Shaft (movie)

Shaft is a 1971 action crime drama movie. It was directed by Gordon Parks. It starred Richard Roundtree as John Shaft.

Plot
John Shaft, a private detective, is warned that some gangsters are looking for him. Police Lieutenant Vic Androzzi meets with Shaft. Androzzi unsuccessfully tries to get some information on the gangsters. When Androzzi leaves, Shaft sees one of the men waiting for him in his office building. He brings the first gangster into the office. The second gangster is waiting there. After a quick fight, Shaft avoids one of the gangsters, who goes out the window. The other gangster surrenders and tells Shaft that a man named Bumpy Jonas wanted a meeting between him and Shaft. Jonas is the leader of a Harlem-based organized crime family,

Shaft meets with Bumpy. Shaft learns that Bumpy's daughter, Marcy Jonas, has been kidnapped. Bumpy asks Shaft to make sure that Marcy is returned safely.

Shaft tracks down a man named Ben Buford. A big shootout takes place. After the shooting, Shaft is told by Vic that he (Shaft) was the target, and not Ben. But the view is black against white, according to the general public.

Vic shows Shaft two pictures of the Mafia men who arrived in New York City. 

Shaft suspects that gangsters are watching his place from a local bar. He pretends being a bartender. He calls the police to have the gangsters arrested. He later goes to the police station and sets up a meeting. The meeting is about where Bumpy's daughter is being held.

Cast
Richard Roundtree as John Shaft
Moses Gunn as Bumpy Jonas
Charles Cioffi as Lt. Vic Androzzi
Christopher St. John as Ben Buford
Gwenn Mitchell as Ellie Moore
Lawrence Pressman as Tom Hannon
Victor Arnold as Charlie
Sherri Brewer as Marcy Jonas
Rex Robbins as Rollie
Camille Yarbrough as Dina Greene
Margaret Warncke as Linda
Joseph Leon as Byron Leibowitz
Arnold Johnson as Cul

Awards
The "Theme from Shaft" won an Academy Award for Best Original Song. The Shaft soundtrack album won a Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album. It also won a Grammy for Best Original Score, and two other awards

Reception
The movie was one of only three profitable movies in 1971 for MGM.

Shaft was very successful. It helped pull a then-struggling MGM out of danger of bankruptcy.

The critics reviews on the movie were mixed. Roger Ebert gave the movie 2½ stars. Rotten Tomatoes rated this movie at 89%.

Themes
Shaft spawned several years of 'blaxploitation' crime movies.

References

Category:1971 crime drama movies
Category:American crime drama movies
Category:Blaxploitation movies
Category:Action movie franchises
Category:Movies based on books
Category:Movies about the New York City Police Department
Category:1970s English-language movies
Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer movies
Category:Movies that won the Best Original Song Academy Award
Category:United States National Film Registry movies
Category:1971 thriller movies
Category:1971 action movies
Category:African-American movies
Category:Movies about organized crime in the United States