Black Caesar

Black Caesar (1973)

Runtime: 94 minutes

Directed by: Larry Cohen

Starring: Fred Williamson,  Gloria Hendry, Art Lund, D'Urville Martin, Julius Harris

From: AIP 

It only seemed right to view some blaxploitation during Black History Month. I’ve known of Black Caesar for awhile, yet it wasn’t until recently that the film became available for streaming. It’s a Larry Cohen joint that began as a project for Sammy Davis, Jr. (!) where a man short in stature would become a gangster a la a 30’s film like Little Caesar. However, Davis found himself in trouble w/ the IRS so instead Fred Williamson became the lead and the script changed to fit a former pro football player. From what I’ve seen, this is likely the best he’s ever been on screen.

He portrayed Tommy Gibbs; as a teen he worked for the Mob in New York City but was brutally attacked by a corrupt police Captain. As an adult he gained revenge by becoming a gangster himself. This was accomplished by acquiring various ledgers, in addition to killings—lots and lots of killings. Gibbs isn’t someone you should root for, and that’s not even factoring in his sexual assault of Gloria Hendry.

It’s a Larry Cohen picture so not only is the movie an unflinching look at various villains, there’s some guerilla filmmaking; the standout there is an extended scene in the final act I dare not spoil. It was a treat to see various familiar faces in the genre—besides The Hammer and Hendry, there’s also D’Urville Martin and Julius Harris. Of course, a key asset in the movie’s success is the funky score from James Brown, featuring not an insignificant amount of input from Fred Wesley.

The film’s not an OOT example of the genre where it’s all about flash, extravagant costumes and B-movie sleaze. Rather, Black Caesar attempts to be serious; after all, as was solidified in the finale, Gibbs was traumatized by the attack the police officer inflicted upon him in his youth. As Cohen also wrote the script, I shouldn’t have been surprised. There’s still nudity and bloody moments so presumably it was still appealing to the target audiences. One day in the future I should tackle the sequel, Hell Up in Harlem.