In this early "blaxploitation" movie Raymond St. Jacques breaks out of prison to try and clear himself of raping and murdering a white woman. But his problems increase when Kevin McCarthy, (of 1956's Invasion of the Body Snatchers fame) tries to force him to murder his wealthy wife, Dana Wynter (another alumnus of Invasion of the Body Snatchers.)
Torch singer Barbara McNair, in her first big role in films, has a torrid (for its time!) nude love scene. Of course St. Jacques foils the murderous plan of McCarthy and finds that his ex-lover, McNair, is now married to his own brother! But he accepts this and finally figures out that the white woman he was accused of raping was actually the victim of her own stepfather! He forces a confession out of the villain before a climactic shoot-out with him and the police, in which McCarthy is killed, thus saving Wynter, and the "real killer" is taken into custody. The movie ends with Dana Wynter standing all alone in the street. Poor little rich girl! This movie, which I saw in '68, is actually not as bad as I remembered it being. It has a fine supporting cast -- John Russell (Lawman) and Arthur O'Connell (Picnic) are here, as well as Don Megowan (The Werewolf) and Royal Dano (Moon of the Wolf) and Ann Prentiss (My Stepmother Is an Alien.) The direction by Charles Martin is reasonably taut and McNair sings the title song as well as one in a nightclub scene. If you can find this movie on tape or TV, and you like this genre, you should give it a look!
Torch singer Barbara McNair, in her first big role in films, has a torrid (for its time!) nude love scene. Of course St. Jacques foils the murderous plan of McCarthy and finds that his ex-lover, McNair, is now married to his own brother! But he accepts this and finally figures out that the white woman he was accused of raping was actually the victim of her own stepfather! He forces a confession out of the villain before a climactic shoot-out with him and the police, in which McCarthy is killed, thus saving Wynter, and the "real killer" is taken into custody. The movie ends with Dana Wynter standing all alone in the street. Poor little rich girl! This movie, which I saw in '68, is actually not as bad as I remembered it being. It has a fine supporting cast -- John Russell (Lawman) and Arthur O'Connell (Picnic) are here, as well as Don Megowan (The Werewolf) and Royal Dano (Moon of the Wolf) and Ann Prentiss (My Stepmother Is an Alien.) The direction by Charles Martin is reasonably taut and McNair sings the title song as well as one in a nightclub scene. If you can find this movie on tape or TV, and you like this genre, you should give it a look!