Fred Williamson Movies
After excelling in football and track Northwestern University, African-American film star Fred Williamson was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers. He later played for Pittsburgh, Oakland and Kansas City, bringing attention to himself in the latter city by wearing a custom-tailored uniform and white shoes, and developing a karate-based offensive move which he called "The Hammer." In 1969, Williamson moved into acting, playing important roles in the original M*A*S*H (1970) and Otto Preminger's Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon (1970); he also appeared in the recurring part of Diahann Carroll's macho boyfriend on the TV series Julia (1969-71). One of Hollywood's major black stars of the 1970s, Fred Williamson starred in such actioners as The Legend of Nigger Charley (1972), Hell Up in Harlem (1973), Take a Hard Ride (1975) and The Bronx Warriors (1983); in addition, Williamson produced, directed and wrote many of his vehicles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this run-of-the-mill, derivative film about vulgar road warriors in the year 2019 -- after a nuclear holocaust -- the two macho heroes (Giancarlo Prete and Fred Williamson) have to single-handedly save a band of religious nomads plagued by the evil Templars. Between scenes and characters lifted from several preceding successes, flat acting, and a general lack of originality, I Nuovi Barbari has nothing new about it. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred Williamson, Anna Kanakis, (more)
This violent martial-arts film features a galaxy of the blaxploitation genre's best known stars, including Jim Kelly (Black Eliminator) in his final role. Richard Roundtree stars as a tournament promoter who gets shaken down by an evil gangster (Joe Spinell) and must call on his three friends (Kelly, Fred Williamson and Jim Brown) for help. Kelly is the "one down" of the title, as he gets put into a coma fairly early in the proceedings. The usual murder and mayhem ensues, and fans of gritty low-budget action films should be pleased with both the cast and Williamson's crowd-pleasing direction. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred Williamson, Jim Brown, (more)
- 1981
War is waged in an inner-city neighborhood when the Mafia struggles with local gang members for the rule of the roost. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1979
A nuclear-powered transcontinental train provides the setting for this television pilot from the mystery series Supertrain. The story concerns a shady agent who becomes the prime target for murder. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1978
Another of the many Arthur Hailey literary properties which were transformed into TV miniseries in the 1970s, the five-part, ten-hour Wheels took place in Detroit sometime in the late 1960s. Rock Hudson starred as Adam Trenton, executive in charge of project development at the fictional auto-manufacturing firm of National Motors. Ambitious and ruthless, Adam let nothing stand in the way of his development and production of a new, youth-marketed car known as the Hawk. Meanwhile, Adam's bored and neglected wife Erica (Lee Remick, who earned an Emmy nomination for her performance) drifted into an extramarital affair and a brief "career" as a shoplifter. Eventually, Adam himself acquired a mistress, who in turn fell in love with Adam's son Kirk (James Carrol Jordan). As if things couldn't get any seamier, Kirk's brother Greg (Howard McGillin) was plagued by a blackmailer, while crooked car dealer Smokey Stevenson (played by miniseries stalwart Anthony Franciosa) cooked up a sinister deal that threatened to destroy National Motors. Originally telecast from May 7 to 15, 1978 on NBC, Arthur Hailey's Wheels posted such disappointing ratings that, when it was later rebroadcast, the property was whittled down from ten hours to four -- with episodes three and four summarily dropped from the proceedings. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rock Hudson, Lee Remick, (more)
- 1978
- R
Convicted of crimes while in France during World War II, five soldiers are imprisoned by the Army. They later escape to try and make a difference in a crucial battle. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- 1978
Despite an amusing premise -- five blind men commit a bank robbery -- this Filipino crime film fails to rise above its low-budget blaxploitation look. D'Urville Martin (Dolemite) and Fred Williamson are the main draws, but only devoted fans will want to sit through this one. After 1974's outrageously silly The Killing of Satan, this was a letdown from director Efron C. Pinon. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- D'Urville Martin, Leo T. Fong, (more)
The Inglorious Bastards was the alternate title for the Italian adventure yarn Counterfeit Commandos. The main characters are five soldiers facing court-martial in World War II France. The quintet consists of Bo Svenson, Fred Williamson, Peter Hooten, Michael Pergolami, and Jackie Basehart. The men escape, heading to the safety of the Swiss border; along the way, they pull off several random acts of above-and-beyond heroism. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bo Svenson, Fred Williamson, (more)
- 1977
With Fred Williamson as director and star of Mr. Mean, is there any question as to the identity of the title character? Williamson plays a former Cosa Nostra henchman who seeks greener pastures. Hiring himself out as a hit man, he immediately lands a job. His mission: wipe out his old boss. Filmed in Italy, Mr. Mean certainly fulfills audience expectations. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The legendary Bruce Lee and former NFL great Fred Williamson star in Fist of Fear, Touch of Death, which is concerned with one of the biggest martial arts tournaments in history. The movie was filmed on location at Madison Square Garden. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred Williamson, Ron Van Clief, (more)
- 1976
- R
Fred Williamson returns as L.A. detective Jesse Crowder in this loose sequel to the previous year's No Way Back. This time, Crowder must escort a government witness (Bernard Kuby) across the country to New York, dodging homicidal gangsters at every stop along the way. Blaxploitation fans will recognize D'Urville Martin (Dolemite) among the cast. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
One of the first efforts of actor/producer/director Fred Williamson's Po' Boy productions, Adios Amigo costars Williamson with Richard Pryor. Playing a couple of inept western outlaws, Williamson and Pryor mastermind several failed crimes, ranging from a real estate scam to a statecoach holdup. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred Williamson, Richard Pryor, (more)
- 1975
- R
A Vietnam War veteran (Fred Williamson) is discharged from the Army, and becomes involved with mobsters when he is unable to find a job. The gang uses him on a job when one of the thugs (Roddy McDowall) and his girlfriend (Jenny Sherman) decide to provoke a gang war. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
A man moves to the small and racially divided town where his bar-owning brother was murdered after he refused to pay crooked white cops for "protection." When he is threatened himself, he calls in some hefty men to help him, but they instead decide to take over the town. In order to oust the baddies, the hero becomes a one-man army with a mission. This blaxploitationer features the action hero, Fred Williamson. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred Williamson, Pam Grier, (more)
- 1975
- R
Fred Williamson directed, wrote, produced, and starred in this first effort from his own company, Po' Boy Productions. The standard blaxploitation plot concerns Los Angeles detective Jesse Crowder (Williamson), traveling to San Francisco where he is hired to track down a missing man who embezzled a great deal of money. Soul Train's Don Cornelius is among the cast of this violent action film. Williamson returned as Crowder in Death Journey the following year. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred Williamson, Charles Woolf, (more)
- 1974
- PG
This Italian film was made for the blaxploitation action niche, but sloppy dubbing and unintentionally funny dialogue kept it from packing the kind of action punch needed for box-office success. Father Charlie (Lino Venturi) is an ex-con who has been granted an exemption from canon law to become a priest. When a friend of his gets into trouble which looks suspiciously like a frame-up, Father Charlie decides to investigate, with or without the blessing of his bishop. His friend Lee Stevens (Isaac Hayes) is looking for the real culprit as well, and Father Charlie and Lee soon join forces. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lino Ventura, Isaac Hayes, (more)
A black cowboy saves a frontier town from both the law and the bad guys in this western written by and starring Fred "The Hammer" Williamson. Boss (Williamson) is an African-American bounty hunter traveling though the Wild West with his best friend and sidekick Amos (D'urville Martin), gunning down wanted men and claiming the rewards when they make their way into town. When Boss bests a man in a gunfight, he discovers the victim had an invitation to become sheriff of San Miguel, a town under the control of notorious outlaw Jed Clayton (William Smith). Boss and Amos head to San Miguel, hoping to claim the hefty reward for capturing Clayton, but they discover the corrupt and venal Mayor Griffin (R.G. Armstrong) has to be bullied into making a black man sheriff. When Boss shoots two of Clayton's henchman during a barroom brawl, it brings the outlaw out of hiding, but it also makes life dangerous for anyone who dares to side with Boss, including Clara Mae (Carmen Hayworth), a beautiful woman he rescued from an ambush that claimed her father. Boss also finds time for a romantic assignation with Miss Pruitt (Barbara Leigh), the town's pretty schoolmarm, and Amos's new career as deputy allows him to interpret certain laws to his own advantage. Boss Nigger was also distributed under the less controversial title The Black Bounty Hunter, and has been released on home video simply as Boss. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1974
Best known for directing several popular science-fiction films in the 1950s, Jack Arnold turned to blaxploitation with this gritty crime film. Fred Williamson stars as Shep Stone, who becomes a private detective after being suspended from the police department. The usual sleazy setpieces deal with porno producers (one of whom, Bret Morrison, was the voice of The Shadow on radio), drugs, and murder. Teresa Graves (Get Christie Love!) co-stars with Rosemary Forsyth and The $6,000,000 Man's Richard Anderson in this average, but entertaining potboiler. Williamson and Arnold re-teamed for Boss Nigger the same year. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- 1974
- R
This graphically violent crime drama follows the relatively brief career of the notorious racketeer Crazy Joe Gallo, who formed an alliance with all of New York City's African-American gangs while serving time in Attica. Once he got out, he used that alliance to try and take over the Mafia, an act that resulted in his brutal murder in a restaurant in Little Italy, 1972. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Jim Brown and Fred Williamson team up for this violent western, directed by Antonio Marghetti under the name of Anthony M. Dawson. Brown plays Pike, a stonefaced cowboy who meets up Tyree (Fred Williamson), a jocular and dishonest gambler. Together with a mute Indian scout Kashtok (Jim Kelly), the trio attempts to transport $86,000 across hundreds of miles of Western wasteland to deliver it to the widow of Pike's former employer. Along the way, they are pursued by bounty hunter Kiefer (Lee Van Cleef) and corrupt sheriff Kane (Barry Sullivan). Dana Andrews also appears in a cameo role as Pike's boss Morgan. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jim Brown, Lee Van Cleef, (more)
- 1974
- R
The "three" alluded to in the title are played by Jim Brown, Fred Williamson and Jim Kelly. Letting their fists do all the talking, the hard-nosed trio takes on a neofascist organization. It is the avowed purpose of this all-white hate group to "cleanse" Los Angeles, Detroit and Washington DC of all blacks. To do this, they plan to poison the drinking water with a secret formula that affects only African Americans. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This hastily assembled sequel to the blaxploitation hit Black Caesar downplays the gritty drama of that film to create a pure action tale with a comic book flavor. The story begins with badly wounded crimelord Tommy Gibbs (Fred Williamson) escaping an assassination attempt masterminded by corrupt District Attorney DiAngelo (Gerald Gordon) with the help of his estranged father, Papa Gibbs (Julius Harris). When DiAngelo's thugs attempt to kill him, Papa fights back and joins his son's criminal organization, a move that angers Gibb's top henchman Zach (Tony King). As Tommy and Papa build up their criminal empire, Zach secretly plots against them with DiAngelo. Zach also murders Helen (Gloria Hendry), Tommy's traitorous ex-wife, and pins in it on Papa to drive a wedge between them. Tommy gives up his New York crime operation and runs off to California. Papa takes over the operation, only to get killed by Zach during a fistfight. Angered by his father's death, Tommy returns to settle the score with Zach and DiAngelo. Hell up in Harlem delivers plenty of action set pieces and did fairly well at the box office, but lacks the consistency and the dramatic punch that made Black Caesar so memorable. As a result, it is considered to be one of Larry Cohen's lesser efforts. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred Williamson, Julius Harris, (more)
- 1973
- R
This movie, a sequel to The Legend of Nigger Charlie, tells the story of a Southern colonel in the Civil War who has raided locations in the North in order to capture renegade slaves for a colony of Southern aristocrats living in Mexico. Escaped slave Charley (Fred Williamson) and his friend and fellow escapee Toby (D'Urville Martin) bend all their energies to freeing the 71 blacks captured by the colonel. In the violence that follows, the Southern cause suffers. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
Set amid the exciting, exotic streets of Vegas, LA and Hong Kong, this blaxploitation actioner features a mixture of martial arts, gratuitous sex and comedy as it chronicles an enemy spy's worldwide pursuit of a heroic kung fu fighter. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
