Three the Hard Way (film)
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Three the Hard Way | |
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Allied Artists Pictures Corporation | |
Release date | June 26, 1974 |
Running time | 89 minutes (DVD); 105 minutes (TV version); 93 minutes (theatrical release) |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Three the Hard Way is a 1974 action film directed by Gordon Parks Jr., written by Eric Bercovici and Jerrold L. Ludwig, and starring Fred Williamson, Jim Brown, and Jim Kelly.
Plot
Jimmy Lait (Brown) and his girlfriend, Wendy, come across Jimmy's friend, House, wounded and dying. Lait learns from House that he had escaped from a secret medical experimentation facility. Later in the hospital, a delirious House tells Lait that there is someone who aims to "kill us all" and that they have a way of doing it. However, Lait has to return to the studio to supervise a recording session with a group he is producing, The Impressions. He leaves Wendy in the hospital.
While Wendy talks to Jimmy on the phone outside of the room, two men climb through the window, murder House and kidnap Wendy. After finding out about her kidnapping, Jimmy begins a quest to find the whereabouts of his girlfriend, but a group of attackers ambush him. Lait survives with the help of his friend, Jagger Daniels (Williamson). Lait and Daniels join up with Mister Keyes (Kelly, named "Mister" by his mother so people would be forced to show him respect) after he wins a fist fight with several police officers attempting to plant drugs in his car.
Lait is shot as they capture a member of Feather's gang, but are unable to force him to give up his secrets. Jagger calls three
There is a secret plot of
The three heroes reunite as Lait is leaving the hospital, and decide to stop the poisoning of the water supplies. "Three the hard way, three cities, the three of us."
Lait returns to Los Angeles. Mister Keyes stops the poisoning in Washington, D.C., as Jagger does in Detroit. They reunite again to stop Feather and arm themselves to the teeth. They raid Feather's compound and rescue Wendy after a huge shootout, leaving Dr. Fortrero burned alive, and Feather and many white supremacists dead.
Cast
- Jim Brown as Jimmy Lait, Record Producer
- Fred Williamson as Jagger Daniels, Chicago Businessman
- Jim Kelly as Mr. Keyes, Martial Artist
- Sheila Frazier as Wendy Kane, Kidnapped Girlfriend of Jimmy Lait
- Jay Robinson as Monroe Feather, Head of White Supremacist Group
- Charles McGregor as Charlie
- Howard Platt as "Keep"
- Richard Angarola as Dr. Fortero
- David Chow as "Link"
- Marian Collier as Eva
- Jean Bell as Polly
- Junero Jennings as "House"
- Alex Rocco as Lieutenant Di Nisco
- Corbin Bernsen as Boy
- Renie Radich as Girl
- Janice Carrol as Nurse
- Irene Tsu as The Empress
Effects on popular culture
The plot of Three The Hard Way has been copied and parodied.[
Soundtrack
Performed by Curtis Mayfield's former group The Impressions, the soundtrack featured the songs "That's What Love Can Do" and "Three the Hard Way" plus "Make a Resolution".[2]
See also
References
- ^ "Three the Hard Way (1974) Review." Cool Ass Cinema. Web. February 15, 2011. CA74.
- ^ "Blaxploitation.com Soundtracks: Three The Hard Way, The Impressions, 1974." Blaxploitation.com | A Soulful Tribute... Web. February 15, 2011. Blaxploitation.com
External links
- Three the Hard Way at IMDb