CLEOPATRA JONES & THE CASINO OF GOLD 1975
Tamara Dobson (Cleopatra Jones), Stella Stevens (Bianca Javan), Tanny (Mi Ling Fong), Norman Fell (Stanley Nagel), Chan Shen (Soo Da Chen), Albert Popwell (Matthew Johnson), Caro Kenyatta (Melvin Johnson), John Chang Wu Lang (David Chiang), Lin Chen Chi (Madalyna), Tino Wong (Thug)
Fighting Instructors: Tang Chia, Yuen Cheung Yan; Art Director: Johnson Tsao; Director of Photography: Alan Hume
Directed by Chuck Bail
Helping out Cleopatra Jones, the Johnson Brothers, on assignment in Hong Kong, find themselves captured by the nefarious lesbian criminal mastermind, Bianca Javan. Attempting to make a bust with a drug runner named Soo Da Chen, it is soon learned that Soo was a former crony of Bianca's now secretly cutting into her business. Cleo arrives in Hong Kong and immediately sides up with a fiesty kung fu fighting female, Mi Ling Fong and her gaggle of motorcycle riding associates.
Cleo and company find Dragon Lady Bianca also runs an elaborate golden gambling casino and with armed assassins at every turn, Cleo puts her life in serious danger. Mounting a rescue, Mi Ling and the Hong Kong Tactical Squad Seven launch an all out attack on the Dragon Lady's Casino in a bullet riddled and explosive final confrontation.
Jack Starrett did not return for directing chores on this magnificent sequel to CLEOPATRA JONES (1973). Chuck Bail of BLACK SAMSON (1974) and GUMBALL RALLEY (1976) takes over directorial duties here. He displays a masterful hand at guiding the film from one action scene to the next. This sequel is all about the action delivering twice as much bang for the buck as the first picture. For this outing, Warner Brothers teams up with Asian mogul mavens the Shaw Brothers. Warners was the studio responsible for importing the kung fu craze from Hong Kong to America after picking KING BOXER (1972) as the one to introduce the United States to the wonders of Asian action. Rechristened FIVE FINGERS OF DEATH, the hugely successful picture started a firestorm of kung fu releases all around the world. With the blaxploitation genre on the wane by 1975, it was a logical step to marry the kung fu film with the black action style.
Not only is CASINO OF GOLD a hybrid film, it contains an even stronger Bondian element than its predecessor. Here, Cleo has a far more challenging adversary in the guise of Bianca Javan played by the gorgeous Stella Stevens. Looking far more lithe than in her revealing role in SLAUGHTER (1972), in which she had no qualms about full on nudity. Here, Stevens gets rowdy looking rather lively and kinetic in the action scenes. Stevens shines twice, once taking on Chan Shen in a sword duel inside an arena encircled with large blades. At the end during the explosive battle royale, Stevens has a knock out, drag out fight with Dobson and the two tear down what's left of the casino after it's pretty much obliterated by machine gun fire and explosions.
Both characters are perfectly balanced. Both are skilled fighters and know their way around a gun. Cleopatra has twice as many action scenes as she had the first time around and choreographers, Tang Chia and Yuen Cheung Yan make her look much better than the Hapkido maneuvers showcased in part one. Bianca shows off her sword skills and willingness to put her life on the line when she partakes in a duel against one of her former associates mentioned above. Both characters are gaudy in their own inimitable ways.
Cleopatra changes outfits on a regularity akin to the previous picture, only this time, the costumes and makeup are more far fetched. Interestingly, Dobson was responsible for her own makeup. Bianca is flashy in her toys, such as her extravagant lair and the magnificent design of her casino.
Bail's movie has a little something for everyone. From its blaxploitation ties with the previous movie, to the kung fu fights, some brief sex, nudity and lesbianism, light comedic moments and even bigger action set pieces. The combined force of both Warners and Shaw really comes together to create a glossy and expensive looking production that contains some amazing stuntwork among the many highlights. The biggest being the blow out finale complete with blazing guns, explosions, kung fu and crashing motorcycles. It is glaringly obvious that a lot of effort was put into this production. Everything's bigger this time out. The soundtrack is more boisterous, the production is loftier and there's a grand scale that captures the look and feel of the James Bond flavor that the previous film only skimmed the surface of.
Tamara Dobson really comes into her own as Cleopatra Jones this time out. It's such a shame that the series didn't continue after this entry as this could have been a continuing series of adventures for the fiery and intrepid special agent. Dobson had a few good fights in her initial outing, but here, she shows off every few minutes getting into scuffles with multiple opponents even taking shots to the back with chairs and getting hit with large vases. Does she go down? Hell, no! She takes it like only Cleopatra Jones can and gets right back in the game. For this sequel, Cleo is given a partner played by Shaw starlet, Tanny Tien Ni whom was married to Shaw star, Yueh Hua that year.
Tanny Tien Ni featured predominantly in dramas, comedies and horror pictures such as the two BLACK MAGIC (1975, 1976) movies as well as grim horror films like HEX (1980) and CORPSE MANIA (1981). Here, she really gets to shine and show off her long legs in a scene where some villains sneak into her room and tie up her arms and she's left to duel with her feet. I don't doubt that there isn't a stuntman during portions of this sequence, but it's clearly her in places. She also gets behind the wheel of the car during a grand car chase near the beginning when she and Cleo pursue some of the bad guys through the mob filled streets of Hong Kong. The credits say this is her "introduction" despite appearing in films prior to this movie. She and Dobson make a wonderfully engaging team onscreen just the same.
One scene in particular recalls ENTER THE DRAGON's mirror filled finale. When the dynamic duo meet up for the second time after Mi Ling helps Cleo take care of some street thugs, they go to Mi Ling's hangout; a gymnasium with all manner of bladed and automatic weapons. Both characters playfully demonstrate their skills amid rotating mirrors with a moving target behind them. Mi Ling with her feathered darts and Cleopatra with her gun. Both hit their targets without breaking any of the spinning glass. Mi Ling's detective agency even has a typical 70's ring to it-- the Hong Kong Tactical Squad Seven. Norman Fell plays Cleo's boss, Stanley. He's frequently the butt of one liners from Cleopatra Jones. Oddly enough, Norman Fell would soon find fame on the controversial hit comedy sitcom, THREE'S COMPANY (1977-1984) playing a character named Stanley Roper.
One of the most enjoyable niceties of the film is the plethora of familiar faces from many of the Shaw Brothers movies. Both background players and supporting performers, you'll spy Yuen Shun Yee, Alan Hsu Chung Sin (the villain in SHAOLIN TEMPLE AGAINST LAMA), Yuen Wah, Tino Wong, San Kuei (CRIMINALS 4) and even Lu Feng and Kuo Chui (two of the FIVE VENOMS) as thugs or background henchmen. It's quite a sight seeing Cleopatra Jones mixing it up with some of the Shaw players. John Chang (SHAOLIN MANTIS, TWO WONDROUS TIGERS) plays one of Mi Ling's motorcycle riding operatives named David Chiang(!)
Then there's perennial Shaw Brothers bad guy, Chan Shen in the role of Soo Da Chen. It's not a particularly well developed role, but it's nice to see him clashing swords with Stella Stevens towards the end.
The gorgeous Lin Chen Chi also has a supporting role as one of Bianca's "daughters". She has a brief sex scene with Stella Stevens and two other women. Despite the potential for some sleazy cavorting, the sequence is tastefully shot. They do share a kiss in close up. Lin is naked on the bed but lying on her stomach, but you do see her buttocks.
In addition to all the familiar faces, you'll also recognize a lot of familiar Shaw kung fu movie sets including the huge pagoda seen in HAVE SWORD WILL TRAVEL (1969) and LEGEND OF THE SEVEN GOLDEN VAMPIRES (1974). Portions of sets used for the Dragon Lady's lair will be familiar to anyone that's a fan of Shaws period martial arts pictures. There's also a shot of the Connaught Centre building, at one time the largest skyscraper in Hong Kong. It was scaled by the Mighty Peking Man in the 1977 HK film of the same name.
Released in November of 1975, CLEOPATRA JONES & THE CASINO OF GOLD was a massive bomb in Hong Kong unjustly ignored by local audiences. It didn't fare too well in the States either. The blaxploitation genre was on the wane, and although this film was a hybrid and not a full fledged black picture, it's curious why it never found an audience as it contained a lot of style, entertainment value and mindless fun. I guess it's safe to assume that the box office juggernaut, JAWS (1975) had a lot to do with it as it was released a few weeks earlier in the United States.
Fans of blaxploitation and Shaw Brothers action, as well as Bond fans, should check out this comic book fantasy super heroine adventure. Better yet, indulge yourself with a double dose of Cleo with a back to back showing of both CLEOPATRA JONES films.
This review is representative of the Warner Brothers region 2 DVD.
Maurizio Merli in a classic pose from FEAR IN THE CITY (1976)
Throughout the 1970's a genre about violence, justice, the Mafia and political statements would take hold of the public conscience in Italy leading into the early part of the 1980's. The poliziotteschi, or poliziesco genre (Italian Crime Films, Policeman Thrillers) is a term referencing the hundreds of Italian crime action, or dramatic suspense thrillers that resonated the tumultuous Italian society of the time. These movies were often called rip offs of American pictures that featured similar subject matter.
Violent shootout at the conclusion of FEAR IN THE CITY (1976)
Henry Silva (right) in CRY OF A PROSTITUTE (1974)
Often replicating the all too real violence in the streets of Italy, the crime pictures offered assorted styles detailing the various workings of the criminal underworld. These criminals, mobsters and 'Syndicate Sadists' were depicted in serious fashion with only occasional bursts of aggression by some directors and shown as being prone to acts of extreme violence by others. Whereas some filmmakers would take a more respectable approach to the material, others would aim for a more sensational experience reinforcing the exploitation elements to an alarming extreme. Some directors such as the criminally underrated Damiano Damiani continuously directed movies of great importance that required the audience to think and ponder the obvious political subtext his pictures contained.
Two assassins shoot down a target in HOW TO KILL A JUDGE (1974)
Another director that was a bit more daring in his approach towards scandalous issues and civic controversy was Fernando Di Leo. Some of his films such as THE BOSS (1973) and SHOOT FIRST, DIE LATER (1975) attracted a lot of heated attention from both critics and audiences by painting public figures in a less than honorable light. Director Umberto Lenzi would fluctuate between creating a serious account of a criminal psychotic (ALMOST HUMAN) and helming a tasteless exercise in sadism and grim violence (ROME ARMED TO THE TEETH). Lenzi, like the other two filmmakers, was one of the genres best directors. But unlike both Di Leo and Damiani, Lenzi didn't mind 'getting his hands dirty' when it came to the exploitation factor.
Oliver Reed takes aim in REVOLVER (1973)
In America, similar films detailing the Italian mafia, or brutish and determined cops specializing in excessive force to get results was made popular in the form of such Hollywood films like THE GODFATHER (1972), DIRTY HARRY (1971) and THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971). Docile and passive civilians turned vigilante became popular in such films as DEATH WISH (1974). Based on a novel written by Brian Garfield in 1972, the wildly popular cinematic adaptation directed by Michael Winner was also the subject of Enzo G. Castellari's STREET LAW (1974) starring Franco Nero.
Franco Nero takes matters into his own hands in STREET LAW (1973)
Martin Balsam & Tomas Milian in THE COUNSELLOR (1973)
Regardless of the connection to dangerously true to life events triggering the Italian crime pictures, it is easy to dismiss them as clones of the above mentioned US productions. Some of them are pretty obvious, though. THE COUNSELLOR (1973) is a lovingly made imitation of THE GODFATHER (1972) and THE SICILIAN CONNECTION (1972) bears semblance to THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971). Most of these films may have been partially triggered by the success of the American crime actioners, but they clearly reflected terrible incidents and controversial heroes of the Italian people such as Police Sergeant Luigi Calabresi.
Franco Gasparri in MARK THE NARC (1975)
He formed the basis of a massive onslaught of brutally determined cop thrillers overflowing with violence (more on him later). These cop films could just as well be thought of as copycats of DIRTY HARRY (1971), but it goes a bit deeper than that. Possibly the international success of these American films gave the Italian filmmakers the inspiration to translate their own crime ridden society to the screen echoing the harrowing ordeals taking place out in the streets daily. The various styles of the Italian crime pictures are discussed below as well as their significance to the criminal epidemic spreading all over Italy in the 1970's.
Balsam & Nero from CONFESSIONS OF A POLICE CAPTAIN (1971)
Henry Silva is a trained killer in ASSASSINATION (1967)
Some of them were heist pictures like GRAND SLAM (1967), or espionage, spy thrillers such as Emilio Miraglia's ASSASSINATION (1967) and his crime film, THE FALLING MAN (1968), both starring frequent Italian movie heavy, Henry Silva. Others were suspense outings such as THE DAY OF THE OWL (1968) from master filmmaker, Damiano Damiani, a film that starred Franco Nero and Claudia Cardinale. Another was a particularly weak effort from western ace, Duccio Tessari entitled THE BASTARD (1968) starring the reliable Guiliano Gemma and the incendiary Klaus Kinski as brothers no less(!) in a modern day spaghetti western masquerading as a crime picture.
Charles Bronson as a hitman living in a VIOLENT CITY (1970)
Another ace filmmaker, Sergio Sollima, a master at directing political thrillers and westerns, entered the genre with CITTA VIOLENTA (VIOLENT CITY 1970). Starring Charles Bronson, it deals with a double crossed hitman out to get those that have betrayed him. Like MILAN CALIBER 9 (1972), there's the noirish addition of the perpetually evil female that brings about much disaster for the protagonist. One other early example is also one of the most curious and interesting of the bunch, Alberto De Martino's THE INSATIABLES (1969) starring Robert Hoffman, Luciana Paluzzi and a small role for Frank Wolff as a homosexual.
Giving chase to the vicious robbers in BANDITS IN MILAN (1968)
One of the first Italian movies detailing the rampant and widespread criminal activity all over Italy was the 1968 production, BANDITI A MILANO (BANDITS IN MILAN). The film was based on a real life bank robbery gone terribly wrong that took place in Milan on September 25, 1967. Directed with an accent towards the authentic, Carlo Lizzani directs this film in a documentary style and doesn't pull any punches in its depiction of violence that occurred on that fateful day in September of '67. Gian Maria Volonte, a serious actor of stage and screen, had forsaken a career as a stereotypical spaghetti western bad guy wishing to only partake in films of importance and social significance. Here, he plays the cinematic embodiment of Pietro Cavallero, the true to life leader of the gang of killers that set off on a string of robberies between Milan and Turin.
Tomas Milian as the determined inspector out to arrest the BANDITS IN MILAN (1968)
Tomas Milian, a Cuban actor who came to the publics attention in BOCCACCIO '70 (1962), plays the policeman determined to bring the robberies to a halt and the perpetrators to justice. Genre fans got a massive injection of Milian's kinetic and noteworthy acting style in a series of Italian westerns that brought him a great deal of fame. During the crime boom, Milian likewise found himself a niche playing all sides of the polizio spectrum. BANDITI A MILANO gained good critical notices and became a huge hit at the Italian box office and was a major precursor to the cinematic crime wave about to wreck havoc in the Italian multiplexes.
Luc Merenda (left) & Tomas Milian (right) from SILENT ACTION (1975)
Once the template of the Italian crime film had been established around 1971, several films would provide the basis for varying styles of the polizio pictures. One style is the political thriller/police procedural often dealing with cops that work outside of the law, or a good cop struggling with his ideals, or just simply corruption in its most "mature" form; venality in high places, or from individuals that are virtually untouchable. These films also sometimes dealt with the political violence from such terrorist groups as the 'Black Terrorism' of the Ordine Nuovo (New Order) and the Communist ideology of the Red Brigades (Brigate Rossi;BR), or even terrorism from lower class youth gangs.
Luc Merenda (left) & Mel Ferrer (right) in Sergio Martino's SILENT ACTION (1975)
Basically, the three dominant styles can be classified as the Political Crime Thriller, The Mafia movies and the Violent Cop films. That's not taking into consideration the comedic cop pictures that came later much in the way the spaghetti western turned to comedy in the 1970's. There's also dozens of other movies in the genre that mix elements of all three styles, or even marry the crime movie with the giallo thriller creating a a perfect match as both genres traded on various plot devices.
Oliver Reed (left) & Fabio Testi (right) from Sollima's REVOLVER (1973)
These Political Crime films often eschewed the barrage of ultra violence and depravity peppered with car chases and excessive force of the many escapist police thrillers. That's not to say this group doesn't feature any action, just not in the exploitation sense of the wilder police capers. Some of the movies representing this approach are the award winning, INVESTIGATION OF A CITIZEN ABOVE SUSPICION (1970), CONFESSIONS OF A POLICE CAPTAIN (1971), REVOLVER (1973), KILLER COP (1974) and SILENT ACTION (1975).
Tomas Milian as Rambo in Umberto Lenzi's SYNDICATE SADISTS (1975)
This style of film also encompassed the violent youth of the day (both the lower and middle class) which formed the basis for a handful of movies such as YOUNG, VIOLENT & DANGEROUS (1976). These films were not quite in the same field as those productions that painted a gloomy portrait of violence and corruption within the representation of law and order. Here, it was the melding of the lower class and the middle class youths propagating acts of violence against society; whether it be for reasons of poverty or for social acceptance. Many films would be a mixture of styles. Towards the end of the decade, a string of crime comedies would prove popular spearheaded by one of Italian cinemas most beloved actors, Tomas Milian.
An assassination attempt from CONFESSIONS OF A POLICE CAPTAIN (1971)
This first example, the Political Thriller (like the other two), was representative of the 'Years of Bullets', a time between the late 60's and the early 80's wherein the Italian populace was plagued with frequent assassinations, kidnappings, robberies and bombings. What sets this style of the poliziotteschi apart from the others are the conspiracies and mysteries surrounding the crimes as well as the political underpinnings the films were molded around. There was far more going on in these political thrillers than the escapist violence of many later films.
Franco Nero gets close to the truth from HOW TO KILL A JUDGE (1974)
During the 'Years of Bullets', authorities and world powers were said to have used a 'Strategy of Tension' to manipulate and control the frightened citizens of the various Italian metropolis'. This was allegedly accomplished by the spread of propaganda and illegal means such as the creation of false evidence in order to land convictions on suspected terrorists or other such extremist groups. The above titles fit into this criteria in one form or another.
The revered Gian Maria Volonte from INVESTIGATION OF A CITIZEN ABOVE SUSPICION (1970)
One of the best Italian crime movies is also one of the best suspense thrillers ever made period regardless of its country of origin. Starring the venerable Gian Maria Volonte, this film perfectly captures the notion that the representation of the law can cause as much deception and anarchy as the very criminals and political terrorists they are sworn to make war with. The picture in question is the classic INVESTIGATION OF A CITIZEN ABOVE SUSPICION (1970).
The murder committed during the opening minutes of INVESTIGATION...(1970)
Winning an Oscar for Best Foreign Film, Volonte plays a police Captain who murders his paramour during sex and purposely leaves clues connecting him to the crime. His reasoning is to show that because of his position within a bureaucratic system, that he is virtually untouchable and above the law. Elio Petri's film navigates through the political machinations of the Fascistic authoritative regime and the (abuse of) power wielded by it laying bear the public fear of the governing bodies during the 'Years of Bullets'.
Volonte rallies his troops
It's an incredibly powerful movie brilliantly shot and photographed by Luigi Kuveiller. The movie is blatantly fascist in its depiction of a raving chief of police (Volonte) whose reasons for murdering his mistress weren't completely to test his vulnerability, but to also avenge humiliation to his character. Through a series of flashbacks, we see what led to the brutal murder which takes place during the opening moments of the movie. One of the most fascinating things about Petri's film is that it's left to the audience to decide what is going on with Volonte's character at times.
The revolutionary fighting against the fascistic regime of an oppressive government
Does he really want to prove his superiority in light of his sexual inadequacies (these painfully pointed out by his mistress)? Does he do this by placing blatant clues that are discarded despite signifying his guilt? Or does he truly desire to give himself up for the crime he has committed? The latter proves to be the possible answer towards the end as he confronts an arrested revolutionary, the young lover of his mistress, the man whom he was insultingly compared with on his sexual prowess.
The Captain crumbled
Once the young man is convinced that the powerful chief of police is the killer, Volonte's character crumbles under the pressure brought on by the lower echelon his fascist regime is determined to stamp out. It is at this point, fearing the crime being ousted by his political enemy, the chief writes a letter admitting his guilt. Soon after there's a scene where he is visited by his subordinates and they totally denounce his confession professing that the state must be protected and he should forget this admission of guilt as it would cripple the governing body. This is soon shown to be all in his mind, yet he is visited by his colleagues and judging by the final shot, the dream was a premonition for the action to follow.
The frightening realization that a crime may go unpunished for the good of the government
INVESTIGATION OF A CITIZEN ABOVE SUSPICION (1970) is a fascinating study of human nature. It's a vision into the minds of a potential dictatorial regime spearheaded by a man who put up a facade of an impenetrable persona brought on by impotence. It's also a frightening portrayal of the means by which authorities will go to protect their political power and maintain a fearful grip on the civilian population. Underneath all its political underpinnings and depiction of social upheaval, at its core, the center of the problem revolves around a woman and the power they can wield. But in the case of the sexual wild woman portrayed by Florinda Bolkan, her power over men begats her demise as well as the downfall of the fascist police Captain who used his power of position to mask his sexual deficiencies.CONTINUED IN PART 2...
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