Sunday, April 8, 2018

THE SLAMS 1972 (WARNER ARCHIVE)

A neglected film for some reason.

Jim Brown stars as Curtis Hook, a man who has stolen 1.5 million from the mob and has hidden it very well. So well in fact, that when he is arrested and put in jail everyone wants to know where it is and get a cut.

While in jail, Hook is hounded by a mob boss named Capiello (Frank DeKova) and is in constant fights with a monster of a man named Glover (Ted Cassidy).

This goes on for a while behind bars while his girlfriend Iris Daniels (gorgeous Judy Pace) is questioned and finally assaulted by a police officer working on the case.

Hook finally hatches a plan for escape which is ingenious. With Iris' help the plan works perfectly and before you know it Hook is out and free to get the hidden loot.

The end of the film is a surprisingly upbeat one as Hook and Iris take the money and head to Europe to enjoy a good life together. The rather simple plot moves along very well under Jonathan Kaplan's direction.

Gene Corman produced this film and it is apparent he had learned from his brother Roger quite well. This film is a neglected gem in the "blaxploitation" genre and that is a shame.

I had never seen this film before and when I discovered that Judy Pace starred in it I had to see it. Never has there been a lovelier woman on the screen. If you like this genre, you might want to check it out.

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