MEAN JOHNNY BARROWS 1975 (FILM CHEST)

Fred Williamson directed and stars in this excellent film.

Williamson is Johnny Barrows a vet who gets a dishonorable discharge for striking an officer while in the Army. He returns home and the first thing that happens is he is mugged and everything is stolen from him so he is arrested as a drunk

Barrows just cannot seem to catch a break but soon starts working a job at a small gas station run by Richard (R. G. Armstrong). He is anything but honest and treats Johnny like a slave. One day Barrows has had enough so he attempts to take what pay is owed him.

While this is going on Barrows is also being wooed by the Mafia and a man named Don Racconi (Luther Adler) to become a paid killer and go after a rival family named Da Vince led by Don Da Vince (Anthony Caruso).

Finally after Mario Racconi is shot and Don Racconi is killed Mario's girl Nancy (Jenny Sherman) convinces Johnny to take the job, which he does with gusto.

Barrows kills Carlo Da Vince (Mike Henry) first and then Tony Da Vince (Roddy McDowall) and finally Don Da Vince. The killings are brutal and very quick.

All of this leads up to a great double twist climax that is both surprising and very well done. There are a couple of bizarre edits in the film which leads me to believe this is a slightly edited version, but it was a joy to see anyway.

The rest of the cast includes Stuart Whitman, Elliot Gould and Aaron Banks. The movie moves along quickly and of course, Williamson does an excellent job. This was also his directorial debut.

If you get a chance check it out. I believe then uncut version is available on Blu-ray, but whatever the case, it's a remarkable film.