Lady Cocoa

Lady Cocoa (also known as Pop Goes the Weasel) is a 1975 low-budget American blaxploitation crime drama that was directed by Matt Cimber.^[1] With Lola Falana in the title role,^[2] the film also featured Millie Perkins, Alex Dreier, Gene Washington and Joe Greene. It was released by Moonstone Entertainment,^[3] and written by George Theakos.

Lady Cocoa
Film poster
Directed by	Matt Cimber
Written by	George Theakos (credited as Mikel Angel)
Starring	Lola Falana
Cinematography	Ken Gibb
Edited by	Bud Warner
Music by	Luchi De Jesus
Distributed by	Dimension Pictures
Release date	December 1975 (1975-12)
Running time	93 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Premise

The film tells the story of a woman (Lola Falana) who is released from jail for 24 hours prior to testifying against her ex-boyfriend (James A. Watson Jr.) and is placed in police protection for that timeframe.^[4] The film mimics the plot-line in theoretically the first blaxploitation movie, Carmen Jones. Adjustments are made to that traditional story so that the protecting officer does not meet a pathetic end nor that our heroine nastily lose her life to him.

Cast

• Lola Falana as Coco
• Gene Washington as Doug
• Alex Dreier as Ramsey
• Millie Perkins as Marie
• Joe Greene as Joe "Big Joe" (credited as 'Mean' Joe Greene)
• James A. Watson Jr. as Eddie
• Matt Cimber as Arthur (credited as Gary Harper
• James R. Sweeney as Desk Sergeant
• George Buck Flower as Drunk Gambler (credited as Buck Flower)
• John F. Goff as The Sicilian (credited as John Goff)
• La Verne Watson as Eddie's Girl

Reception

Linda Gross of the Los Angeles Times called Lady Cocoa "a slick, predictable, but well-made blaxploitation film."^[5] Joe Baltake, writing for the Philadelphia Daily News, complimented Falana's performance but called the film "a flimsy, boring situation comedy," concluding: "It's dumb, but Lola makes it palatable."^[6]

See also

• List of American films of 1975