Shaft in Africa
| Shaft in Africa | |
|---|---|
 Original theatrical release poster by John Solie |
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| Directed by | John Guillermin |
| Written by | Stirling Silliphant |
| Starring | Richard Roundtree Frank Finlay Neda Arnerić Vonetta McGee Frank McRae |
| Editing by | Max Benedict |
| Distributed by | MGM Warner Bros. (DVD)[1] |
| Release date(s) |
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| Running time | 112 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1,395,000 (US/ Canada rentals)[2] |
Shaft in Africa, released in 1973, is the third film in the blaxploitation trilogy of films that starred actor Richard Roundtree as John Shaft. John Guillermin directed and Stirling Silliphant did the screenplay.[3] The cost went up to $2,142, 000, but the gross fell to $1,458,000. MGM quickly sold the property to television, but the television series was cancelled after just seven episodes.
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[edit] Plot
At home in his New York City apartment, John Shaft is drugged with a tranquilizer dart, then kidnapped and persuaded by threats of physical force, the promise of money, and the lure of a pretty tutor to travel to Africa (much of the movie was filmed in Eritrea), assuming the identity of a native-speaking itinerant worker. His job is to help break a criminal ring that is smuggling immigrants into Europe then exploiting them. But the villains have heard that he is on his way.
Shaft must pass a test before being hired for the job; the test involves him surviving in a small, overheated room without water, and a floor covered in deep sand, mimicking the supposed conditions of Africa. Shaft ingeniously covers himself with the sand, thereby avoiding heatstroke and winning the contract from his employer. Shaft must then embark upon a mission to infiltrate and destroy a human trafficking and slavery ring in West Africa and France.
[edit] Cast
- Richard Roundtree as John Shaft
- Frank Finlay as Amafi
- Vonetta McGee as Aleme
- Neda Arneric as Jazar
- Debebe Eshetu as Wassa
[edit] Reception
The movie had a lukewarm receptions from critics.[4][5]
[edit] References
- ^ "Shaft in Africa". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2011-06-12.
- ^ "Big Rental Films of 1973", Variety, 9 January 1974 p 60
- ^ "70S REWIND: JOHN GUILLERMIN'S SHAFT IN AFRICA". Twitch Film. Retrieved 2011-06-12.
- ^ Greenspun, Roger (1973-06-21). "Screen: And Now It's 'Shaft in Africa':Roundtree on Track of a Labor Smuggler". The New York Times. Retrieved 2011-06-12.
- ^ "Shaft in Africa". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2011-06-12.
[edit] External links
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