When Ed McMahon appeared in an actual acting role in a movie, he made sure that he was as far from Johnny's sidekick as possible. In fact, he played several memorable villains and now he comes up against Jim Brown in his second appearance as Slaughter, an ironic name since his father was blown up in the first movie and his white pal George Gaynes is gunned down by a plane in the opening scene at a glorious multi racial picnic. The future original mobster Frank Smith of "General Hospital" and the frustrated head of the Police Academy (not to mention the cranky old man on "Punky Brewster") is smiling one moment and down on the ground in the next, and very shortly afterwards, Brown is back in vigilante mode as he goes up against organized crime boss McMahon and beds several white women, literally "putting it to the man" by showing that he was just as good as them and could be accepted into their circle simply because of who he was. I'm sure that racist white men were not happy by that in 1972 and even more unhappy when he made a sequel and other films where his character basically does the same thing.
This isn't a film about racial unity but it does give an indication that times were slowly changing in racial relations, and the scene with Gaynes also tells us that some of white Hollywood was getting tired of the nonsense of segregation. But there is no doubt who is in charge here, and Brown is one bad mother as he takes on the bad guys, just as deliciously as he did the hitman in the final scene of the first "Slaughter". Brock Peters, a well respected stage and screen actor in the tradition of Al Freeman Jr. And James Earl Jones, is instantly recognizable by his voice as a by the books cop, basically a role he would repeat later on 'The Young and the Restless". Being paired with Brown shows two different styles of law enforcement, and even though Peters doesn't answer the question, it's amusing when Brown asked him what he did before he became a cop.
Then, there's the presence of Scatman Crothers, always an automatic scene stealer, sly and sparkling through the eyes, saying something completely different with them then what's coming out of his mouth. Dick Anthony Williams is a supposed legit provider of entertainment, and he provides a lot of sassy 70's wit as someone Brown must deal with to get into the world of McMahon whose own henchman (Don Stroud) follows orders ruthfully and skillfully, giving Brown more challenge. Judith Brown and Gloria Hendry provide the feminine beauty, and their presence undoubtedly helped this at the box office. Once again, these types of films are not going to be critical masterpieces, but they are just fun, filled with action and fast moving, and definitely worth a visit back nearly 50 years to see a new era in Hollywood that has led to greater things.
This isn't a film about racial unity but it does give an indication that times were slowly changing in racial relations, and the scene with Gaynes also tells us that some of white Hollywood was getting tired of the nonsense of segregation. But there is no doubt who is in charge here, and Brown is one bad mother as he takes on the bad guys, just as deliciously as he did the hitman in the final scene of the first "Slaughter". Brock Peters, a well respected stage and screen actor in the tradition of Al Freeman Jr. And James Earl Jones, is instantly recognizable by his voice as a by the books cop, basically a role he would repeat later on 'The Young and the Restless". Being paired with Brown shows two different styles of law enforcement, and even though Peters doesn't answer the question, it's amusing when Brown asked him what he did before he became a cop.
Then, there's the presence of Scatman Crothers, always an automatic scene stealer, sly and sparkling through the eyes, saying something completely different with them then what's coming out of his mouth. Dick Anthony Williams is a supposed legit provider of entertainment, and he provides a lot of sassy 70's wit as someone Brown must deal with to get into the world of McMahon whose own henchman (Don Stroud) follows orders ruthfully and skillfully, giving Brown more challenge. Judith Brown and Gloria Hendry provide the feminine beauty, and their presence undoubtedly helped this at the box office. Once again, these types of films are not going to be critical masterpieces, but they are just fun, filled with action and fast moving, and definitely worth a visit back nearly 50 years to see a new era in Hollywood that has led to greater things.