CinemaSerf

The complexities of the plot don't readily make for a succinct summary but the interweaving stories of "Frank" and "Danny" (Burgess Meredith) make themselves pretty clear from the mysterious outset. It's "Frank" who narrowly avoids some falling masonry only to awaken in hospital with what appears to be a completely different identity. Inexplicably pursued by a strange man (Sheldon Leonard), he visits his erstwhile home only to find his wife "Virginia" (Louise Platt) had moved on over a year ago. When he finally tracks her down, she is shocked to see him and that's just the first shock as his memory loss fails to explain just what happened in the intervening year, nor explain to him just whom "Danny" is. Gradually retracing his recent life, he not only discovers that he is wanted for murder but also that he also has a feisty girlfriend (Claire Trevor) who is quite possibly involved with the people who know more about the crime than is being let on! The plot itself isn't the most taxing, to be honest, but once the characterisations have mapped out there are quite decent performances from a Meredith who mixes his stronger and weaker personas quite seamlessly whilst Trevor stirs the pot nicely. Perhaps truth all rests with the bedridden and mute grandmother (the scene-stealing Adeline De Walt Reynolds) who blinks once for yes and twice for no? Can "Frank" get her to reveal anything, though? The ending is all rather hastily arrived at, but there is enough substance along the way to keep it intriguing without overwhelming us with relentless dialogue. It's a perfectly watchable mystery.

Richard Rowntree exudes loads of charisma here as he takes on the role of the shrewd Harlem private investigator "Shaft" who finds himself embroiled in some fairly brutal New York politics. He's drafted in by local gangster "Bumpy" (Moses Gunn) when this man's daughter is kidnapped. He doesn't know by whom or why - there are no ransom demands nor many breadcrumbs to follow, but there are plenty of suspects. Initially he suspects that it might be the "Black Power" movement but after some plausible, if double-edged, tip-offs begins to suspect that some other hustlers are planning on bumping off his employer and muscling in on the lucrative rackets of the city. "Shaft" knows full well that the truth is being drip-fed to him, and that both "Bumpy" and police officer "Androzzi" (Charles Cioffi) and trying to manipulate him as he tries to track down "Marcy" (Sherri Brewer). It's a very slick and classy production, this, with Rowntree navigating the racial tensions of his city deftly and engagingly. His "Shaft" is quite a likeable rogue, and though many of the scenarios do tax even the most vivid of imaginations, he manages to more subtly and skilfully illustrate just how unintegrated this supposedly integrated society actually was. There's a bit of violence and some sex, but they are mostly implied as the story gathers pace in an unforgiving community where the goodies and baddies do not follow all of the expected stereotypical assumptions. Isaac Hayes's theme complements the whole look and feel of the early 1970s with big cars, big shoes, big hair and big opportunities and though it has dated, it's still builds on a solid story that delivers well.

If you're_italic text_ a regular watcher of Westerns, then you'll be familiar enough with the format of the film. A bunch of prospectors are being bullied by a local kingpin determined to muscle-in on their land and intimidate, or kill, them out of their claims. A bit like "Sir Galahad", a travelling preacher (Clint Eastwood) arrives and is soon trying to galvanise their efforts to thwart the ambitions of the calculating "LaHood" (Richard Dysart); his violent son "Josh" (Christopher Penn), sheriff enforcer "Stockburn" (John Russell) and their gentle giant (Richard Kiel). Chief amongst the miners is "Barret" (Michael Moriarty) who with the feisty "Sarah" (Carrie Snodgrass) are at their wits-end. They don't lack for courage but they are heavily outnumbered and ill-equipped to combat their antagonists, so the enigmatic churchman clearly has his work cut out for him. The remainder of the plot plays out pretty much as expected, and the supporting cast deliver competently enough, but the film really just belongs to an Eastwood who has a little more dialogue here than in his other, Leone, man-with-no-name features. He charismatically owns the screen as this toxically-charged story builds and there is even a certain element of the avenging angel to his performance set amidst some beautiful scenery. It emphases a little the difficulties faced by these pioneers, and of the unscrupulousness, greed and violence that prevailed too but the use of a man of God is effective at curtailing the brutality. He combines his wits, his muscles and the reluctance of their enemies to actually physically engage with a minister to made his sparing use of a gun all the more potent when it happens. It's steadily paced and though I did find the sub-plot with the dog-loving "Megan" (Sydney Penny) a bit creepy, the film is well worth a couple of hours.