A Piece of the Action (1977)

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 ... See full summary »

Director:

Sidney Poitier

Writers:

Charles Blackwell, Timothy March (story)

Stars:

Sidney Poitier, Bill Cosby, James Earl Jones

Cast

Credited cast:
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
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Larry Beecham	...	Percy 'Bubba' Watkins
Thomas Benjamin	...	Anthony
Tamu Blackwell	...	Cheryl
Jack Brami	...	Jesus

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:

detective | urban setting | blaxploitation | money cut in pieces | thief | 

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Taglines:

A delightfully delicious dilemma!

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Genres:

Crime | Comedy

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 February 1978 (Denmark)

Also Known As:

Honorables sinverguenzas

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sheryl Lee Ralph's film debut.

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Goofs

When Mr. Bruno gives the case to Mrs. Foster, the hand holding the case changes.

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Quotes

Dave Anderson: Did you ever hear of the Quantum Theory?
Lila French: Physics wasn't my best subject.
Dave Anderson: It's not physics, it's a discotheque.
Lila French: A discotheque?
Dave Anderson: Yes, a discotheque. You know, like you do the funky chicken, the funky rhinoceros, the...
Lila French: Yes, I know, I know, I know.
Dave Anderson: You do?
Lila French: You think I'm an old spinster, dedicating her life to good works and no fun at all. Is that what you think?
Dave Anderson: I didn't say that you was old.
Lila French: Well, you're wrong.
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Nostalgia Critic: Ghost Dad (2014)

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Soundtracks

Of Whom Shall I Be Afraid
(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.