Avco Embassy Pictures
Directed by Raymond St. Jacques
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(VHS, Magnetic Video Corporation)
Philip Michael Thomas and Raymond St. Jacques move to Arkansas to start a numbers racket. They are wildly successful and become upstanding members in the black community. However, a rival gang in a nearby town tries to take over, leading to violent confrontations. In one memorable scene, they disguise themselves as the KKK only to be surprised by real members. Later, they are arrested but at the court trial St. Jacques uses southern black stereotypes to persuade the judge he is innocent. This infuriates the younger Thomas who thinks they should have hired lawyers. Another violent confrontation with the rival gang occurs before they can work out their differences. Politically incorrect drama will probably not sit well with modern audiences, however it does offer a fairly accurate depiction of life in the 1930s South for African Americans. Excellent soundtrack featuring Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, including a blues/moog piece for the KKK scene that is quite effective.
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