Black Caesar
1973 · Movie · R · 95 min · ★ 5.8 · 59% critics
A Harlem youth rises from street-level hustling to underworld power, building a criminal empire while battling rival mob forces and a corrupt cop from his past. This gritty crime story mixes ambition, revenge, and the cost of chasing control.
Also known as Godfather of Harlem · Black Cæsar
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Details
- Years
- 1973
- Release date
- 1973-02-07
- Language
- English
- Rated
- R
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Max quality
- HD
- Critic score
- 59/100
- TMDB rating
- 5.8/10 (85 votes)
About
You may like this if you enjoy rough-edged 1970s crime stories like Shaft, with a tough antihero, street action, and a pulpy rise-to-power arc; Not for you if you want polished pacing or lighter material.
Pros: gritty street feel; strong lead presence; memorable James Brown score | Cons: messy storytelling; uneven acting; disturbing sexual violence
Themes
- blaxploitation cinema
Cast & crew
Fred Williamson
as Tommy Gibbs
Gloria Hendry
as Helen
Art Lund
as McKinney
D'Urville Martin
as Rev. Rufus
Julius Harris
as Mr. Gibbs
Minnie Gentry
as Mama Gibbs
- PR
Philip Roye
as Joe Washington
William Wellman Jr.
as Alfred Coleman
James Dixon
as "Irish" Bryant
Val Avery
as Cardoza
Directed by Larry Cohen