Review of Cotton Comes to Harlem

Continuing to review movies featuring people of color in chronological order for Black History Month, we're still in 1970 when director Ossie Davis helps adapt Chester Himes' novel of the above title name with Arnold Perl co-writing. So it's with this film that we're introduced to the main characters of Gravedigger Jones (Godfrey Cambridge) and Coffin Ed Johnson (Raymond St. Jacques), Harlem detectives bent on protecting their own people. The villain here is the Rev. Deke O'Malley (Calvin Lockhart) who's swindling many of the city's poor residents of their money which is hidden in a bale of cotton. Among his accomplices is an Iris (Judy Pace). I'll stop there and just say that there are many witty lines and some funny scenes especially when they concern a dumb white fellow officer named Jarema (Dick Sabol). His scenes with the sexy Ms. Pace are highlights here. Also, Redd Foxx-in a role that anticipates his later TV character Fred Sandford-is Booker Washington Sims a.k.a. Uncle Bud who amusingly tries to sell the bale before attempting taking it back. Also amusing is Helen Martin-later of the TV series "227"-as a church sister. Davis also provides many exciting action set pieces. Does the whole thing make sense? Well, if you think too much about it, no. But it's a whole lot of fun nonetheless. So on that note, Cotton Comes to Harlem comes highly recommended.