Cotton Comes to Harlem

REVIEW
Made just prior to the explosion of blaxploitation films in the '70s, this fine adaptation of the Chester Himes novel stars Cambridge and St. Jacques as policemen Coffin Ed Johnson and Gravedigger Jones. Actor-turned-director Davis does a fine job in telling their story as they try to expose a radical back-to-Africa preacher who they believe "ain't nothing but a cheat." A splendid blend of action and comedy, the film is also a spirited re-creation of 1950s Harlem.