Black Eye

His significant charisma and commanding presence are about all that keep this afloat, but Fred Williamson has done far better urban action films including many of his later, vid-released fare. The big studios' Williamson films of the early-to-mid 70's rarely had the punch of their mid-level counterparts, and this is a prime example. Clumsy action, little violence, and the PG rating is nowhere near questionable. Worth a look for Hammer completists in any case.

BLACK EYE (2 outta 5 stars) Unimaginatively-filmed '70s action movie looks like it was made for TV... only the occasional cuss word and a subplot about lesbianism tip you off that the movie was actually made to be shown in theatres. Fred Williamson plays a tough guy ex-cop who becomes a tough guy private eye. He stumbles upon a couple of murders and attempted murders linked to a mysterious cane. There are some fistfights, a Bullit-inspired car chase, a fairly original elevator scene and even time for Williamson to confront the rich, lesbian lover of his girlfriend (Teresa Graves). There is also a scene with Williamson bullying a poor old man by tearing up some priceless old autographed photos in his memorabilia shop. Yeah, way to go, tough guy... maybe you can find a cripple to beat up later? Obviously meant to cash in on the success of "Shaft" (this and about six thousand other movies), this movie doesn't have enough edge or enough originality to make much of an impression.

(1974) Black Eye THRILLER

The first of two movies Fred Williamson made with director and producer Jack Arnold, adapted from the novel "Murder on the Wild Side" by Jeff Jacks, he stars as ex-cop turned private eye, Shep Stone employed by Mr. Dole (Richard Anderson) to look for his daughter, Amy (Susan Arnold). And by the time he tracks her down, it turns out she may be part of a cult ring that involves drugs and prostitution. And like the movie "The Maltese Falcon" he also finds out several people are interested in an unique walking cane that used to belong to silent movie star. This is the African American equivalent of a Philip Marlowe movie.

Jack Arnold is principally remembered for directing THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN in 1957, a science fiction movie done with imagination, well pulled off special effects, a gripping script and Grant Williams in the best form of his career.

From Williams to Fred Williamson in 1974, and BLACK EYE. Willimson does perform creditably, but then that cannot have been that difficult, seeing that he is surrounded by by uniformly dumb members of the white community, beginning with a prostitute who steals a cane with a metallic wolf's head from the top of a coffin, a crazed criminal who atatcks her with a knife and makes off with the cane, but not before beating up and insulting Williamson with the worst adjectives for a black person, followed by a string of third and fourth rate white actors who must have been badly overdrawn or downright bankrupt to have agreed to play such dumbsters, junkies, sinful preachers and diabolical felons.

BLACK EYE is worth watching because of Williamson (especially while destroying valuables belonging to an antique collector enjoying "good vibes from the dead"), his Ford Mustang, his gorgeous Whitney Houston lookalike girlfriend, and the inevitably gay white guys and bombastically beautiful white birds who keep throwing themselves at him. The action ain't bad, either. 6/10.

I've read a lot about how Fred Williamson was one of the primary blaxploitation stars back in the '70s. His sideburns give him an extra cool look. He also appeared in "The Inglorious Bastards" (whose title Quentin Tarantino famously borrowed) and "From Dusk Til Dawn". "Black Eye" doesn't really come across as a blaxploitation flick. It's got some of the things generally associated with the genre, but it's too low-key to authentically belong in the same category as "Shaft" and "Superfly". Maybe it's just in the wrong hands: director Jack Arnold notably directed movies like "The Incredible Shrinking Man". It's not a bad movie but I don't think it correct to call it blaxploitation.