Black Belt Jones
Encyclopedia
Black Belt Jones is a 1974 American Blaxploitation
action film
. The main musical theme was performed by the funk
guitarist Dennis Coffey
. The film was featured as number 38 on the documentary The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made.
learns that a new civic center will be built, and they buy all of the land for the site of the building—all except for one place: a karate school owned by Pop Byrd, Black Belt Jones' old friend.
Prior to the movie's events, Pop Byrd had borrowed money from a local drug dealer, Pinky, in order to open his school. Pinky had been stealing money from the mafia and was forced to pay them $250,000 or get Pop's building for them. Pinky inflated the debt with a ridiculous amount of interest, with the intent of offering Pop the deal of trading his building in exchange for the debt being cleared. However, things do not go as planned, as Pop is accidentally killed by Pinky's men during an intimidation attempt. Before he dies, he states that he couldn't give them the building to settle his debt, because it did not belong to him, but to someone named Sydney.
Pinky then decides to send his men to the karate school, to inform them of Pop's debt (inflated yet again) and attempt the same scheme. However, the thugs are beaten up by Black Belt Jones and the students. Meanwhile, a woman arrives to attend Pop's funeral, who is none other than Sydney, the daughter of the late Pop Byrd. After demanding to know what happened to her father, she is informed of the mafia's activities as well as her father's debt, but says she won't sell the building. Angered, she is determined to punish the people who caused her father's death. (It must be mentioned that she hadn't seen her father since she was 5 years old, which makes her anger seem very exaggerated.) Informed of Sydney's martial arts
prowess by Quincy (hence the immortal line, "Oh Black Belt she is good man, she is BAD!"), Black Belt Jones joins forces with her to "clobber the mob".
Blaxploitation
Blaxploitation or blacksploitation is a film genre which emerged in the United States circa 1970. It is considered an ethnic sub-genre of the general category of exploitation films. Blaxploitation films were originally made specifically for an urban black audience, although the genre's audience...
action film
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
. The main musical theme was performed by the funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
guitarist Dennis Coffey
Dennis Coffey
Dennis Coffey is an American guitarist. He was a studio musician for many soul and R&B recordings.-Biography:Coffey learned to play guitar at the age of thirteen, in the Michigan Upper Peninsula town of Copper City...
. The film was featured as number 38 on the documentary The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made.
Plot
The MafiaMafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
learns that a new civic center will be built, and they buy all of the land for the site of the building—all except for one place: a karate school owned by Pop Byrd, Black Belt Jones' old friend.
Prior to the movie's events, Pop Byrd had borrowed money from a local drug dealer, Pinky, in order to open his school. Pinky had been stealing money from the mafia and was forced to pay them $250,000 or get Pop's building for them. Pinky inflated the debt with a ridiculous amount of interest, with the intent of offering Pop the deal of trading his building in exchange for the debt being cleared. However, things do not go as planned, as Pop is accidentally killed by Pinky's men during an intimidation attempt. Before he dies, he states that he couldn't give them the building to settle his debt, because it did not belong to him, but to someone named Sydney.
Pinky then decides to send his men to the karate school, to inform them of Pop's debt (inflated yet again) and attempt the same scheme. However, the thugs are beaten up by Black Belt Jones and the students. Meanwhile, a woman arrives to attend Pop's funeral, who is none other than Sydney, the daughter of the late Pop Byrd. After demanding to know what happened to her father, she is informed of the mafia's activities as well as her father's debt, but says she won't sell the building. Angered, she is determined to punish the people who caused her father's death. (It must be mentioned that she hadn't seen her father since she was 5 years old, which makes her anger seem very exaggerated.) Informed of Sydney's martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
prowess by Quincy (hence the immortal line, "Oh Black Belt she is good man, she is BAD!"), Black Belt Jones joins forces with her to "clobber the mob".
Cast
- Jim KellyJim Kelly (martial artist)James M. "Jim" "the Dragon" Kelly is an American athlete, actor, and martial artist who came to prominence in the early 1970s. He is best known from his performance as Williams in the 1973 Bruce Lee film Enter the Dragon.-Early life:...
as Black Belt Jones - Gloria HendryGloria HendryGloria Hendry is an American actress. She is sometimes credited as "Gloria Henry."-Career:Hendry began her acting career in the 1968 Sidney Poitier film For Love of Ivy....
as Sydney - Scatman CrothersScatman CrothersBenjamin Sherman "Scatman" Crothers was an American actor, singer, dancer and musician known for his work as Louie the Garbage Man on the TV show Chico and the Man, and as Dick Hallorann in The Shining in 1980...
as Pop Byrd - Eric LaneuvilleEric LaneuvilleEric Gerard Laneuville is an American television director, actor and martial artist. His first prominent acting roles were in the science-fiction film The Omega Man with Charlton Heston and the ABC television series Room 222 . His role as Luther Hawkins in the television series St...
as Quincy - Alan Weeks as Toppy
- Andre Philippe as Don Steffano
- Vincent Barbi as Big Tuna
- Mel NovakMel NovakMel Novak is an American character actor who is best known for villainous roles in action, martial arts and occasionally horror and science fiction films. He is also known for doing all of his own stunts and fighting scenes.-Career:...
as Blue Eyes - Malik Carter as Pinky
- Eddie Smith as Oscar
- Earl Jolly Brown as Jelly
- Jac Emil as "Marv the Butcher"
- Earl MaynardEarl MaynardEarl Maynard is a bodybuilder and professional wrestler as well as a film actor, producer and director from Barbados.-Bodybuilding:Maynard won the 1964 Universe - Pro - NABBA bodybuilding competition - part of the Universe Championships, the 1965 Universe - IFBB - now the World Amateur Bodybuilding...
as Bogart