The great character actor Ozzie Davis (BUBBA HO-TEP) directs this unsung classic of Blaxploitation starring Godfrey Cambridge (WATERMELON MAN, FRIDAY FOSTER), Raymond St. Jacques (THEY LIVE, THE GREEN BERETS), as well as Redd Foxx, Lou Jacobi, Eugene Roche, and Cleavon Little. Cambridge and St Jacques play Gravedigger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson, two tough cops who have a reputation of shooting first and asking questions later. When the dubious Reverend O’Malley disappears along with $87,000, the boys go around Harlem knockin’ on doors and crackin on heads. Why this film doesn’t get more respect is anyone’s guess. I mean, in my opinion, this is every bit as good an example of the genre as SHAFT or SUPERFLY. In fact, it is, at its center, a more moral film than either of those. Anyway, there’s a great chemistry between Cambridge and St. Jacques which rivals Cosby and Poitier (UPTOWN SATURDAY NIGHT or LET’S DO IT AGAIN). Based on a book by Chester Himes (COME BACK, CHARLESTON BLUE and A RAGE IN HARLEM), the film is FULL of some awesome character actors and features some really terrific dialog. Super fun and a fascinating encapsulation of the time (the 1970s). Recommended especially for blaxploitation fans, 70s crime dramas, and fans of character actors. Good stuff!
3.5 out of 5 stars
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