Across 110th Street Information

Across 110th Street is a 1972 American crime drama film starring Anthony Quinn, Yaphet Kotto, and Anthony Franciosa, and directed by Barry Shear. Commonly associated with the blaxploitation genre at the time, it has received considerable critical praise from writer Greil Marcus and others for surpassing the limitations of that genre.

Plot

This film is set in Harlem, of which 110th Street is an informal boundary line. By-the-book African-American Lieutenant William Pope (Kotto) has to work with crude, racist but streetwise Italian-American Captain Frank Mattelli (Quinn) in the NYPD's 27th precinct. They are looking for three black men who slaughtered seven men—three black gangsters and two Italian gangsters, as well as two patrol officers—in the robbery of $300,000 from a Mafia-owned Harlem policy bank. Mafia lieutenant Nick D'Salvio (Franciosa) and his two henchmen are also after the hoods. In one of many violent scenes, D'Salvio finds getaway driver Henry J. Jackson (Antonio Fargas) and brutalizes him in a Harlem whorehouse.

Cast

• Anthony Quinn as Capt. Mattelli
• Yaphet Kotto as Lt. Pope
• Anthony Franciosa as Nick D'Salvio
• Paul Benjamin as Jim Harris
• Ed Bernard as Joe Logart
• Richard Ward as Doc Johnson
• Antonio Fargas as Henry J. Jackson
• Norma Donaldson as Gloria Roberts
• Gilbert Lewis as Shevvy
• Marlene Warfield as Mrs. Jackson
• Nat Polen as Lt. Reilly
• Tim O'Connor as Lt. Hartnett
• Burt Young as Lapides
• Charles McGregor as Chink
• Paul Harris as Mr. C.

Production

The movie was filmed on location in Harlem, New York. The film is also notable as being the first feature film to use a self-blimped camera (the Arriflex 35BL) for sync sound; the much-reduced size of the camera allowed the production to not only use more hand-held shots and smaller locations than normal, but also record usable sound at the same time - an endeavor not previously possible under those circumstances.

Release

The film earned an estimated $3.4 million in North American rentals in 1973.

• In 1973 it was banned by the South African Publications Control Board.
• In 2001 it was released on DVD.
• In 2010 it was digitized in High Definition (1080i) and broadcast on MGM HD.
• In September of 2014 it was released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber.

Soundtrack

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The critically praised title song, written by Bobby Womack and J.J. Johnson, was a No. 19 hit on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart in 1973, and was later featured in Quentin Tarantino's 1997 blaxploitation homage Jackie Brown. It is also heard in Ridley Scott's 2007 film American Gangster, and as a background song for the video game True Crime: New York City. The title song was also used as the theme song to the television show 'Michigan Replay.' All songs were written and performed by Bobby Womack; the score was composed and conducted by J.J. Johnson

1. "Across 110th Street" (performed by Bobby Womack and Peace) (US #56, R&B #19)
2. "Harlem Clavinette" (performed by J.J.Johnson and his Orchestra)
3. "If You Don't Want My Love" (performed by Bobby Womack and Peace)
4. "Hang On In There (instrumental)" (performed by J.J.Johnson and his Orchestra)
5. "Quicksand" (performed by Bobby Womack and Peace)
6. "Harlem Love Theme" (performed by J.J.Johnson and his Orchestra)
7. "Across 110th Street (instrumental)" (performed by J.J.Johnson and his Orchestra)
8. "Do It Right" (performed by Bobby Womack and Peace)
9. "Hang On In There" (performed by Bobby Womack and Peace)
10. "If You Don't Want My Love (instrumental)" (performed J.J.Johnson and his Orchestra)
11. "Across 110th Street - Part II" (performed by Bobby Womack and Peace)

See also

• List of American films of 1972