That’s Blaxploitation! 8: SUPER FLY (Warner Brothers 1972)

Pimpmobiles, outrageous fashions, and the funkiest score in movie history are only part of what makes SUPER FLY one of the best Blaxploitation/Grindhouse hits of all time. This low-budget film by director Gordon Parks Jr. captures the grittiness of 70’s New York in a way few larger productions ever could in its portrait of a street hustler yearning to get out of the life.

Priest is a New York City coke dealer with all the outward trappings of success. As his partner Eddie puts it, he’s got “8-Track stereo, color TV in every room, and you can snort a half piece of dope every day… that’s the American dream, nigga! Ain’t it?”. To Priest, the answer is no. He’s tired of the hustle, the rip-off artists, and the deadbeats like Fat Freddie, and he’s got a plan to get out for good by scoring 30 keys through his mentor Scatter, selling them in four months, making a million dollars, and saying goodbye to the streets once and for all.

But Priest’s plan hits a few snags when Fat Freddie gets busted and rats him out, triggering crooked cops led by a Deputy Commissioner to pull Priest and Eddie back in, making them an offer they can’t refuse to work for The Man. Eddie’s all for it, but Priest’s determined to quit after Scatter’s lugged by the cops and shot full of heroin, causing is death. Priest demands his half of the cash from Eddie, who promptly calls The Man. But once again, Priest’s got a plan to stick it to The Man one last time…

SUPER FLY made a superstar out of Ron O’Neal- for a brief, shining moment anyway. Primarily a stage actor before this, O’Neal lights up the screen as the iconic anti-hero Priest, and gave him enough clout to direct the sequel, 1973’s SUPER FLY TNT. The sequel bombed at the box office however, and his subsequent film career saw him cast in mostly supporting roles: THE MASTER GUNFIGHTER (with BILLY JACK star Tom Laughlin), WHEN A STRANGER CALLS, A FORCE OF ONE, RED DAWN, and Larry Cohen’s ORIGINAL GANGSTERS, with fellow Blaxploitaion icons Fred Williamson, Pam Grier, Jim Brown, and Richard Roundtree. Ron O’Neal, forever SUPER FLY, passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2004.

The other cast members aren’t household names, but will be familiar to genre fans. Carl Lee (Eddie) appeared in GORDON’S WAR as well as the exploitationer  WEREWOLVES ON WHEELS . (He was also the son of boxer/actor Canada Lee, noted for Hicthcock’s LIFEBOAT and the boxing noir BODY AND SOUL). Sheila Frazier (Priest’s main squeeze Georgia) was in 70’s films THE SUPER COPS, THREE THE HARD WAY, CALIFORNIA SUITE, and tons of TV guest shots. The great Julius Harris (Scatter) has an impressive resume that includes TROUBLE MAN, BLACK CAESAR, HELL UP IN HARLEM, and the James Bond outing LIVE AND LET DIE. Charles McGregor (Fat Freddie) can be seen in ACROSS 110th STREET and COME BACK CHARLESTON BLUE, among others. Producer Sig Shore pulls double duty by playing the crooked Commissioner Reardon.

Director Gordon Parks Jr’s dad was a famous writer, photographer, and filmmaker who practically single-handedly ushered in the Blaxploitation film movement with his mega-hit SHAFT. But while the elder Parks’ protagonist was a more traditional hero, Parks Jr.’s star is an outlaw, working outside the constrains of society. Not to mention SHAFT had a way bigger budget than SUPER FLY’s paltry $58,000. Both films scored big at the box office though, and a genre was born. Kudos must go to DP James Signorelli, whose photography of New York street life is outstanding, and whose memorable staging of a steamy, soapy sex scene between O’Neal and Frazier still sizzles. Signorelli has worked for decades now producing most of the filmed parody segments on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE.

Any discussion of SUPER FLY wouldn’t be complete without spotlighting Curtis Mayfield’s amazing soundtrack. The former lead singer of The Impressions’ urban soul/funk provides the perfect backdrop for the film’s down-and-dirty mood. As big a hit as the film was, the soundtrack album was an enormous success. Even white kids like me used to cruise around listening to “Superfly”, “Pusherman”, and “Freddie’s Dead” on our 8-Tracks (yes, 8-Tracks!). Mayfield and his band even appear in the film, playing “Pusherman” at Scatter’s club:

Fans of Blaxploitation/Grindhouse movies who haven’t yet seen SUPER FLY are depriving themselves of a genuine 70’s classic. It’s one of those films that captures the times perfectly, and influenced future filmmakers like John Singleton (BOYS N THE HOOD) and Ernest Dickerson (JUICE). “The game he plays he plays for keeps/Hustlin’ times and ghetto streets/Tryin’ to get over” indeed!

More “That’s Blaxploitation!”:

BLACK BELT JONES

BLACULA

FOXY BROWN

ABAR THE BLACK SUPERMAN

The CLEOPATRA JONES Saga

TOGETHER BROTHERS

TROUBLE MAN