Willie Dynamite

• Director: Gilbert Moses
• AMG Rating:
• Genre: Crime
• Movie Type: Blaxploitation, Biopic
• Themes: Inner City Blues, Going Straight, Prostitutes
• Main Cast: Roscoe Orman, Diana Sands
• Release Year: 1973
• Country: US
• Run Time: 102 minutes
• MPAA Rating: R

Plot

Willie Dynamite (Roscoe Orman) is a Manhattan pimp whose life and career are documented in this blaxploitation flick. Willie makes it to the top of his precarious profession, only to hit rock bottom again in record time. In her last movie role, Diana Sands plays an ex-hooker who becomes a social worker. She tries to get Willie to clean up his act before it's too late. Willie Dynamite was produced by Richard Zanuck and David Brown, who shortly afterward collaborated on a more upbeat project, The Sting. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Review

Despite its focus on the title character, Willie Dynamite is not the kind of gangsta-glorifying blaxploitation opus one might expect. In fact, it's a surprisingly serious drama that downplays sauciness and comic-book violence to focus on the moral implications of ghetto crime and prostitution. However, Willie Dynamite never quite manages to live up to the power of its convictions due to an unfortunate tendency toward melodrama. For instance, the performances frequently go over the top: Roscoe Orman's otherwise compelling and energetic work in the title role is occasionally undone by some tough-guy excesses, and the many police and pimp supporting characters are a bit too broad to be fully believable. Diana Sands delivers the finest performance as Cora, managing to bring a genuine earnestness and flawed humanity to a character that could have been another bland do-gooder. Also, the script piles on tragedy after tragedy on its title character in a way that undermines the story's believability, before capping the tale with an attempt at an uplifting ending that fails to convince. Despite these problems, Willie Dynamite remains compelling viewing for African-American film enthusiasts thanks to inspired direction by Gilbert Moses. He makes great use of convincingly gritty New York locations and creates some energetic set pieces in the process, including a memorably suspenseful chase in a set of tenements. The film also boasts some above-average production values -- the sets, costumes, and vehicles that depict the pimp lifestyle are genuinely eye-popping. In the end, Willie Dynamite lacks the consistency and dramatic strength it aspires to but remains an intriguing time capsule for 1970s cult-film fanatics. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide

Cast

Jack Bernardi - Willie's Lawyer; Juanita Brown - Sola; Marilyn Coleman - Connie; Norma Donaldson - Honey; Ted Gehring - Sergeant; Albert Hall - Pointer; Ron Henriques - Cyrus; Wynn Irwin - Bailiff; Richard Lawson - Sugar; Ken Lynch; Marcia McBroom - Pearl; George Murdock - Celli; Roscoe Orman - Willie; Thalmus Rasulala - Daniels; Roger Robinson - Bell; Diana Sands - Cora; Joyce Walker - Pashen; Royce Wallace - Willie's Mother; Mary Wilcox - Scatback; Davis Roberts - Judge; Judy Brown - Georgia

Credit

John T. McCormack - Art Director, Bernard Johnson - Costume Designer, Gilbert Moses - Director, Aaron Stell - Editor, J.J. Johnson - Composer (Music Score), J.J. Johnson - Songwriter, Frank Stanley - Cinematographer, David Brown - Producer, Richard D. Zanuck - Producer, Claire P. Brown - Set Designer, Waldon O. Watson - Sound/Sound Designer, Ronald Pierce - Sound/Sound Designer, Ron Cutler - Screenwriter, Joe Keves Jr. - Short Story Author

Similar Movies

Black Caesar; Bucktown; Dolemite; Hell Up in Harlem; The Mack; Superfly; Superfly T.N.T.; Black Gunn; Trick Baby; Trouble Man; American Pimp; Pimps Up, Ho's Down

• Artist: Original Soundtrack
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1974
• Type: Soundtrack, Lyrics are included with the album
• Genre: Soundtrack

Review

Appreciators of 1970s blaxploitation cinema consistently rank Willie Dynamite (1973) among the best the genre had to offer. The story of super-pimp Willie Dynamite may be typical in terms of over the top characterizations; however, in contrast to many of its contemporaries, the film's plot is dramatically guided by a central moral compass. In an ironic twist of fate, the actor who played the notorious Willie D would become better-known for his role the following year as Gordon on the children's television program Sesame Street. The original motion picture soundtrack was also different than most others of its ilk, as virtuoso trombonist J.J. Johnson -- whose technique would influence the likes of Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker -- composed and conducted the score, with director Gilbert Moses III penning the lyrics to the motivated urban funk of the title track, "Willie D"; the sensual love ballad "King Midas"; and the moody and introspective midtempo narrative "Keep On Movin' On." Granted, Moses III isn't the quintessential wordsmith, yet he ably progresses the storyline in his prose, instead of using the tunes as a momentary plot diversion. The vocals -- courtesy of Martha Reeves -- are supported by an ad hoc aggregate billed as "the Sweet Things." The incidental instrumentals are worth noting, as they allow Johnson room to lay down some truly inspired grooves. With names such as "Willie's Chase" and "Willie Escapes" -- both built solidly on sturdy funkified themes -- it doesn't take much imagination to guess the type of action-on-screen fare that Johnson has in mind. "Passion's Dilemma" stands as one of the more involved cuts, with "Passion" being a character in the film rather than a description of the song's ambience. Johnson creates a feeling of palpable uncertainty and an edginess that takes the melody to a whole other strata, drawing upon his considerable chops. The shortest number on the album -- clocking in right around 90 seconds -- is the suitably reverential "Gospel Family," a keyboard duet between famed West Coast cool jazz ivory tickler Pete Jolly and original Mothers of Invention co-founder Ian Underwood. In 2004, Hip-O Select issued Willie Dynamite on CD for the first time, presenting it with completely remastered audio by Grammy-winning engineer Gavin Lurssen, augmenting the package with a doubled-sided four-panel poster that contains the front and back covers of the original artwork. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Willie D		Martha Reeves	(4:13)
Willie Chase [Instrumental]	J.J. Johnson		(3:07)
King Midas			(4:52)
Willie Escapes [Instrumental]	J.J. Johnson		(3:01)
Passion's Dilemma [Instrumental]			(3:02)
Keep On Movin' On			(3:38)
Make It Right			(3:01)
Parade Strut [Instrumental]			(2:37)
Gospel Family		Pete Jolly	(1:40)
Willie D		Martha Reeves	(2:51)

Credits

Pete Jolly (Keyboards), Eddie Brackett (Engineer), Tommy Morgan (Harmonica), Gil Rodin (Executive Producer), Ian Underwood (Keyboards), Dana Smart (Reissue Supervisor), Mathieu Bitton (Design), Mathieu Bitton (Reissue Supervisor), Pat Lawrence (Executive Producer), Michele Horie (Production Coordination), Michele Horie (Art Direction), Brendan Morris (Research), J.J. Johnson (Conductor), J.J. Johnson (Producer)

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