Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Godfrey Cambridge | ... | Grave Digger Jones | |
Raymond St. Jacques | ... | Coffin Ed Johnson | |
Calvin Lockhart | ... | Rev. Deke O'Malley | |
Judy Pace | ... | Iris | |
Redd Foxx | ... | Uncle Budd / Booker Washington Sims | |
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Emily Yancy | ... | Mabel |
John Anderson | ... | Capt. Bryce | |
Lou Jacobi | ... | Goodman | |
Eugene Roche | ... | Lt. Anderson | |
J.D. Cannon | ... | Calhoun | |
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Mabel Robinson | ... | Billie |
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Dick Sabol | ... | Jarema |
Cleavon Little | ... | Lo Boy | |
Teddy Wilson | ... | Barry (as Theodore Wilson) | |
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Maxwell Glanville | ... | Caspar |
Gravedigger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson are two black cops with a reputation for breaking the odd head. Both are annoyed at the success of the Reverend Deke O'Mailey who is selling trips back to Africa to the poor on the installment plan. When his truck is hijacked and a bale of cotton stuffed with money is lost in the chase, Harlem is turned upside down by Gravedigger and Coffin Ed, the Reverend, and the hijackers. Much of the humor is urban black, which was unusual in 1970. Written by John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>
Based on a novel by Chester Himes, Cotton Comes to Harlem boasts sharp dialogue and super performances from top to bottom. Cult favorites Calvin Lockhart and Redd Foxx are great, but the real fire belongs to the sublime Godfrey Cambridge as wise police detective Gravedigger Jones. The colorful story follows Gravedigger and his partner Coffin Ed Johnson (Raymond St. Jacques) as they keep tabs on charlatan evangelist Lockhart during his high-octane revival campaign. The film has solid action, but is also very funny. Upon seeing it, one will wonder why Cambridge never became a much bigger star.