Hitman, le Créole de Harlem

George Armitage's "Hit Man" is a blaxploitation version of Ted Lewis's novel "Jack's Return Home", more famously filmed as "Get Carter" starring Michael Caine. It's got what we expect in one of these movies: afros, wide-collared shirts, and lots of smooth talk. There's nothing particularly serious about the plot; it's all about the fun stuff. Bernie Casey as the main character is a cool dude, while Pam Grier isn't as tough as in most of her roles. But the movie delivers what it promises. It turns out that Armitage also directed "Grosse Pointe Blank". Tyrone aims to please (to reference the movie's tagline), and he succeeds.

I might eventually read "Jack's Return Home", but it could be decades, considering how long it takes me to get through books.

Blaxploitation remake of Get Carter about a man (Bernie Casey) investigating the death of his brother. Ample doses of sex, violence, and humor. Colorful language and stereotypical characters might turn easily offended viewers off. Bernie Casey makes for a solid blaxploitation protagonist: tough, cool, and magic with the ladies. Pam Grier is sexy as always and appears in all her glory. The character she plays is scummy and meets a particularly gruesome end. Lisa Moore is amusing as the motel manager with the hots for Casey and has some great lines. Marilyn Joi has a couple of brief but memorable scenes as the aptly-named Rita Biggs. Early role for Paul Gleason as a policeman/hit-man. A good movie that, like the best of the genre, rises above its gritty subject matter and manages to entertain not depress.

This film shows how taking even a solidly founded film and remaking it with low end rambling dialogue can mutilate what had some promise. Shot almost scene for scene from GET CARTER -based on the 1969 novel Jack's Return Home (which has resonated through multitudes of other film plots successfully). This movie flounders in a horribly almost plot-less screenplay. I dread what the outcome would have been had GET CARTER not been the master mold. In this genre remake the hero is not clear as to his history and drive and floats from place to place. No matter how much spicing up with racy visuals it still falls short.

Not trying to short change any film, I watched it a second time and nothing changed, no nuance to be found (no fault of Bernie Casey). This is a typical low grade band wagon production from MGM of the time. With dialogue like "That just ain't in his head. I'm the freak of the family", when pondering whether his brother's death could have actually been a suicide you have a long haul to the end of this one.

Better use of the "out for revenge" plots of this era and genre have been seen in Welcome Home Brother Charles and Gordon's War.

Hit Man (1972)

** (out of 4)

Fairly weak and at times tame Blaxploitation flick has Bernie Casey playing a man who travels to L.A. after the suspicious death of his brother. It turns out that the brother got involved with gangsters and pornography so Casey must seek some revenge. HIT MAN really isn't a very good movie, although fans of the genre will probably find enough entertaining things in it to make it worth sitting through. I think the funniest thing about the picture is the dialogue, which of course is full of the "N" word but there are some hilarious one-liners. The dialogue certainly fits into the "so bad it's good" territory but it at least gives you a reason to laugh. The film contains quite a bit of nudity from start to finish but the real surprise was the lack of any real violence up until the very end. Once the ending comes around then we're greeted with some rather over-the-top and very bloody death scenes. The film is basically a reworking of the British classic GET CARTER but this film here is certainly lacking in most categories. The performances are all okay but certainly nothing that's going to jump out at you. Casey would go on to star in other Blaxploitation flicks like CLEOPATRA JONES and DR. BLACK, MR. HYDE and while he's certainly nothing classic like Jim Brown, he at least manages to keep you entertained. Pam Grier is sadly wasted in her supporting role that simply doesn't give her enough to do. Director George Armitage certainly keeps the film moving at a good pace but there's certainly a major need of a re-write.

Largely because I read Pam Grier was in this, I was curious about seeing Hit Man so when I found it at my local library, I snapped it up! She plays a porn film actress who eventually gets on lead Bernie Casey's bad side because of something involving a relative of his she did something bad to. Casey is looking for info on why his brother was found dead but the people he runs into tell him nothing but lies. Plenty of sex and nudity (Yes, Ms. Grier is one of those who unclothe themselves) and some violence sprinkled throughout. I must admit I couldn't keep track on why certain sequences were happening but for the most part, I didn't care. So on that note, Hit Man is worth a look for anyone very interested in these blaxploitation pics from the early '70s.