I remember in an interview with Sydney Poitier about the film
The Defiant ones, that Tony Curtis was constantly apologising to him for all
The racist things he had to say to him in the film.
Now that is a great film. There is a story that the billing was originally to read
TONY CURTIS in THE DEFIANT ONES also starring Sidney Poitier
but Curtis insisted that it should read
TONY CURTIS and SIDNEY POITIER in THE DEFIANT ONES also starring Theodore Bikel, Lon Chaney Jr, etc
in which case good for Curtis, that's the way it should have been (and was). Can I just make a case for Lon Chaney Jr who was superb in that film? As he was in HIGH NOON, NOT AS A STRANGER, and other non-horror parts.
There was also a movie called "The Wilby Conspiracy" in the mid-70s, in which Poitier and Michael Caine were two men chained together on the run- similar themes.
An underrated gem is 'Cotton Comes to Harlem', based on the classic novel by Chester Himes. It was directed by Ossie Davis and starred Godfrey Cambridge, Raymond St. Jacques, and Redd Foxx. It's a very good film that nicely blends comedy and drama.
For a really off-the-wall experience (and some of the worst fight scenes you'll ever see), check out Rudy Ray Moore's 'Dolemite.'
—Le Samourai
A Gent in Training.... A blog about my continuing efforts to be improve myself, be a better person, and lead a good life. It incorporates such far flung topics as fitness, self defense, music, style, food and drink, and personal philosophy. Agent In Training
An underrated gem is 'Cotton Comes to Harlem', based on the classic novel by Chester Himes. It was directed by Ossie Davis and starred Godfrey Cambridge, Raymond St. Jacques, and Redd Foxx. It's a very good film that nicely blends comedy and drama.
For a really off-the-wall experience (and some of the worst fight scenes you'll ever see), check out Rudy Ray Moore's 'Dolemite.'
Cotton Comes To Harlem is absolutely one of my favorite films of all time. Not only is it extremely funny, well-acted (especially the leads, Godfrey Cambridge, Raymond St. Jacques and Calvin Lockhart), and timely in the way that it addresses race, the Black Power Movement, and the way scammers prey on the community, but it was a special thrill for me because it was filmed close to the Harlem neighborhood in which I lived at the time. In fact, I was almost in the film! I was a mere teen at the time, and some of my friends and I were asked to be extras in the scene where the crowd is protesting in front of the police station ("Free Deke O'Malley. Free Deke O'Malley"). Alas, our faces never made it into the final cut and the world was forever deprived of my smashing screen presence! )
Seriously, though, Cotton Comes To Harlem holds a special place in my heart, and it truly is "an underrated gem" that should be checked out. (BTW - There was a sequel called Come Back Charleston Blue which isn't even close to being as enjoyable, but it's fun to see Gravedigger Jones ad Coffin Ed Johnson again).
Talking about Exploitation Films, has anyone seen anything from the 'Naziexploitation' Genre?
I wouldn't consider Django Unchained to be a Blaxploitation film, although Tarantino is an unabashed fan of the genre and his films are heavily influenced by that.
Comments
Can't argue with that, my friend :x
Now that is a great film. There is a story that the billing was originally to read
TONY CURTIS in THE DEFIANT ONES also starring Sidney Poitier
but Curtis insisted that it should read
TONY CURTIS and SIDNEY POITIER in THE DEFIANT ONES also starring Theodore Bikel, Lon Chaney Jr, etc
in which case good for Curtis, that's the way it should have been (and was). Can I just make a case for Lon Chaney Jr who was superb in that film? As he was in HIGH NOON, NOT AS A STRANGER, and other non-horror parts.
There was also a movie called "The Wilby Conspiracy" in the mid-70s, in which Poitier and Michael Caine were two men chained together on the run- similar themes.
For a really off-the-wall experience (and some of the worst fight scenes you'll ever see), check out Rudy Ray Moore's 'Dolemite.'
A Gent in Training.... A blog about my continuing efforts to be improve myself, be a better person, and lead a good life. It incorporates such far flung topics as fitness, self defense, music, style, food and drink, and personal philosophy.
Agent In Training
Cotton Comes To Harlem is absolutely one of my favorite films of all time. Not only is it extremely funny, well-acted (especially the leads, Godfrey Cambridge, Raymond St. Jacques and Calvin Lockhart), and timely in the way that it addresses race, the Black Power Movement, and the way scammers prey on the community, but it was a special thrill for me because it was filmed close to the Harlem neighborhood in which I lived at the time. In fact, I was almost in the film! I was a mere teen at the time, and some of my friends and I were asked to be extras in the scene where the crowd is protesting in front of the police station ("Free Deke O'Malley. Free Deke O'Malley"). Alas, our faces never made it into the final cut and the world was forever deprived of my smashing screen presence!
Seriously, though, Cotton Comes To Harlem holds a special place in my heart, and it truly is "an underrated gem" that should be checked out. (BTW - There was a sequel called Come Back Charleston Blue which isn't even close to being as enjoyable, but it's fun to see Gravedigger Jones ad Coffin Ed Johnson again).
Talking about Exploitation Films, has anyone seen anything from the 'Naziexploitation' Genre?
I wouldn't consider Django Unchained to be a Blaxploitation film, although Tarantino is an unabashed fan of the genre and his films are heavily influenced by that.
Absolutely! And I think Jackie Brown is highly underrated. It's my second favorite Tarantino film after Pulp Fiction.
Trouble Man starring Robert Hooks. It features a classic title song by the legendary Marvin Gaye.