Black Gunn (1972)

Tom (possibly Tim, not really sure) Gunn (Brown) is the coolest, smoothest club owner in town. All the hippest people are seen at his Gunn Club, the cleverness of the name alone surely drawing them in. While Gunn is content to run his business and be the life of the party, his brother Scottie Gunn (Jefferson Jr.) is involved with weightier issues. He joins a Black Panthers-style revolutionary organization known as BAG, or, the Black Action Group. It seems BAG has stolen some "payoff books" and money from the mob, notably Russ Capelli (Landau), who most people know as a used car salesman whose TV commercials show him as a trustworthy guy. When tragedy befalls Scottie, the elder Gunn must wage a one-man war against Capelli's gang. Will he ever get answers, with cops and politicians dogging his every move? Black Gunn is a typical example of the Blaxploitation of the time, so much so, it seems to be one of the main templates for parodies such as I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988), which also starred Bernie Casey, and Black Dynamite (2009). Jim Brown is beyond low-key as our hero Gunn. He whispers all his lines, but he always looks cool in his fly threads. He even makes bowties look stylish and not nerdy. Martin Landau should have been in the movie more, because Black Gunn as a whole needed a strong, central villain. He's more than capable of filling that role, but for most of the movie, we actually forgot Landau was on board! He kind of shows up, then goes away and shows back up at the end. Landau should have gotten more screen time.Highlights include the funky soundtrack by Tony Osborne, the classic evil whiteys, its total lack of political correctness, including racial slurs you could never do today, and some cultural references: there are numerous allusions to Vietnam, and certain characters coming back from that conflict. Additionally, there's the line "It'll make Watts look like a Saturday night in Disneyland!" - indicating some of the tensions of the time. But the problem is the movie as a whole is too long and has too many extended, pointless scenes. Yes, it does have some gunplay and explosions, and maybe a few fights, but Black Gunn could have reached a much higher level if the whole thing had been streamlined: shorter running time, more action. Not that the movie is bad, really, but there's a bit too much fat. And the ending is lame.Interestingly, and correct us if we're wrong here, but Black Gunn never received a VHS release during the Golden Age era of the video store, at least here in America. Its cult Blaxploitation status had to grow from other means, such as foreign releases, poster and film prints, and write-ups in such books as That's Blaxploitation! by Darius James and others. It did get a DVD release in the 00's, so stateside Blaxploitation fans could finally see it. The results...are mixed. It has a lot of things fans of the sub-genre love, but it's a bit bloated for its own good.Fans of Blaxploitation, Jim Brown, Bernie Casey, and even the briefly seen Jeannie Bell (known for TNT Jackson, 1974), and even Luciana Paluzzi will want to check out Black Gunn. Casual viewers might not be as into it. After all, as great as Martin Landau is, as a Blaxploitation baddie, he's no Monroe Feather.For more action insanity, drop by: www.comeuppancereviews.com

***SPOILERS*** Typical 1970's black-exploitation movie with big macho bad a** Jim Brown, as the genteel and soft spoken nightclub owner Mr Gunn,taking on the West Coast Mafia with a little help from his friends. The friends that help Gunn in wiping out the mob are the black militant members of BAG, The Black Action Group, a Black Panther like movement. Made up of mostly Vietnam Vets BAG is out to free the "Hood"-or East L.A-from illegal drugs and and the violence that result from them by using a little violence themselves.Gunn at first isn't at all interested in any violence in freeing his people from the mob that controls East L.A until his hot headed brother Scottie, Herb Jefferson Jr, gets murdered and left at his door-step. You see Scottie and members of the BAG had ripped off a mob controlled bookie joint and not only taken off with the days profits but the pay-off books! Those books can implicate everyone in the city from the major and police commissioner on down in being on the take to the Mafia.You get the usual heroics that you would expect from a Jim Brown movie with Jim, as Mr. Gunn, going on a revenge trip in finding who was behind Scottie's murder and making him pay for it. It isn't an easy task for Mr. Gunn since when we first saw him he was a peaceful and law abiding businessman where violence was totally alien to him. By the time the movie ended Mr. Gunn had gunned down some two dozen people stolen a number of cars blown up half of the L.A dock and, after illegally breaking and entering into his swank apartment, worked over Ray Kriley, Bruce Glover, the mobster who did in Scottie. With all this law breaking all the LAPD had on Gunn was a reckless driving charge, with a stolen car no less, that was dropped making it possible for him to keep his liqueur license as well as control of his popular L.A nightclub "The Gunn's Cub"!Besides Jim Brown the major reason for watching "Black Gunn'" is actor Martin Landau as Mafia Boss Rus Capelli. Overacting like crazy Landau as Russ Capelli, who uses the cover of a TV used car salesman, came across more like a corny stand-up comic then a Mafia Chieftain.***SPOILERS*** In the final showdown at the L.A dock Capilli has Mr. Gunn captured by his hoods but foolishly, with his obnoxious overacting, lets him get away. It's then that a machine-gun toting Gunn, together with members of the BAG, wipes out Capilli's whole organization. As for Carpelli he-or Martin Landau's stunt double-ends up immolating himself because he forgot, when a burning barrel of gasoline came barreling down on him, to duck!

The Character listed in the credits as "Ray Kelley" played by Bruce Glover is incorrect. The name of the character in the movie "Black Gunn" is "Ray Kriley". I hated that man and his name will forever be etched into my mind as far as remembrance of this great movie. Kudos to Mr. Jim Brown. This movie was one of a handful of movies that would normally go unnoticed by most, but Jim Brown was involved in projects that were not only "Blaxploitation" films, but sound and solid acting performances such as the legendary "Tick...Tick...Tick". While his acting could never rival his athletic accomplishments, Jim Brown made his mark on those who wanted to see action films. He helped to break down the myth that Black Actors and projects were not viable for the movie industry and he was a part in paving the way for Black Actors of today. Thank you, Mr. Brown.

Jim Brown, the personification of coolness, is the nightclub owner who decides to avenge his brother's murder and begins a war against the local Mafia. Familiar but enjoyable, thanks largely to Brown's presence, and to some dynamic action scenes. Two interesting things: the use of wide-angle lenses during a fight scene, and a strong supporting role for the actor who was memorable as one of the two homosexual goons in "Diamonds Are Forever". (**1/2)