Shaft in Africa
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Shaft in Africa is a 1973 film directed by John Guillermin and is the third and final film in the blaxploitation trilogy of Shaft films starring Richard Roundtree as John Shaft. Stirling Silliphant wrote the screenplay. The cost went up to $2,142,000, but the gross fell to $1,458,000. MGM quickly sold the property to television, but the television series was cancelled after just seven episodes.
Plot
At home in his New York City apartment, John Shaft is drugged with a tranquilizer dart, then kidnapped and persuaded by threats of physical force, the promise of money, and the lure of a pretty tutor to travel to Africa, assuming the identity of a native-speaking itinerant worker. His job is to help break a criminal ring that is smuggling immigrants into Europe then exploiting them. But the villains have heard that he is on his way.
Shaft must pass a test before being hired for the job; the test involves him surviving in a small, overheated room without water, and a floor covered in deep sand, mimicking the supposed conditions of Africa. Shaft covers himself with the sand, thereby avoiding heatstroke and winning the contract from his employer. Shaft must then embark upon a mission to infiltrate and destroy a human trafficking and slavery ring in West Africa and France.
Cast
- Richard Roundtree as John Shaft
- Frank Finlay as Amafi
- Vonetta McGee as Aleme
- Neda Arnerić as Jazar
- Debebe Eshetu as Wassa
- Marne Maitland as Col. Gonder
- Spiros Focás as Sassari
- Jacques Herlin as Perreau
- Frank McRae as Osiat
- Nadim Sawalha as Zubair
- Thomas Baptiste as Kopo
- Glynn Edwards as Vanden
- Cy Grant as Emir Ramila
- Jacques Marin as Cusset
- Aldo Sambrell as Angelo
- Jho Jhenkins as Ziba
- Willie Jonah as Oyo
- Adolfo Lastretti as Piro
- Zenebech Tadesse as The Prostitute
- Avelio Falana as Ramila's Son (as A.V. Falana)
- James E. Myers as Williams
- Jon Chevron as Shimba
- Nick Zaran as Sadi
See also
- Shaft 1971
- Shaft's Big Score 1972
