When money for a Harlem charity is stolen by the mob, all hands are on deck to get it back, and boy, what a cast of hands it is. Godfrey Cambridge and Raymind St. Jacques are the detectives on the case, and they deal with every Harlem archetype possible to succeed in their mission. The resultvl is a time capsule back to both sides of both Lennox Avenue and 125th Street, showing how little has changed in the padt 50+ years as far as the area's general looks are concerned.
A hysterical scene has a white cop arresting a black woman and conned into thinking she's trying to seduce her. Calvin Lockhart plays the phony reverend who sets up the fund raiser, hiding the money inside a bail of cotton. Redd Foxx, hysterical as always, is joined by beauties Judy Pace and Emily Dancy, creepy looking character actor Leonardo Cimino as a mobster and future "Blazing Saddles" star Cleavon in a key role. The characters are colorful and given some terrific dialog, making this move along as speedy as the riverside chase that opens the film.
The chase sequence alone is priceless with every day activities going on as a shootout between vehicles occurs. A man taking drugs staggers into the street and doesn't even blink, while a fur salesman is ripped off by a man in a wig, and a masher cruises three attractive ladies and has bullets flying into the tree he's backed up to without being struck. The funniest bit comes with "227's" Helen Martin the victim of a robbery and smirking when she gets her wallet back. When she goes up against Red Foxx, it's like Fred Sanford and Aunt Ester before his series began. Lots of fun, combining sly humor and skillful action stunts.
A hysterical scene has a white cop arresting a black woman and conned into thinking she's trying to seduce her. Calvin Lockhart plays the phony reverend who sets up the fund raiser, hiding the money inside a bail of cotton. Redd Foxx, hysterical as always, is joined by beauties Judy Pace and Emily Dancy, creepy looking character actor Leonardo Cimino as a mobster and future "Blazing Saddles" star Cleavon in a key role. The characters are colorful and given some terrific dialog, making this move along as speedy as the riverside chase that opens the film.
The chase sequence alone is priceless with every day activities going on as a shootout between vehicles occurs. A man taking drugs staggers into the street and doesn't even blink, while a fur salesman is ripped off by a man in a wig, and a masher cruises three attractive ladies and has bullets flying into the tree he's backed up to without being struck. The funniest bit comes with "227's" Helen Martin the victim of a robbery and smirking when she gets her wallet back. When she goes up against Red Foxx, it's like Fred Sanford and Aunt Ester before his series began. Lots of fun, combining sly humor and skillful action stunts.