Cash - Halt die Hand auf oder stirb!

At first glance, this seems like a good underworld melodrama/action flick but it's so poorly put together that it's unlikely to satisfy many. The film has the look and feel of a TV-movie and even by 1974, seems to have cheap production values. Most of the actors, especially Williams, seem to walk through their roles and the minimal action/violence scenes are so mild, they produce little effect. It is interesting though to see Sorrell Booke (Boss Hogg from the Dukes of Hazzard)in a straight role. You may not recognize him right away as he seems so different. It's also odd to see Frankie Avalon play a whining, pathetic hood. Given the cast and the premise though, you'd expect a lot more. Williams was an up and comer at the time this was made. It may be one of the reasons why he never quite made it as a mainstream movie star or even as a TV star.

This film essentially begins with a San Francisco police detective by the name of "Lieutenant Terry Sneed" (Billy Dee Williams) arriving in Poloma, New Mexico to help the police department on a case involving a local crime syndicate headed by a man named "Victor Manso" (Vic Morrow). To that effect, as soon as he arrives he finds himself in the middle of a gunfight between the local police and some of Manso's hired killers. Needless to say, thanks to his efforts in that affair, he is heartedly welcomed by the head of the Paloma Police Department, "Chief Berrigan" (Eddie Albert) who explains that he is in desperate need of a police detective that he can trust. Not long afterward, however, Lieutenant Sneed decides to visit the home of Victor Manso and accepts some money from him for his cooperation along the way. In short, the good lieutenant is on the take. But what Victor Manso doesn't realize is that apparently Lt. Sneed isn't loyal to anyone but himself--and it's going to eventually cause problems for him later on down the line. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was an okay movie which suffered somewhat by a rather convoluted plot which made it difficult to really like any of the characters in this film. Even so, I suppose it had its moments and passed the time fairly well, and I have rated it accordingly. Average.

I'm giving this movie a high/er mark because it is VERY unique! In fact I'd give it higher than an 8, but everything MUST have a flaw...the '8' is actually like a '10'...or '11' on an amplifier...or "ludicrous speed", heh heh! Billy Dee's character is a VERY confident, effective yet crooked cop. Imagine that...a character like that...in 1974! He REALLY is the star of the movie and takes no shorts! But, surprisingly, he also prevails in the end! Amazing! It would seem that, in those times especially, white audiences would have wanted to see this black character fall in the end. He's a bad guy...who prevails in the end! Not even white characters did this often back then! Billy is VERY smooth in this movie...a testament to how big a star he was/IS...and I'm CERTAIN this role helped him Land the 'Lando' character a relative few years later...because, again, it is such a RARE character...to even have existed in movie history...and, I can't emphasize enough, at THAT time in our, American history! You get the feeling this movie slipped though the cracks to even be MADE...much like 'The Spook Who Sat by the Door'...which came out the same year...both probably receiving the same, shelved fate at the box office...BECAUSE they were such anomalies...with themes that understandably made white America...unsettled, to say the least. And a nod to Vic Morrow's character...HORRIBLE how this GREAT actor died in real life. He, too, was VERY good in this movie...and pretty much anything, Like Williams, you will ever see him in. Well...it's about to come on (Bounce TV, 1:00 AM, 6/28/15...I WAS here!)...I'm going to watch it for a second time now...maybe with an amendment or two later (another post if compelled/allowed?). Be well movie enthusiasts! THIS one...is a rare gem! Update! 3:00 AM...just watched again. Surprised I remembered this movie so well and stand by my above review! Correction, however...'The Spook Who Sat By the Door' came out in '73...the same year as 'Soylent Green'...maybe I'll do reviews on those...2 of my favorites of ALL time...so simple reviews WON'T be as easy!

Billy Dee Williams comes to Arizona to work for Police Chief Eddie Albert. It seems that 'the Syndicate' is moving into Albert's city, and Williams is an expert on them. He's also on the take.

At least in this movie, the anonymous crime syndicate has members with names that sound Italian. Although there is a story involved, of Williams making the occasional effort to come unstuck from the criminals, by and large it's about how he manages to remain undiscovered, and what it does to him, his loneliness and lack of connection to people other than on a professional level. Williams is very good in the role, offering an emotionally guarded performance that occasionally lets his feelings seep through. Vic Morrow, as the local crime boss with a dodgy heart complements him in this relationship, where it's all business in when there's no one else around.

This is like a CBS Made-for-TV version of a blaksploitation version of Dirty Harry. Billy Dee always was second-rate. And the rest of the cast is strictly TV quality. It has about as much grit as a silk handkerchief. I mean, Frankie Avalon as a tweaker? Come on, now. I half-expected Starsky & Hutch to make a cameo in one of their goofy disguises, maybe with Huggy Bear in tow for comic relief. New Mexico features nicely so I assume the N.M Film Development Corp kicked in some coin to get this film made. They didn't get their money's worth.