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Black Caesar

  • 1973
  • R
  • 1h 27m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
4.6K
YOUR RATING
Fred Williamson and Gloria Hendry in Black Caesar (1973)
Raised in Harlem, Tommy Gibbs becomes a successful mob boss but he clashes with the rival Mafia and his old enemy, dirty cop McKinney.
Play trailer2:20
1 Video
17 Photos
ActionCrimeDramaThriller

Raised in Harlem, Tommy Gibbs becomes a successful mob boss but he clashes with the rival Mafia and his old enemy, dirty cop McKinney.Raised in Harlem, Tommy Gibbs becomes a successful mob boss but he clashes with the rival Mafia and his old enemy, dirty cop McKinney.Raised in Harlem, Tommy Gibbs becomes a successful mob boss but he clashes with the rival Mafia and his old enemy, dirty cop McKinney.

  • Director
    • Larry Cohen
  • Writer
    • Larry Cohen
  • Stars
    • Fred Williamson
    • Gloria Hendry
    • Art Lund
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.4/10
    4.6K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Larry Cohen
    • Writer
      • Larry Cohen
    • Stars
      • Fred Williamson
      • Gloria Hendry
      • Art Lund
    • 53User reviews
    • 63Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:20
    Trailer

    Photos17

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    + 11
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    Top Cast21

    Fred Williamson
    Fred Williamson
    • Tommy Gibbs
    Gloria Hendry
    Gloria Hendry
    • Helen
    Art Lund
    Art Lund
    • McKinney
    D'Urville Martin
    D'Urville Martin
    • Rev. Rufus
    Julius Harris
    Julius Harris
    • Mr. Gibbs
    • (as Julius W. Harris)
    Minnie Gentry
    • Momma Gibbs
    Philip Roye
    • Joe Washington
    William Wellman Jr.
    William Wellman Jr.
    • Alfred Coleman
    James Dixon
    James Dixon
    • 'Irish' Bryant
    Val Avery
    Val Avery
    • Cardoza
    Patrick McAllister
    • Grossfield
    Don Pedro Colley
    Don Pedro Colley
    • Crawdaddy
    Myrna Hansen
    Myrna Hansen
    • Virginia Coleman
    Omer Jeffrey
    Omer Jeffrey
    • Tommy - as a Boy
    Michael Jeffrey
    • Joe - as a Boy
    Allan Bailey
    • 'Motor'
    • (as Allen W. Bailey)
    Cecil Alonzo
    • 'Sport'
    Francisco De Gracia
    • Cab Driver
    • (as Francisco DeGracia)
    • Director
      • Larry Cohen
    • Writer
      • Larry Cohen
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews53

    6.44.5K
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    Summary

    Reviewers say 'Black Caesar' Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Curabitur pretium tincidunt lacus.

    Nulla facilisi etiam dignissim diam quis enim lobortis scelerisque
    Lorem ipsum dolorSit amet consecteturAdipiscing elitSed do eiusmodTempor incididuntUt labore et doloreMagna aliquaUt enim ad minimVeniam quisNostrud exercitation
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    Related interests

    Bruce Willis in Die Hard (1988)
    Action
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    Crime
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    Drama
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    Thriller

    Storyline

    Did you know

    • Trivia
      While filming in Harlem, Larry Cohen was accosted by local gangsters who threatened to disrupt the shoot unless they were paid off. Instead, Cohen offered them small roles in the film. They helped so enthusiastically that they attended the premiere to sign autographs.
    • Goofs
      Tommy cuts off the left ear of the man in the barber's chair, but the ear he drops into the plate of spaghetti is a right ear.
    • Quotes
      • Tommy Gibbs: That used to be home, sweet home, Pa. Top window. Rear
      • Mr. Gibbs: Always seemed to me like a much bigger building.
      • Tommy Gibbs: You must know what I do for a living.
      • Mr. Gibbs: I'm not gonna lecture you. I don't have the right.
      • Tommy Gibbs: Did it ever occur to you... That I've been waiting 25 years just to kill you?
      • Mr. Gibbs: No. No. Wait, listen please. I mean, it was the depression. I mean, you don't know what it was like to... Then the war and my chance to get away. You never had those responsibilities. I mean, you never been trapped. Oh, no. Not knowing where to run or who to-- or who to hate. I was 20 years old, 20 years old when I enlisted. And I was a cook all through the war. I was a cook!
      • Tommy Gibbs: You never sent home one allotment check. My ma had to scrub floors on her hands and knees for pennies!
      • [pins his father against a wall pointing his gun at him]
      • Tommy Gibbs: I'm gonna kill you!
      • Mr. Gibbs: She-- she couldn't get no allotment! We wasn't married legal! Folks didn't bother much in those days.
      • Tommy Gibbs: [lowers his gun and turns away] She never told me.
      • Mr. Gibbs: I--I could have sent you something.
      • Tommy Gibbs: Go on. Start walkin.'
      • Mr. Gibbs: I didn't mean to break it to you that way. I mean, I wouldn't have said anything...
      • Tommy Gibbs: Don't matter. Move on, before I change my mind. Pa! I don't ever want to see you again.
      • Mr. Gibbs: I understand, son.
      • Reverend Rufus: What are you going to do now? Kill your momma?
    • Alternate versions
      The European version included an additional scene before the end credits, where, after Tommy Gibbs is seen wandering in a neighborhood slum, a street gang robs him and fatally beats him up. This sequence was originally cut from U.S. prints, as AIP was already interested in making a sequel. However, in the late 1990s, when MGM bought the Orion Pictures library, the European cut made its way to home video, due to a mix-up on MGM's part. Therefore, all current video releases, to this day, feature this print.
    • Connections
      Featured in Hell Up in Harlem (1973)
    • Soundtracks
      Down and Out in New York City
      Written by Bodie Chandler & Barry De Vorzon

      Performed by James Brown

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    Details

    • Release date
      • February 7, 1973 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Italian
    • Also known as
      • Black Cæsar
    • Filming locations
      • Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • American International Pictures (AIP)
      • Larco Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    • Runtime
      • 1h 27m(87 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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