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Shaft (1971)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
2 July 1971 (USA) moreTagline:
The mob wanted Harlem back. They got shaft...up to here. morePlot:
Cool black private eye John Shaft is hired by a crime lord to find and retrieve his kidnapped daughter. full summary | add synopsisAwards:
Won Oscar. Another 4 wins & 4 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(8 articles)
Hayes Welcomes Fourth Child (From WENN. 18 May 2006)
Pioneer Black Director Gordon Parks Dead at 93
(From Studio Briefing - Film News. 8 March 2006)
User Comments:
Timely Take On The Standard Private Detective Formula. more (63 total)Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Richard Roundtree | ... | John Shaft | |
| Moses Gunn | ... | Bumpy Jonas | |
| Charles Cioffi | ... | Vic Androzzi | |
| Christopher St. John | ... | Ben Buford | |
| Gwenn Mitchell | ... | Ellie Moore | |
| Lawrence Pressman | ... | Sergeant Tom Hannon | |
| Victor Arnold | ... | Charlie | |
| Sherri Brewer | ... | Marcy | |
| Rex Robbins | ... | Rollie | |
| Camille Yarbrough | ... | Dina Greene | |
| Margaret Warncke | ... | Linda | |
| Joseph Leon | ... | Byron Leibowitz | |
| Arnold Johnson | ... | Cul | |
| Dominic Barto | ... | Patsy | |
| George Strus | ... | Carmen |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
100 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
Color (Metrocolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 moreSound Mix:
MonoCertification:
UK:X (original rating) | Iceland:16 | Argentina:16 | South Korea:15 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) | Finland:K-16 | Netherlands:16 (video rating) | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16Fun Stuff
Trivia:
'Ron O'Neal' (Super Fly (1972)) auditioned for the role of John Shaft, but was turned down because the producers felt his skin complexion was too light. moreGoofs:
Continuity: In the beginning when Shaft is walking across a street, an overhead shot shows him walking past a taxi and nearly getting hit by a brown car. However, a street-level shot shows Shaft standing in front of and giving the finger to the taxi. moreQuotes:
[first lines]John Shaft: [holding up his middle finger to a cab driver who is honking his horn at him] Up yours! Get out the way!
more
Soundtrack:
Theme From Shaft (vocal) moreFAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (63 total)
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It is an innovative effort, and serves as a snapshot of the times. Shaft, written by Ernest Tidyman, stands as one of the best modern detective dramas. Written and filmed at a time of extreme social unrest throughout the U.S.; the movie shows how Jon Shaft uses his private detective status and ethnicity to retrieve the kidnapped daughter of a notorious Harlem kingpin. While the plot pieces of black militants, and a potential race war in New York City, may not be as relevant in 2001 as they were in 1971, the cast and crew do a good job to convey the importance of Shaft's mission. Shaft, indeed, is one cool cat. Not only is he a ladies' man, but he's also a man about town. He knows every iota of New York City, and uses his detective skills to the fullest. Ducking the city police, and handling his business with the crooks, Shaft plays it cool to the very end. Many people like to bundle the blaxploitation pictures into a neat little package; one to laugh at and check out the music score. Shaft proves there was more meaning to these films, and ends up as a classic display of substance with style.