Black Deth 101 — Come Back Charleston Blue Episode Notes

This week on Black Deth 101, Nubius Black and Johnny Deth head back to Harlem with Come Back Charleston Blue, the 1972 sequel to Cotton Comes to Harlem.

Godfrey Cambridge returns as Gravedigger Jones, Raymond St. Jacques is back as Coffin Ed Johnson, and this time the boys are chasing a mystery wrapped in Harlem legend, gangland trouble, ghost-story flavor, and one nasty blue straight razor.

The story starts with bodies dropping, rumors flying, and folks whispering that Charleston Blue — a dead old-time gangster/vigilante — has come back from the grave to clean up Harlem his own bloody way. But in true Chester Himes fashion, nothing is ever that simple. There are hustlers, cops, crooks, community politics, white mob influence, Black resistance, comedy, chaos, and enough sharp dialogue to cut deeper than the razor.

We talk about how this film compares to Cotton Comes to Harlem, whether Coffin Ed and Gravedigger should have gotten more movies, and why this one feels like a strange cocktail of blaxploitation, detective comedy, ghost story, Harlem crime picture, and old-school pulp madness.

We also get into the mighty Donny Hathaway soundtrack, supervised by Quincy Jones, including the haunting power of “Little Ghetto Boy” and the cool, mournful groove that gives the movie more soul than the script sometimes knows what to do with.

Plus:
Who really is Charleston Blue?
Is this a ghost story or a hustle?
Does the movie waste a killer premise?
And why does Harlem look so alive even when the plot gets tangled?

Grab your razors, your wide collars, and your detective badge — because Coffin Ed and Gravedigger are back on the case.

Black Deth 101: where the films are funky, the streets are mean, and the cool cats never stay buried.

Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold — Cleo Goes Kung Fu

This week on Black Deth 101, Nubius Black and Johnny Deth follow Tamara Dobson’s iconic super-agent overseas for the 1975 sequel Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold. This time, Cleo leaves the streets behind and heads to Hong Kong and Macao, where missing agents, martial arts mayhem, casino corruption, and Stella Stevens’ outrageous Dragon Lady collide in one wild blaxploitation/kung fu mashup.

Directed by Charles Bail, the film stars Tamara Dobson, Stella Stevens, Ni Tien / Tanny, Norman Fell, Albert Popwell, and Caro Kenyatta. The plot sends Cleopatra Jones to Hong Kong after two government agents, Matthew and Melvin Johnson, disappear while investigating a heroin operation connected to the Dragon Lady’s casino empire.

We get into:

Cleo as an international action heroThe first Cleopatra Jones already made her larger than life, but this sequel turns her into a global superhero: fashion model, federal agent, martial artist, rescue squad, and walking disco explosion.

Blaxploitation meets Shaw Brothers energyThe movie leans hard into Hong Kong action, with casino intrigue, kung fu fights, boat ambushes, henchmen, and secret criminal operations. Run Run Shaw is listed as producer on several sources, which helps explain the East-meets-West action flavor.

Tamara Dobson’s presenceRoger Ebert noted Dobson’s striking height and screen presence, calling attention to the film’s parade of capes, hoods, metallic outfits, and impossible-to-miss fashion statements. That’s half the movie right there: Cleo doesn’t sneak into Hong Kong — she arrives.

Stella Stevens as the Dragon LadyIs the villain problematic? Absolutely. Is she memorable? Also absolutely. We talk about the camp, the menace, the stereotype, and the way the film turns its villain into a strange cocktail of Bond villain, casino boss, and grindhouse cartoon.

Mi Ling / Mi Lin-Fong deserves more loveNi Tien, credited in some sources as Tanny, gives Cleo a local partner and brings real action-movie energy to the team-up. The movie works best when Cleo and Mi Ling are fighting, investigating, and moving through the Hong Kong underworld together.

The Johnson Brothers: Matthew and MelvinAlbert Popwell and Caro Kenyatta play the missing agents who kick off the rescue plot. We also ask the important question: are these guys smooth operators, comic relief, or just two brothers who should have stayed off that boat?

Cleo’s wardrobe is ridiculous in the best possible way. The casino setting gives the movie a pulpy Bond-style atmosphere. The Hong Kong location work and martial arts angle help separate it from the first film. And Tamara Dobson still owns every frame she walks into.

The Dragon Lady characterization is loaded with 1970s exploitation baggage, especially in how sexuality and Asian villainy are coded. The plot is thin, some of the comedy is uneven, and the movie sometimes feels like it wants to be Bond, kung fu, and blaxploitation all at once without fully committing to any one lane.

Is Casino of Gold a worthy sequel — or is it just a funky, fashionable, kung fu side mission?

Episode TopicsThings We LovedThings That Don’t Age GreatBig Question of the Episode

Scream Blacula Scream — Blacula Gets His Voodoo Groove Back

This week on Black Deth 101, we return to the coffin for Scream Blacula Scream — the 1973 sequel to Blacula, directed by Bob Kelljan and starring the great William Marshall as Prince Mamuwalde, with Pam Grier stepping into the supernatural spotlight as Lisa Fortier. The film was released by American International Pictures and runs about 96 minutes.

After the death of a voodoo queen, arrogant Willis Daniels gets passed over for leadership of the cult. Mad, jealous, and foolish, he resurrects Blacula — thinking he can control him. Big mistake. Mamuwalde rises again, still tragic, still regal, still cursed, and very quickly reminds everybody that he is no man’s puppet.

In this episode, Nubius Black and Johnny Deth dig into how Scream Blacula Scream shifts the series from gothic romance into voodoo horror, how William Marshall again gives Blacula dignity beyond the script, and how Pam Grier brings strength, intelligence, and spiritual power without simply playing “Foxy Brown with a spell book.” We also talk Richard Lawson’s film debut as Willis, Don Mitchell as Justin Carter, Michael Conrad as Lt. Dunlop, and the movie’s mix of African artifacts, occult ritual, vampire mayhem, and funky ’70s horror atmosphere.

We also get into director Bob Kelljan, best known for the Count Yorga vampire films, and how his horror experience gives this sequel a sharper genre flavor than the first film. Critics were split: Roger Ebert thought the movie looked rushed but praised Marshall and Grier, while Gene Siskel considered it better than the original.

Is Scream Blacula Scream a worthy sequel? Is Mamuwalde a monster, a victim, or the most elegant undead brother in cinema history? And does the movie make the most of Pam Grier, or leave too much power on the table?

Grab your wooden stakes, light the candles, and don’t mess around with bones you bought from a shady old occult dealer.

Featured film: Scream Blacula Scream
Year: 1973
Director: Bob Kelljan
Starring: William Marshall, Pam Grier, Don Mitchell, Richard Lawson, Michael Conrad, Bernie Hamilton
Genre: Blaxploitation horror / vampire horror / voodoo horror
Connection: Sequel to 1972’s Blacula

Blacula, Scream Blacula Scream, William Marshall, Pam Grier, Bob Kelljan, Black horror, Blaxploitation, 1970s horror, vampire movies, voodoo horror, American International Pictures, Richard Lawson, Black Deth 101, Nubius Black, Johnny Deth.

Episode Talking PointsTags / Keywords