Sweet Jesus, Preacherman

The 70's produced a series of movies categorized as 'blaxploitation" films- low budget, campy cinema which featured a predominantly black cast. White actors were often cast as the villains, and a number of these movies were quite entertaining despite the bad dialog and low production values. The flashy 70's fashion and hip lingo add to the allure of these period pieces.

"Sweet Jesus, Preacherman" is unfortunately not one of the more worthy entries into this genre. Roger E. Moseley, best known for his role as Tom Selleck's sidekick "T.C." in CBS' Magnum, P.I. stars in the lead as a mobster looking to take control of the rackets while posing as a ghetto preacher. While an enjoyable character actor, Moseley lacks the magnetism of a Pam Grier, William Marshall or Fred Williamson to effectively carry the film.

Lending the movie a degree of interest is bad guy extraordinaire William Smith, one of the greatest character actors ever, as Martelli, Moseley's boss. Smith was the master of making average to below average films watchable with his menacing portrayals and "Sweet Jesus" is no exception.

Overall, not on a par with "Foxy Brown", "Blacula", "Black Gunn", "Coffy" and a number of other more enjoyable blaxploitation films of the time.

This blacksloitation movie stars Roger Mosley, the guy who most folks would recognize from "Magnum PI", as he was a long-time supporting character on this TV series. Here, however, he plays a real jerk--a hit-man who works for the mob who pretends to be a preacher in order to do evil and combat a vigilante force known as 'Unity Force'. It's his boss, Frank (William Smith), who convinces him to do this...with vague promises of 'a piece of the action'.

In his job as a preacher, Lee/Holmes is told to do a lot of things that will hurt the black community--such as throwing in his support for a scum-bag white politician who cares nothing for his black constituents. Will he continue doing the bidding for his white masters or will be either stand up on his own and take over the rackets or will he actually do something to help his people? See the film and find out for yourself.

This isn't one of the more polished and big-budgeted films of the genre. Occasionally some of the acting is rather poor and the music is ever-present but not especially good. But otherwise it's what you'd normally expect--violence, boobs, evil white folks and a tough-guy who manages to take on practically everyone to deliver his own brand of justice. Worth seeing but not a must-see film.

By the way, if you do watch, also pay attention to Beverly. That's Marla Gibbs of "The Jeffersons" playing the preacher's lady friend.

After a funeral for what appears to be a very wealthy person, hit-man Roger E. Mosley (as Holmes) kills three men. The murders are increasingly painful, with the third man meeting a notably gruesome end. After this, Mr. Mosley meets with his employer, crime lord William Smith (as Martelli). Unhappy with the truck killing Mr. Smith wants Mosely to go undercover as a preacher and stop what's been interfering with Mr. Smith's operation. Mosley poses as "Jason Lee", a minister expected by the community who apparently meets his maker through the courtesy of Smith's henchmen. Mosley preaches and struts. Playing a sleazy politician, Michael Pataki (as Sam Sills) threatens to steal the show – trouble is, there isn't any show to steal. People strut around for a long time and we're never really sure how events connect. It's nice to see the Los Angeles locations and the first appearance of "The Jeffersons" maid Marla Gibbs, who became a big TV favorite.

*** Sweet Jesus, Preacherman (5/25/73) Henning Schellerup ~ Roger E. Mosley, William Smith, Michael Pataki, Marla Gibbs

"Sweet Jesus,Preacher Man" was one of those blaxploitation movies that really didn't make any sense at times due to low budget action not to mention some of the worse dialogue ever heard. The film stars none other than Roger E. Mosley(who was in a lot of these blaxploitation films including the all-time classic "The Mack" starring Max Julian,which was released that same year as this film. Mosley was better known for starring opposite Tom Selleck in the classic television 1980's series "Mangum,P.I.")who portrays a hit man who poses as a Baptist preacher in a ghetto church(somewhere located in South Central Los Angeles,aka Watts)who takes over the rackets and the operations. William Smith(another actor for starring in several blaxploitation flicks)plays his boss Martelli. However,Mosley's character has been double-crossed and sets out to eliminated the competition including his boss,who tries to rip him off. The acting in this piece is horrible since this film was released in 1973,the same year what you may called "the era of Soul Cinema". The films that were released that year were "Coffy","The Mack","That Man Bolt","Hell Up In Harlem","Scream Blacula,Scream!","Hit Man","Trick Baby","Shaft In Africa","Cleopatra Jones",and this movie. "Sweet Jesus,Preacher Man" if you wanted to know was produced by MGM,the same company that was behind a lot of blaxploitation cinema including the "Shaft" movies when it was released in 1973.

I haven't seen this movie in years,but some of the actors are very recognizable including Marla Gibbs of "The Jeffersons",and "227" fame as one of the women who plays the church deaconesses. Micheal Pataki is in this one too,so you can tell from the previous comment if Bill Smith is doing this you'll know is that bad off. Catch this rarely seen blaxploitation classic from the early 1970's.

This blaxploitation movie about a hit man, played by Roger E. Mosley, who later became a co-star of Tom Selleck in "Magnum", isn't really worth to watch. William Smith plays his boss Martelli. But he doublecrosses Mosley and so he gets his bill at the end. Surely he is the bad guy, again. I've seen this movie somewhere in 1994 and I can tell you: If Bill Smith wouldn't be in it, it would not be worth to watch!