Twentieth Century-Fox’s answer to the black action cycle initiated by MGM’s Shaft (1971) was this crude and violent underworld melodrama.
In the hope of reproducing the success of the Richard Roundtree character, Fox even employed Shaft‘s producer, Joel Freeman, and one of its writers, John DF Black.
In a one-note role as Mr T, a super cool LA private eye drawn into a gangland feud, Robert Hooks is out-acted by Paul Winfield (as a double-crossing racketeer) and Julius Harris (as a rival hood) but then they do have slightly more varied characters to play.
This was the first movie directed by actor Ivan Dixon, a former Hogan’s Heroes regular.
Mr T
Robert Hooks
Chalky
Paul Winfield
Pete
Ralph Waite
Captain Joe Marks
William Smithers
Cleo
Paula Kelly
Big
Julius Harris
Jimmy
Bill Henderson
Director
Ivan Dixon
