Shaft in Africa *** (1973, Richard Roundtree, Frank Finlay, Vonetta McGee) – Classic Movie Review 7624

Director John Guillermin’s 1973 action thriller Shaft in Africa is the third and final original Shaft movie, with Richard Roundtree starring again. It largely maintains the quality and toughness of the first two films, thanks to a sterling screenplay by Stirling Silliphant, taking over from original writer Ernest Tidyman, who is credited for creating the characters.

An African emir seizes the cool, hardboiled African American private eye John Shaft so that he will round up Ethiopia’s slave traders, headed by evil boss Amafi (Frank Finlay), who are shipping them over to Paris for hard labour. Vonetta McGee co-stars as Aleme.

Guillermin takes over the direction from Gordon Parks but the result is not noticeably different in either style, or tone or quality, though it is perhaps more comic book in nature while still maintaining the series’s trademark toughness and bursts of violence.

Also in the cast are Neda Arneric, Cy Grant, Jacques Marin, Marne Maitland and Glyn Edwards.

It follows Shaft (1971) and Shaft’s Big Score! (1972).

The series took to TV for seven feature-length films, minus the big-screen-style violence.

The reboot Shaft followed in 2000, with Samuel L Jackson.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7624

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