A Piece of the Action (1977)

A retired Chicago cop blackmails two rich thieves to "volunteer" helping juvenile delinquents change paths.

Director:

Sidney Poitier

Writers:

Charles Blackwell (screenplay by), Timothy March (story by)

Stars:

Sidney Poitier, Bill Cosby, James Earl Jones

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sidney Poitier	...	Manny Durrell
Bill Cosby	...	Dave Anderson
James Earl Jones	...	Joshua Burke
Denise Nicholas	...	Lila French
Hope Clarke	...	Sarah Thomas
Tracy Reed	...	Nikki McLean
Titos Vandis	...	Bruno
Frances Foster	...	Bea Quitman
Jason Evers	...	Ty Shorter
Marc Lawrence	...	Louie
Ja'net DuBois	...	Nellie Bond (as Ja'net Du Bois)
Sheryl Lee Ralph	...	Barbara Hanley
Edward Love	...	Willie Mangum
Ernest Thomas	...	John
Bryan O'Dell	...	Roscoe

Storyline

Dave Anderson and Manny Durrell are two high-class sneak thieves who have never been caught. Joshua Burke is a retired detective who has enough evidence on the both of them to put them behind bars. Instead, he offers to maintain his silence if the crooks will go straight and do work at a youth center for delinquents. At first, the crooks are reluctant and unwilling (and so are the kids). As time goes by they gain the trust and admiration of the kids and they start to enjoy the job. All goes well until someone out of the past tells them they have to do one last heist...or else.

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Plot Keywords:

year 1975 | scene before opening credits | opening action scene | scene during opening credits | year 1976 | 

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Taglines:

A delightfully delicious dilemma!

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Genres:

Crime | Comedy

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sheryl Lee Ralph's film debut.

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Goofs

When Manny lays back on the couch, the position of his right hand changes between shots.

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Quotes

Dancer in the Disco: David Anderson, you haven't danced with me all night. Now, if you don't dance with me, I'm a gonna holler "Rape"!
Dave Anderson: Is that a request?
Dancer in the Disco: What, the rape or the dance?
Dave Anderson: Don't make no never mind to me.

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Connections

Referenced in American Masters: Sidney Poitier: One Bright Light (2000)

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Soundtracks

'Til Blossoms Bloom
(uncredited)
Written by Curtis Mayfield
Performed by Mavis Staples

User Reviews

Three times too many

This film is the third and final installment of the fine collaboration between Poitier and Cosby. Unfourtuately,it suffers from the first two films being great comedies of their time, so comparison is inevitable. The movie fails because they've taken our two players out of their working class element and portrays one as a sophisticatated con man and the other as a high class thief. It also never explains how Police detective James Earl Jones'discovers them as either.Where the film works is with Poitier's interaction with the troubled youth in the classroom sequences. Some good young actors are on display here and Poitier seems right at home reminiscent of "to sir with love".But once again then the film regresses back to the caper portion of the film which is as bland as bleach. And Cosby, who was the comic catalyst in the previous films was nothing more than a shell of his former form. The films message is mostly positive, but it terms of big laughs. It falls short.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 February 1978 (Denmark)

Also Known As:

A Piece of the Action

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

First Artists, Verdon Productions Limited

Technical Specs

Runtime:

135 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1