Hell Up In Harlem (1973)

This Sequel to Black Caesar Fails to Measure-Up

Hell Up In Harlem is a sequel to Black Caesar. Black Caesar, clearly "inspired by" the classic gangster film, Little Caesar, showed the evolution of Tommy Gibbs (Fred Williamson) from errand boy for the mob to Black Godfather of Harlem. It was never in any danger of winning an Oscar, but it was a classic blaxploitation movie and well worth seeing.

You had to suspend your disbelief a little to enjoy it, (the Black Gangsters are better than the Italian ones at everything, including speaking Sicilian and if the Mafia was as bumbling as they are shown in these films, it seems like somebody would have pushed them out of power years ago.) . . . but the movie was fun and the characters were interesting. The story, although not original, held together well and more importantly, held our attention.

The movie did well enough at the box office to demand a sequel. Unfortunately, the sequel lacks the focus and energy of the original. It picks up the story right where the original ended, but with the twist that the ending of the original has been changed (Gibbs died in the original). In the sequel, instead of dieing, Gibbs manages to have his gangsters take over a hospital. He utilizes ledgers that show payoffs to politicians, to get him and his gang safe passage and a dismissal of all charges. Then he goes back to the business of running Harlem . . . or at least he tries to. He is faced with dissention from within the ranks of his own gang and resentment from the white power structure that he has driven out of Harlem.

Most of the cast and characters are back for the sequel, but they seem to have mutated, and not for the better. Revered Rufus, Gibb's oldest friend, has now become a televangelist who preaches against Gibb's, but not against Gibb's rivals in the Mafia. Gibb's father, who in the first film turned down Gibb's offer of money and power in order to go back to selling cosmetics, now becomes an assassin and later a Black Godfather in his own right. If these sorts of changes sound hard to follow, that's because they are . . . the fact that we are never given any reason for the character's changes doesn't exactly help our understanding.

The plot, such as it is, fails to tell a coherent story. Gibb's character bounces back and forth between sadism (punishing his ex-wife by kidnapping her children, who aren't his, he just doesn't want her to see them) and trying to explain why he isn't just like the white criminals who used to run Harlem (while running Harlem pretty much like they used to do). One minute he is trying to start a family with his new wife, the next he is abandoning her.

Fred Williamson projects a lot of charisma on screen and this movie definitely has some camp value, but all in all it's just not a good movie. Some scenes still have entertainment value, but they are so overdone that they are almost painful to watch. (The black maids "punishing" their former Mafia employers by forcing them to eat soul food, the New York City black gangsters launching an amphibious attack in the Caribbean via "snorkel" etc.)

All in all, this movie is only for those who want to complete their blaxploitation movie collection.
May 4, 2008

Freddie Gibbs is Back ! ! !

This was the infinitely more popular sequal to BLACK CAESAR (American International Films and Blaxploitation's answer to THE GODFATHER.) In truth, BLACK CAESAR is really where the story is at... but HELL UP IN HARLEM is a lot more visually exciting in terms of costumes and action. Basically it takes up where CAESAR ended finding every loose string it could, and using them for HK style movie cut fast paced action and chase scenes. As for the soundtrack... you can get it on CD now(!) CEASAR's soundtrack was by JB - - but I think Edwin Starr actually gave him a good run for his money capturing all that Starsky and Hutch meets SPEED type action...

Whatever you do, if you really want to appreciate the campy element of this film, be sure to see PART ONE first... and you'll realize how ridiculous the story in this one is (especially the extremes to which it went to keep certain actors working as well as others who were unavailable) - - but enjoy it just as much ! (In the end though, nothing will ever beat Glory Hendry getting the afro wig knocked over her head in CAESAR... but still, Tommy Gibb's dad turned (occasionally bedwetting) gangster ain't so bad either ! May 17, 2006

Pathetic piece of trash...I'd rather see Amos and Andy or Beulah.

I mean this stuff was horrible. The minute the man put the gun up to the little boy's temple, I was out of this picture and I mean way out. That kind of stuff should have been edited out of this pic. And speaking of the editing, this picture was edited to not make sense by having certain scenes that have nothing to do with the premise of the film to sadly become a part of this abysmal movie. On the dvd's special feature as to how the film was made, the director, Mr. Cohen stated that the editor doesn't include this picture on his resume and rightfully so. This picture was a disgrace to filmmaking in general and ought to be shown to NYU film students as to how you should not make a movie.

There were certain scenes that got underneath my skin such as the one were the white guy gets hung by Gibbs--Gibbs is the main character in the film, the black hero-- by using a necktie as a rope. A scene, which in my opinion, was way over the top. How can Gloria Hendry --a fine actress with a long resume-- prostitute her acting abilities into a film such as this? How can Margaret Avery--another stellar actress largely known for-- do the same thing as well?!?

Some of the blaxploitation films from the 1970's are not as bad as this partiuclar one; Some provide a well thought out script lines and stories but why do they always cast white characters as evil, demonic and uncaring individuals about to unleash fifty tons of heroin into the entire black population? It seems that a lot of these films from that period operate on that same premise, give or take. Why is it that black and white chacters can't come together--like Mel Gibson and Danny Glover did in Lethal Weapon-- to defeat a common nemesis? It would be refreshing to see a movie from that period with such a theme.

I guess the only redeeming factor of this picture was the soundtrack featuring Edwin Starr. Starr really put all of it into the music. January 1, 2006

Have A Cigar

Hell Up In Harlem w/Fred "The Hammer" Williamson and directed by the one and only, Larry Cohen! If that alone doesn't make you hit the purchase button, then the hell with ya. Harlem continues pretty much immediately after Black Caesar left off. The very last scene in Caesar is changed a bit-he's no longer beaten by a mob-in order to continue the story. Tommy still has the list of corrupt officials, and naturally the corrupt officials still want the thing. Tommy's dad, a minor character in the first film, is now a major player as he goes through a big change from humble old guy to big city crime boss. Tommy's ex is still hanging around, but she's pretty much treated like a doormat the entire time, and Tommy only seems to care once she's already dead. He finds a new spouse though, a religious chick who seems to jump in the sack with Tommy a little too easily(not that much different from real life I suppose). Tommy tries to leave his crime life behind, but do you think that actually works? Once a traitorous schmuck takes over Tommy's old territory, kills his dad and attempts to kill Tommy, well there's hell to pay. Hell Up In Harlem, that is! Tommy goes into Rambo mode in the last half hour of the film. This sequel is more action oriented than Black Caesar. Caesar, like Scarface, was more of a crime drama about how a small time crook makes it big. Harlem is more focused on the butt kickin', and The Hammer has no problem dishing it out. Good times. January 1, 2006

CLASSIC FRED WILLIAMSON!!!!

THIS is an awesome movie and I would truly recommend this to any Fred Williamson fan who enjoys his movies and I loved this movie it was pretty good Julius W. Harris and Gloria Hendry returns also and she is a very beautiful woman and they are very good legendary actors and actresses and this movie is really good I would really recommend Tommy Gibbs falls in love again with a minister by the name of Jennifer and may I also add that this is a nice soundtrack also this time this soundtrack is done by Edwin Starr and this is the sequel to Black Caesar !!!!h July 16, 2003

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