In 1971, Ted Lewis released Jack’s Return Home, a novel about a London mob enforcer who returns to his hometown to investigate the mysterious death of his brother. A year later, it was adapted into the classic British film Get Carter with Michael Caine. A year after that it was turned into a blaxploitation film starring Bernie Casey. Actually, it is unclear if Hit Man is a different adaptation of the same book or an American remake of the film. The credits cite the book, but director George Armitage is quoted as saying he was given the script to Get Carter (with the title cut out) and asked to make it his own. It isn’t nearly as good as Get Carter, and it takes far too long to get going. But it has a great soundtrack, some killer costumes, a cold-as-ice performance from Bernie Casey, and a small but electric turn from a pre-Coffy Pam Grier.
Buy Hit Man Blu-rayTyrone Tackett (Casey) is a man of many hats. There is a line in the film that says he used to be a cop, but someone else mentions he ran girls for porno films. He is more than a little familiar with street life in Los Angeles and currently lives in a fancy house with a big pool in Oakland. Despite the title of the film there is no indication he’s an actual hitman. Whoever he is, and whatever he does, he is, much like Shaft, one bad mother–. When he learns his brother has died, he returns to L.A. The cops say the brother was liquored up and ran off the road, possibly a suicide. But Tyrone is getting weird vibes from those who knew him.
He runs around town, usually places with pimps, gangsters, and other folks who might have a reason to kill his brother, stirring things up, hoping some kind of clue will appear. He asks a lot of questions, kicks a lot of ass, and sleeps with every pretty girl he comes across.
He’s the type of guy who, when sitting next to a woman who is clearly into him, calls his girlfriend in Oakland and tells her to take her top off and touch herself, then when he’s done with the call, the woman next to him climbs on top for a ride. When they are done, she says, “You’re the way I like my men, proud and erect.” Apparently, much of the film’s dialogue was improvised and it is chock full of gems like that.
There is quite a bit of action and a whole lot of nudity. The plot is a bit confusing. It feels like they had watched Get Carter and then a few months later tried to recreate it from memory. For the first half hour, Tyrone just kind of wanders around, unclear of what to do. But once he’s decided foul play has occurred, he sinks his teeth into finding out what happened and then it is nonstop action and/or sex scenes.
Pam Grief plays an aspiring actress (she once “read for a damn good part in Shaft“) and current porn star with connections to the gangsters at the heart of the mystery. It is a small role, but she’s electric in it. A year later she’d gift a star-making appearance in Coffy.
As a whole, the film never quite came together for me. The mystery was too jumbled to make a lot of sense, and it never hits that level of camp that makes the best blaxploitation films sparkle. It is a lot of fun watching Tyrone bust heads, talk jive, and make love. That and the Pam Grier performance make it well worth watching.
Warner Archive presents Hit Man with a new 4K Restoration of the original film negative. The only extra is the film’s trailer.
