Billy Dee Williams

 

THE TAKE-1974-Billy Dee Williams is Lt. Terence Sneed a San Francisco cop sent to Polima, New Mexico to investigate organized crime. He's met by Captain Dolek (Albert Salmi) and no sooner are they involved in a bloody shootout. His boss Chief Berrigan (Eddie Albert) seems frustrated. He visits his ex, Nancy (Tracy Reed) and she's not happy to see him. He meets Manso (Vic Morrow), a mobster with a bad heart and accepts his bribe. Dolek is also on his payroll. Manso also has a lawyer (Sorrell Brooke) who helps with his "investments". Sneed and Dolek investigate James (Frankie Avalon) a small time hood who cries because a cop beat him up when he was a kid. Another cop Tallbear (A. Martinez) helps Sneed out. When Sneed disobeys Manso's orders he's beaten up. 

Despite a long chase and shootout this crime action drama isn't very interesting with Sneed's actions not always making sense and a blah ending. John Chandler (MAD DOG COLL) and Kathleen Hughes (IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE) have small roles. Another “all star” action drama from director Robert Hartford-Davies (see last entry).

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Billy Dee

HIT!-1973-Billy Dee Williams is a federal agent Nick Allen out to avenge the death of his daughter by some French drug dealers. He assembles a team that includes Richard Pryor and Sid Melton and convinces most of them to join him by playing on their own lust for vengeance for crimes committed against them. There are also two assassins who seemed based on the pair in DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER. It's not very good with too much talk and ridiculous drawn out scenes despite direction by Sidney J. Furie (DR. BLOOD'S COFFIN) who the year before had made the critically acclaimed LADY SINGS THE BLUES.

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