Black Caesar

"Hail Caesar Godfather of Harlem!"

1973 1h 35m EN

😐

5.9

MID

🍅

69%

FRESH

⭐

6.4

IMDB

★5.9TMDB · 94🍅69%Rotten Tomatoes★6.4IMDB · 4,452

ActionCrimeDramaThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Raised in Harlem, Tommy Gibbs becomes a successful mob boss but he clashes with the rival Mafia and his old enemy, dirty cop McKinney.

“Hail Caesar Godfather of Harlem!”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

ScreenPix Apple TV channelSubscription

ScreenPix Amazon Channel Subscription

Cast

Fred Williamson
Tommy Gibbs
Gloria Hendry
Helen
Art Lund
McKinney
D'Urville Martin
Rev. Rufus
Julius Harris
Mr. Gibbs
Minnie Gentry
Mama Gibbs
Philip Roye
Joe Washington
William Wellman Jr.
Alfred Coleman

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Larry Cohen
Writers: Larry Cohen
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

53 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Tommy Gibbs Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Larry Cohen, shot by Fenton Hamilton. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by James Brown. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor George Folsey Jr. shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Fred Williamson and Gloria Hendry and Art Lund carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Hail Caesar Godfather of Harlem!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0069792 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Larry Cohen directs. Fenton Hamilton behind the camera. James Brown scores. George Folsey Jr. cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

153 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Part of the "Tommy Gibbs Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
3Directed by Larry Cohen, shot by Fenton Hamilton. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by James Brown. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor George Folsey Jr. shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Fred Williamson and Gloria Hendry and Art Lund carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Hail Caesar Godfather of Harlem!".
8IMDB entry: tt0069792 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 94 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Fenton Hamilton
Original score: James Brown
Editing: George Folsey Jr.
Production design: Larry Lurin
Makeup / hair: Rick Baker
Runtime: 95 min · 1h 35m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Black Caesar (1973)
Rotten Tomatoes: 69% 🍅 Fresh
IMDB rating: 6.4/10 · 4,452 votes
MPAA: R

Part of

Tommy Gibbs Collection

Fred Williamson stars as Tommy Gibbs in these blaxploitation crime movies

Also by

Larry Cohen

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Chandler Danier2025-06-27
★ 5/10
This movie is fine. The sequel is better because all the misses in storytelling and filmmaking can be excused by budget and time spent filming. This is more boring and messy.

Production companies