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Across 110th Street

 
Movies:

Across 110th Street

  • Director: Barry Shear
  • AMG Rating: starstarstar
  • Genre: Crime
  • Movie Type: Crime Thriller, Police Detective Film
  • Themes: Police Corruption, Dangerous Friends, Inner City Blues
  • Main Cast: Anthony Quinn, Yaphet Kotto, Anthony Franciosa, Paul Benjamin, Ed Bernard
  • Release Year: 1972
  • Country: US
  • Run Time: 102 minutes

Plot

Across 110th Street is a violent urban thriller about a corrupt, older white cop (Anthony Quinn) and an honest, young African-American cop (Yaphet Kotto) chasing three robbers-cum-murderers who ran away with $300,000 that belonged to the Italian mob. The police must find them before the sadistic Mafia henchman Nick D'Salvio (Anthony Franciosa) reaches them first. The film has reached a cult status; the title song, performed by Bobby Womack, was later used in Jackie Brown, Quentin Tarantino's extended homage to the crime flicks of the 1970s. ~ Yuri German, All Movie Guide

Review

Although it is often lumped in with the blaxploitation boom of the early '70s, Across 110th Street is actually a gritty police procedural with a strong element of social commentary. The cast attacks the material with straight-faced gusto, with the central focus being the fiery, compelling battle of wills between straight-arrow newcomer Yaphet Kotto and Anthony Quinn as his good-hearted but corrupt older partner. Anthony Franciosa also makes a frighteningly vivid impression as an aging small-time mobster whose hunger for power drives him to psychotic brutality in his pursuit of the hapless thieves. Across 110th Street is also notable because it allows drama to take precedence over the action instead of vice versa. Scenes of Kotto and Quinn grappling over issues of racism and corruption in the police department are just as important to the film as the central story line of the mafia chasing the thieves. This doesn't mean that the film skimps on action, in fact, it is full of tough, tightly edited action scenes like the opening tenement apartment heist and an explosive rooftop shootout. However, these moments eschew the comic-book tone of most action films in favor of a raw, unflinching sense of brutality likely to make even the toughest viewers squirm in their seats. Barry Shear's atmospheric direction weaves the many subplots together in a skillful fashion and effectively captures the grimy, claustrophobic feel of the story through a combination of location shooting and mobile, often handheld camera work. Finally, the film's tough but emotional style is sealed by a bittersweet soul score from Bobby Womack (years later, Quentin Tarantino chose this film's title song to open and close Jackie Brown). All in all, Across 110th Street is a powerhouse effort that succeeds both as an incisive social drama and an intense police thriller. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide

Cast

Richard Ward - Doc Johnson; Norma Donaldson - Gloria Roberts; Antonio Fargas - Henry Jackson; Gilbert Lewis - Shevvy; Charles McGregor - Chink; Tim O'Connor - Lt. Hartnett; Marlene Warfield - Mrs. Jackson; Joseph Attles - Mr. Jessup

Credit

Perry Watkins - Art Director, Richard Stenta - Associate Producer, Marion Dougherty - Casting, John E. Quill - First Assistant Director, Barry Shear - Director, Carl Pingitore - Editor, Byron Brandt - Editor, Anthony Quinn - Executive Producer, Barry Shear - Executive Producer, Bobby Womack - Composer (Music Score), J.J. Johnson - Composer (Music Score), Enrico Cortese - Makeup, Jack Priestley - Cinematographer, Fouad Said - Producer, Ralph Serpe - Producer, Bobby Womack - Singer, Joe Lombardi - Special Effects, Luther Davis - Screenwriter, Wally Ferris - Book Author

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Coffy; The French Connection; Shaft; Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song; Man-Trap; Training Day; Dark Blue
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Album Review: Across 110th Street
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  • Artist: Bobby Womack
  • Rating: StarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: December 16, 1972
  • Total Time: 31:03
  • Type: Soundtrack
  • Genre: Rhythm & Blues

Review

The soundtrack to a relatively little-known 1972 blaxploitation film featured songs written and performed by Bobby Womack, as well as a musical score by J.J. Johnson. Although the inconsistency of the approach precluded a musical statement along the lines of Superfly, it's an interesting find for those looking for little-heeded early-'70s soul with funk and rock influences. Womack's cuts count among his better material, and even if the title track cops much of its attitude from Superfly, it has a satisfyingly tough soul-rock groove of its own. "If You Want My Love" is a good grainy ballad, "Quicksand" a propulsive number well-suited for action scenes, and "Do It Right" in the mold of James Brown, but more rock-oriented. Johnson's instrumental contributions, while not as interesting, set a nice period soul-jazz mood, and there are nifty periodic washes of electronic effects in both composers' contributions. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Across 110th Street (Lyrics) Bobby Womack, J.J. Johnson Bobby Womack, Peace (3:47)
Harlem Clavinette [Instrumental] J.J. Johnson (2:13)
If You Don't Want My Love (Give It Back) Bobby Womack, Gordon de Witty Bobby Womack (2:29)
Hang on in There [Instrumental] Bobby Womack (2:49)
Quicksand Bobby Womack Bobby Womack (1:40)
Harlem Love Theme [Instrumental] J.J. Johnson (3:10)
Acorss 110th Street [Instrumental] Bobby Womack, J.J. Johnson (2:30)
Do It Right Bobby Womack Bobby Womack (3:08)
Hang on in There Bobby Womack Bobby Womack (2:25)
If You Don't Want My Love [Instrumental] Bobby Womack, Gordon de Witty (3:06)
Across 110th Street, Pt. 2 Bobby Womack, J.J. Johnson Bobby Womack, Peace (2:56)

Credits

Bobby Womack (Guitar), Bobby Womack (Vocals), Bobby Womack (Main Performer), Anthony Quinn (Executive Producer), Clive Anderson (Liner Notes)
Wikipedia: Across 110th Street
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Across 110th Street

Theatrical Poster
Directed by Barry Shear
Produced by Anthony Quinn
Fouad Said
Barry Shear
Written by Novel:
Wally Ferris
Screenplay:
Luther Davis
Starring Anthony Quinn
Yaphet Kotto
Anthony Franciosa
Music by Bobby Womack
J. J. Johnson
Distributed by United Artists
Release date(s) December 19, 1972
Running time 102 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Across 110th Street is a 1972 American crime-drama film starring Anthony Quinn, Yaphet Kotto, and Anthony Franciosa, and directed by Barry Shear. Commonly associated with the blaxploitation genre at the time, it has received considerable critical praise from writer Greil Marcus and others for surpassing the limitations of that genre.[1]

Contents

Plot

This film is set in Harlem, of which 110th Street is an informal boundary line.

By-the-book black police Lieutenant Pope (Kotto) has to work with crude, racist and streetwise Italian-American Captain Mattelli (Quinn). They are looking for three blacks who slaughtered five men—three blacks and two Italians—in the robbery of $300,000 from a Mafia-owned Harlem policy bank. Mafia lieutenant Nick D'Salvio (Franciosa) and his henchmen are also after the hoods. Paul Benjamin plays the troubled but good-hearted Jim Harris, which is the last of the surviving robbers; he makes his choice in the emotional climax.

In one of many violent scenes, D'Salvio finds getaway driver Henry J. Jackson (Antonio Fargas) and brutalizes him in a Harlem whorehouse.

Background

The movie was filmed on location in Harlem. The film is also notable as being the first feature film to use a self-blimped camera (the Arriflex 35BL) for sync sound; the much-reduced size of the camera allowed the production to not only use more hand-held shots and smaller locations than normal, but also record usable sound at the same time - an endeavor not previously possible under those circumstances.

Cast

Soundtrack

Across 110th Street Soundtrack [United Artists]
Studio album by Bobby Womack
Released 1972
Recorded 1972
Genre R&B
Length 30:13
Label United Artists
Producer Bobby Womack
Professional reviews
Bobby Womack chronology
Understanding
(1972)
Across 110th Street Soundtrack (1972) Facts of Life
(1973)

The film's critically-praised title song, by Bobby Womack, was a #19 hit on the Billboard Top Black Singles chart in 1973, and was later featured in Quentin Tarantino's 1997 blaxploitation homage Jackie Brown. It is also heard in Ridley Scott's 2007 American Gangster,[2] and as a background song for the video game True Crime: New York City.

  1. "Across 110th Street" (performed by Bobby Womack and Peace) (US #56, R&B #19)
  2. "Harlem Clavinette" (performed by J.J.Johnson and his Orchestra)
  3. "If You Don't Want My Love" (performed by Bobby Womack and Peace)
  4. "Hang On In There (instrumental)" (performed by J.J.Johnson and his Orchestra)
  5. "Quicksand" (performed by Bobby Womack and Peace)
  6. "Harlem Love Theme" (performed by J.J.Johnson and his Orchestra)
  7. "Across 110th Street (instrumental)" (performed by J.J.Johnson and his Orchestra)
  8. "Do It Right" (performed by Bobby Womack and Peace)
  9. "Hang On In There" (performed by Bobby Womack and Peace)
  10. "If You Don't Want My Love (instrumental)" (performed J.J.Johnson and his Orchestra)
  11. "Across 110th Street - Part II" (performed by Bobby Womack and Peace)

See also

References

External links


 
 

 

Copyrights:

Movies. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Movie Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Across 110th Street" Read more

 

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