Come Back Charleston Blue

The previous film in this series, "Cotton Comes to Harlem" is regarded by many as the first blaxploitation film, though in some ways it's not exactly an example of the genre. Much of it is because unlike traditional blaxploitation, the heroes are cops...albeit NOT typical cops as well as being cops who have a strong dislike for many other cops! It was a dandy film...and is well worth seeing.

"Come Back Charleston Blue" is a sequel, bringing back the police detectives Gravedigger (Godfrey Cambridge) and Coffin Ed (Raymond St. Jacques). And, as usual, they're fighting against folks who seek to exploit the folks in Harlem. However, when it comes to busting pushers, they have a unique problem during much of the film...there seem to be no pushers to arrest! It's because again and again, the pushers are being killed and robbed...and it's all being blamed on a dead man, Charleston Blue....a tough guy who supposedly died four decades ago!

What really is going on in this film is a new mob getting rid of the old mob....the mafia. The story going around town is that the new mob is working for the people...and are dumping the drugs into the river after they confiscate it. Gravedigger and Coffin Ed suspect that these 'do-gooders' are actually just planning on selling the drugs themselves and cutting out the mafia middle men. What the two cops want is to stop anyone who exploits their people...a message that must have resonated well to black inner city audiences of the day.

I don't care whether you are black or not, this is a very good and entertaining film...possibly more so than the original. It holds up well over time and has a much more positive message than many later blaxploitation pics....a message about empowerment and justice.

The film features some excellent drama, a few very good action scenes as well as some occasional humor than made me laugh out loud several times!

Yea this one's got all the action the first was missing but it's still a classic. Both will make you laugh, the first one is more like an introduction to Coffin Ed and Grave Digger Jones, this sequel is where they Get Down

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This film is sort of a pt.2 to "Cotton comes to Harlem" though it easily stands on its own .Once again we have superb acting and excellent direction by Ozzie Davis .I feel this film is not quite as funny as the previous outing though, and that may be due to the fact that this story revolves around the scourge of drug use and drug dealers .These are things that I believe Ozzie really hated to see going on in the community .As a director he probably recognized that Hollywood was not going to address these issues at the time ,they didn't have the guts.It is worth noting Ozzie made at least three films concerning drug use ,this one ,"Gordons War'and I think "Hit!" starring Billy Dee Williams. In this we see Viet Nam vets involved in the lucrative drug trade ,using the coffins of fallen comrades to ship the stuff in (check it out,this actually happened in the 70's).Much of the film is hilarious though ,and Godfrey Cambridge and the rest make this film memorable .Another film classic to be cherished .

Just watched this sequel to Cotton Comes to Harlem on YouTube. Once again, Gravedigger Jones (Godfrey Cambridge) and Coffin Ed Johnson (Raymond St. Jacques) are trying to make it safe to live in the streets of Harlem but there's someone running drugs there and the possibility of the title character returning to exact vengeance...While I thought CCTH was pretty entertaining, this one to me was a bit more funny and lively especially with help from Donny Hathway's score and supervision of it by Quincy Jones. I especially liked the performance of Minnie Gentry as Her Majesty who expects her late husband Charleston Blue to return any minute now though probably realizes he may never. Still, she likes to live in the past. Also returning is Dick Sabol as the dumb white cop Jerema though he's a bit more sympathetically treated here. Really, all I'll say now is I highly recommend Come Back, Charleston Blue. P.S. Since this is Black History Month, I'd like to cite other players of color that appeared here: Peter DeAnda as Joe, Percy Rodrigues as Bryce, Jonelle Allen as Carol, Maxwell Glanville as Caspar, Toney Brealond as a drag queen, Tim Pelt as Earl J, Marcia McBroom as a girl barber, Adam Wade as Benjy, Dorothi Fox as a streetwalker, and Theodore Wilson as the cemetery guard. Both Ms. Allen and Wilson previously appeared in Cotton Comes to Harlem as a secretary and Barry, respectively. Oh, and a year later, Ms. Gentry (who's Terrence Howard's great-grandmother) would also be in Black Caesar as Momma Gibbs.

Charleston Blue, is one of my favorites. I just wish it got more recognition. Very entertaining..full of action together with the charm and wit of Gravedigger Jones and Coffin Ed. I enjoyed Cotton Comes to Harlem, but loved this one. The description says a sequel to Cotton..Harlem but it is more of a sequel of the rough but effective detective duo Gravedigger Jones and Coffin Ed. This movie definitely keeps you laughing, keeps you in suspense, but also delivers a powerful message about drugs in the black community. I too have been searching for the DVD and will be first in line to get it when it is released, I am confident it will be released and soon. This is one of the Soul Cinema movies that is a must have for my collection.