Hell Up in Harlem

Hell Up in Harlem is a 1973 blaxploitation American neo-noir film,^[2] starring Fred Williamson and Gloria Hendry. Written and directed by Larry Cohen, it is a sequel to the film Black Caesar.

Hell Up in Harlem
Theatrical release poster by John Solie
Directed by	Larry Cohen
Written by	Larry Cohen
Produced by	Larry Cohen
Starring	Fred Williamson Margaret Avery Julius Harris Gloria Hendry D'Urville Martin
Cinematography	Fenton Hamilton
Edited by	Franco Guerri Peter Honess
Music by	Edwin Starr Fonce Mizell Freddie Perren
Production company	Larco Productions
Distributed by	American International Pictures
Release date	December 16, 1973 (1973-12-16)
Running time	94 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$1,550,000[1]

The film's soundtrack, recorded by Edwin Starr and produced and chiefly written by Fonce Mizell and Freddie Perren, was released by Motown Records in January 1974. James Brown had originally been contracted to provide the soundtrack; his version was rejected. Brown instead released his tracks in late 1973 as a studio album, The Payback^[3][4]

Plot

Having survived the assassination attempt at the end of Black Caesar, Tommy Gibbs takes on corrupt New York District Attorney DiAngelo, who had sought to jail Gibbs and his father, Papa Gibbs, in order to monopolize the illicit drug trade. Gibbs decides to eliminate drug pushing from the streets of Harlem, while continuing to carry out his other illicit enterprises. Gibbs falls in love with Sister Jennifer (Margaret Avery), a woman who works with Reverend Rufus, a former pimp who has found a religious calling.

Gibbs and his father have a falling out after Gibbs is told by his enforcer, Zach, that his father ordered the death of Gibbs' ex-wife, Helen. Gibbs and Jennifer move to Los Angeles, leaving Papa Gibbs in charge of the Harlem territory. It is later revealed that Zach himself killed Helen as part of a move to take over the territory, with the assistance of DiAngelo. Gibbs defeats hit men sent to take him out in Los Angeles, while Papa dies from a heart attack while fighting Zach.

Knowing that DiAngelo will be having the New York airports and roads watched, Gibbs flies in to Philadelphia, and then enters New York City on foot in order to carry out a personal war against Zach and DiAngelo.

Cast

• Fred Williamson as Tommy Gibbs
• Julius Harris as Papa Gibbs
• Gloria Hendry as Helen Bradley-Washington
• Margaret Avery as Sister Jennifer
• D'Urville Martin as Reverend Rufus
• Tony King as Zach
• Gerald Gordon as DiAngelo
• Bobby Ramsen as Joe Frankfurter
• James Dixon as "Irish" Bryant
• Esther Sutherland as The Cook
• Charles MacGuire as Charles MacGregor

Release on DVD & HD

• In 2001 it was released on DVD.
• In 2010 it was digitized in High Definition (1080i) and broadcast on MGMHD.

See also

• List of American films of 1973