harlem is a character in the film. The characters are warm and familiar and well-drawn. Interaction among black and white characters is generous and complex and I love to see that. He has a very light, confident touch across production and his fingerprints are all over the film insofar as everything is handled JUST right.
The stars, Gravedigger Jones (Godfrey Cambridge) and Coffin Ed Johnson (Raymond St. Jacques) are two cops with a reputation for being a bit rough around the edges, but for keeping their word. Their motto: "We mighta broke a few heads but we never broke our word". A hustling minister, Rev. Deke O'Malley (Calvin Lockhart) rides into town and Coffin and Gravedigger believe he is a scam artist who has stolen money from poor, hard-working black folks. This offends their sensibilities and they pursue the Reverend, believing he is selling communities bad bills of goods. Honestly I wish that the film hadn't included the robbery. I think the Reverend makes such an great bad guy and the cops such good guys that I would have enjoyed more focus on them.
That being said one of the Reverend's rallies is targeted by thieves and $87,000 is stolen. As the crooks make their getaway pursued by the Reverend and then by the cops, the money falls out of the back of the crooks' truck, wrapped in a bale of hay. As the detectives investigate the crime, we encounter sweet, tough old ladies, junkies (Cleavon Little as Lo Boy and Van Kirksey as Early Riser), bumbling cops (Dick Sabol as Varema), a vengeful Other Woman (Judy Pace as Iris), and a perenially scuffling junk dealer (Redd Foxx as Uncle Bud).
The plot is a bit convoluted but it allows us to get to know Uncle Bud and some of the local characters. Redd Foxx, previewing his character in "Sanford and Son" is lovable and decent, but always down on his luck. On the basis of these performances, Godfrey Cambridge and Raymond St. Jacques should have been bigger stars. They ooze charisma and confidence and they eat up the camera in their scenes. Once one sees how their characters operate, one just wants to see more of them because one can see that while they might be a bit edgy, they are decent men. I don't know if 48 Hours or Lethal Weapon might have based their characters' dynamics on these characters, but it is certainly plausible. Calvin Lockhart gives his character a greasiness that seems natural. His sleaziness seems innate. That is a tribute to Lockhart's acting. He makes the Reverend naturally slick. He really seems completely disreputable. Judy Pace is smoldering as his mistress and she also dominates the scenes she is in. She is very sexy and when she is wronged, her wrath is ferocious. She really is outstanding in the film. The white cops, Capt. Bryce (John Anderson as a more old-fashioned type) and Lt. Anderson (Eugene Roche) who trusts Gravedigger and Coffin, are great.
As I said, I thought the car chase was excellent. It's one of the better car chases I've seen. It isn't too long but the perspectives taken by cinematographer Gerald Hirschfeld, the tracking of the car, and how realistic the chase seems, make it a lot of fun and very well-executed. I thought it was great. Also of note, Harlem is full of life in this film. There is one tracking scene where a great piece of music follows the camera as it pans over various businesses in Harlem. It's great to see the various aspects of the community and see the positive side of it rather than the blight and decay that too often stands in for depictions of the community in many films.
Ossie Davis went on to direct several other films and he showed in this one that that opportunity was well-deserved. As I mentioned, the work he gets out of his actors, his use of locations, the cinematographic choices he makes, and the blend of humor and action make this a very enjoyable movie which should get more credit as perhaps the first blaxploitation film. I think he deserves the most credit for the film's success and this is one that could withstand repeated viewings.
The stars, Gravedigger Jones (Godfrey Cambridge) and Coffin Ed Johnson (Raymond St. Jacques) are two cops with a reputation for being a bit rough around the edges, but for keeping their word. Their motto: "We mighta broke a few heads but we never broke our word". A hustling minister, Rev. Deke O'Malley (Calvin Lockhart) rides into town and Coffin and Gravedigger believe he is a scam artist who has stolen money from poor, hard-working black folks. This offends their sensibilities and they pursue the Reverend, believing he is selling communities bad bills of goods. Honestly I wish that the film hadn't included the robbery. I think the Reverend makes such an great bad guy and the cops such good guys that I would have enjoyed more focus on them.
That being said one of the Reverend's rallies is targeted by thieves and $87,000 is stolen. As the crooks make their getaway pursued by the Reverend and then by the cops, the money falls out of the back of the crooks' truck, wrapped in a bale of hay. As the detectives investigate the crime, we encounter sweet, tough old ladies, junkies (Cleavon Little as Lo Boy and Van Kirksey as Early Riser), bumbling cops (Dick Sabol as Varema), a vengeful Other Woman (Judy Pace as Iris), and a perenially scuffling junk dealer (Redd Foxx as Uncle Bud).
The plot is a bit convoluted but it allows us to get to know Uncle Bud and some of the local characters. Redd Foxx, previewing his character in "Sanford and Son" is lovable and decent, but always down on his luck. On the basis of these performances, Godfrey Cambridge and Raymond St. Jacques should have been bigger stars. They ooze charisma and confidence and they eat up the camera in their scenes. Once one sees how their characters operate, one just wants to see more of them because one can see that while they might be a bit edgy, they are decent men. I don't know if 48 Hours or Lethal Weapon might have based their characters' dynamics on these characters, but it is certainly plausible. Calvin Lockhart gives his character a greasiness that seems natural. His sleaziness seems innate. That is a tribute to Lockhart's acting. He makes the Reverend naturally slick. He really seems completely disreputable. Judy Pace is smoldering as his mistress and she also dominates the scenes she is in. She is very sexy and when she is wronged, her wrath is ferocious. She really is outstanding in the film. The white cops, Capt. Bryce (John Anderson as a more old-fashioned type) and Lt. Anderson (Eugene Roche) who trusts Gravedigger and Coffin, are great.
As I said, I thought the car chase was excellent. It's one of the better car chases I've seen. It isn't too long but the perspectives taken by cinematographer Gerald Hirschfeld, the tracking of the car, and how realistic the chase seems, make it a lot of fun and very well-executed. I thought it was great. Also of note, Harlem is full of life in this film. There is one tracking scene where a great piece of music follows the camera as it pans over various businesses in Harlem. It's great to see the various aspects of the community and see the positive side of it rather than the blight and decay that too often stands in for depictions of the community in many films.
Ossie Davis went on to direct several other films and he showed in this one that that opportunity was well-deserved. As I mentioned, the work he gets out of his actors, his use of locations, the cinematographic choices he makes, and the blend of humor and action make this a very enjoyable movie which should get more credit as perhaps the first blaxploitation film. I think he deserves the most credit for the film's success and this is one that could withstand repeated viewings.