Black Caesar (1973)

Raised in Harlem, Tommy Gibbs becomes a successful mob boss but he clashes with the rival Mafia and his old enemy, dirty cop McKinney.

Director:

Larry Cohen

Writer:

Larry Cohen

Stars:

Fred Williamson, Gloria Hendry, Art Lund

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Fred Williamson	...	Tommy Gibbs
Gloria Hendry	...	Helen
Art Lund	...	McKinney
D'Urville Martin	...	Reverend Rufus
Julius Harris	...	Mr. Gibbs (as Julius W. Harris)
Minnie Gentry	...	Momma Gibbs
Philip Roye	...	Joe Washington
William Wellman Jr.	...	Alfred Coleman
James Dixon	...	Bryant
Val Avery	...	Cardoza
Patrick McAllister	...	Grossfield
Don Pedro Colley	...	Crawdaddy
Myrna Hansen	...	Virginia Coleman
Omer Jeffrey	...	Tommy as a Boy
Michael Jeffrey	...	Joe as a Boy

Storyline

Tommy Gibbs is a tough kid, raised in the ghetto, who aspires to be a kingpin criminal. As a young boy, his leg is broken by a bad cop on the take, during a payoff gone bad. Nursing his vengeance, he rises to power in New York City's Harlem. Angry at the racist society around him, both criminal and straight, he sees the acquisition of power as the solution to his rage. He performs a free-lance hit on a Mob contract to attract the attention of the head of a Mafia family. Reluctantly accepted into 'The Family,' he grows increasingly autonomous and aggressive, eventually starting a gang war.

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Plot Keywords:

power | criminal | gang war | new york city | mob | 

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Taglines:

Hail Caesar, Godfather of Harlem...The Cat with the .45-Caliber Claws!

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 February 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

El padrino de Harlem

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

American International Pictures (AIP), Larco Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When filming in Harlem, Larry Cohen was accosted by local gangsters who threatened to disrupt the shoot unless they were paid off. Instead, Cohen offered them small roles in the film. They helped so enthusiastically that they attended the premiere to sign autographs.

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Goofs

The mob boss's forks, in the Italian restaurant.

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Quotes

Tommy Gibbs: You can sleep until noon, if you want anything, just press a button.
Mama Gibbs: Me? Live in this apartment? Why they'd hang me right off that terrace, Jew folks ain't even allowed here.

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Alternate Versions

In the original theatrical version, when a wounded Tommy Gibbs is seen wandering in the slums at the film's conclusion, the film fades to the New York skyline with the caption AUGUST 22, 1972 appearing and then the end credits. However, on European prints and the current version issued on VHS, DVD, and Blu-Ray, the ending included a scene where a street gang robs, beats, and kills Tommy and then the usual skyline fade and credits. Therefore, the current MGM version is labeled as an "accidental" director's cut. It also lacks continuity purposes for the subsequent sequel, HELL UP IN HARLEM, when released overseas, when Tommy is mysteriously brought back to life.

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Connections

Referenced in The Cinema Snob: Last Ounce of Courage (2016)

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Soundtracks

Sportin' Life
Written by James Brown and Fred Wesley
Performed by James Brown

User Reviews

Great BLACK movie of the 70s!!

This was a great movie for BLAXPLOITATION. I recently became a HUGE FAN of this kind of movie. Fred Williamson just OOZES the essence of COOL!!! He is cool all the way through the movie. He sure does get even with that JERK OF A RACIST cop!!! I was amazed how TENSE this movie became toward the end!!! Still, Fred Williamson was buff and cool the entire movie. The music was really good as well. There was some great James Brown music. "I paid the cost to be the boss." That song personified the wonderful Fred Williamson!!! I plan to watch the commentary here pretty soon. I was shocked though at the way Fred was shot in the street yet he continued to walk around New York and nobody seemed to really care that he was shot. Very sad.