Across 110th Street
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Across 110th Street
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, RoviReview
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, RoviCast
- Anthony Quinn - Capt. Frank Mattelli
- Yaphet Kotto - Det. Lt. Pope
- Anthony Franciosa - Nick D'Salvio
- Paul Benjamin - Jim Harris
- Ed Bernard - Joe Logart
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| Acropole (1996 Film), Acquitted (1916 Film) | |
| Across Five Aprils (1990 Film), Across The World (1930 Film) |
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Albums:
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Across 110th Street
- Artist: Bobby Womack
- Rating:
- 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" is 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, Rovi| Across 110th St. [Single] (1993 Album by Pretty Tone Capone) | |
| Across 110th Street (2004 Album by Spanish Harlem Orchestra) |
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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Across 110th Street
| Across 110th Street | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster |
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| 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 |
| Box office | $10,000,000[1] |
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.[2]
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Contents
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Plot
This film is set in Harlem, of which 110th Street is an informal boundary line.
By-the-book African-American Lieutenant William Pope (Kotto) has to work with crude, racist but streetwise Italian-American Captain Frank Mattelli (Quinn) in the NYPD's 27th precinct. They are looking for three black men who slaughtered seven men—three black gangsters and two Italian gangsters, as well as two patrol officers—in the robbery of $300,000 from a Mafia-owned Harlem policy bank. Mafia lieutenant Nick D'Salvio (Franciosa) and his two henchmen are also after the hoods. Paul Benjamin plays the troubled Jim Harris, who 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, New York. 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
- Anthony Quinn as Capt. Mattelli
- Yaphet Kotto as Lt. Pope
- Paul Benjamin as Jim Harris
- Ed Bernard as Joe Logart
- Richard Ward as Doc Johnson
- Antonio Fargas as Henry J. Jackson
- Norma Donaldson as Gloria Roberts
- Gilbert Lewis as Shevvy
- Marlene Warfield as Mrs. Jackson
- Nat Polen as Lt. Reilly
- Tim O'Connor as Lt. Hartnett
- Anthony Franciosa as Nick D'Salvio
- Burt Young as Lapides
- Frank Adu as Black Assistant
- Frank Arno as Detective Rizzo
- Joseph Attles as Mr. Jessup
- Tina Beyer as Black Whore
- Gerry Black as Patrolman
- Samuel Blue Jr. as Dr. Christmas
Release on DVD & HD
- In 2001 it was released on DVD.
- In 2010 it was digitized in High Definition (1080i) and broadcasted on MGM HD.
Soundtrack
| Across 110th Street Soundtrack [United Artists] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Bobby Womack and J.J. Johnson | ||||
| Released | 1972 | |||
| Recorded | 1972 | |||
| Genre | R&B | |||
| Length | 30:13 | |||
| Label | United Artists | |||
| Producer | Bobby Womack | |||
| Bobby Womack and J.J. Johnson chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   link |
The film's critically praised title song, written by Bobby Womack and J.J. Johnson, was a No. 19 hit on the Billboard Hot 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 film American Gangster,[3] and as a background song for the video game True Crime: New York City. All songs were written and performed by Bobby Womack; the score was composed and conducted by J.J. Johnson
- "Across 110th Street" (performed by Bobby Womack and Peace) (US #56, R&B #19)
- "Harlem Clavinette" (performed by J.J.Johnson and his Orchestra)
- "If You Don't Want My Love" (performed by Bobby Womack and Peace)
- "Hang On In There (instrumental)" (performed by J.J.Johnson and his Orchestra)
- "Quicksand" (performed by Bobby Womack and Peace)
- "Harlem Love Theme" (performed by J.J.Johnson and his Orchestra)
- "Across 110th Street (instrumental)" (performed by J.J.Johnson and his Orchestra)
- "Do It Right" (performed by Bobby Womack and Peace)
- "Hang On In There" (performed by Bobby Womack and Peace)
- "If You Don't Want My Love (instrumental)" (performed J.J.Johnson and his Orchestra)
- "Across 110th Street – Part II" (performed by Bobby Womack and Peace)
See also
References
- ^ "Across 110th Street, Box Office Information". The Numbers. http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/1972/0A110.php. Retrieved May 22, 2012.
- ^ Pop Matters web site.
- ^ American Gangster at the Internet Movie Database.
External links
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AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Albums
Copyright © 2012 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.
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Mentioned in
Fly Me to the Moon/My Prescription
(1998 Album by Bobby Womack)
Pimps, Players & Private Eyes
(1992 Album by Various Artists)
High Contrast
(1970 Album by Gabor Szabo & Bobby Womack)
Lookin' for a Love: The Best of Bobby Womack (1968-1975)
(1994 Album by Bobby Womack)
The Poet
(1981 Album by Bobby Womack)
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