Black Caesar (1973): Cast & Plot
Black Caesar is a 1973 action thriller directed by Larry Cohen, starring Fred Williamson as Tommy Gibbs, Minnie Gentry and Omer Jeffrey. It runs 1 hour 34 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 34m (94 min)
- Director
- Larry Cohen
- Original language
-
English - After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Black Caesar About?
The premise of Black Caesar without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Tommy Gibbs, a hardened youngster from Harlem’s ghettos, dreams of becoming a crime kingpin. After a crooked cop shatters his leg during a botched payoff, his thirst for revenge drives him to ascend the underworld ranks. Fueled by anger at the racist society that marginalizes both criminals and law‑abiding citizens, he pursues power as his answer.
Black Caesar Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- beaten by a cop
- leg in traction
- male star appears nude
- power
- criminal
- gang war
- new york city
- mob
- mafia
- red wine
- female frontal nudity
- police officer strangulated
+38 more Show fewer
- kissing while having sex
- opening action scene
- shootout
- tough guy
- social commentary
- harlem manhattan new york city
- blood
- violence
- underworld
- swimming pool
- street
- straight razor
- shot to death
- shot in the forehead
- rape
- shoeshine boy
- cigar smoking
- self destructiveness
- sex scene
- year 1953
- shot multiple times
- mob execution
- set up for murder
- underwear hanging on a clothes line
- switchblade
- corrupt cop
- year 1965
- praying
- barber shave
- limping
- mauser
- cut from shaving
- truck explosion
- spaghetti dinner
- massacre
- chianti
- mp 40 machine gun
- billiard ball
Black Caesar Cast & Characters
Fred Williamson leads the cast as Tommy Gibbs, with Minnie Gentry as Mama Gibbs and Omer Jeffrey as Tommy (as a boy). Directed by Larry Cohen; 20 actors are credited in all.
- Director Larry Cohen
- Fred Williamson as Tommy Gibbs
- Minnie Gentry as Mama Gibbs
- Omer Jeffrey as Tommy (as a boy)
- Art Lund as McKinney
Also Starring in Black Caesar
· 16 more- Gloria Hendry Helen
- Val Avery Cardoza
- Julius Harris Mr. Gibbs
- Andrew Duggan Man at Shoeshine (uncredited)
- William Wellman Jr. Alfred Coleman
- James Dixon "Irish" Bryant
- D'Urville Martin Rev. Rufus
- Don Pedro Colley "Craw"
- Myrna Hansen Virginia Coleman
- Patrick McAllister Grossfield
- Philip Roye Joe Washington
- Michael Jeffrey Joe (as a boy)
- Allan Bailey "Motor"
- Cecil Alonzo "Sport"
- Francisco De Gracia Cab Driver
- Larry Lurin Carlos
More from Larry Cohen
More films directed by Larry Cohen, best-rated first: It's Alive, God Told Me To, Pick Me Up and Original Gangstas.
Black Caesar Plot Summary
What happens in Black Caesar from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 11 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 1-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Tommy Gibbs, Fred Williamson, grows up in Harlem, New York City. As a kid, he is brutally assaulted by a cop named McKinney, Art Lund. As an adult, he joins the New York mafia and becomes the head of a black crime syndicate in Harlem. He wages a gang war with the Italian mobsters of New York City and begins to establish a criminal empire, keeping a ledger book of all his dealings as leverage over his business associates, including McKinney. This ledger becomes a powerful tool to bind others to his operations and to underline every calculated move he makes in his growing dominion.
Full summary
The whole story of Black Caesar, scene by scene
Black Caesar Trailers & Videos
2 videos: 1 trailer and 1 featurette.
- Featurette Larry Cohen on BLACK CAESAR
How Well Do You Know Black Caesar?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
In which New York City neighborhood does Tommy Gibbs grow up?
Cars in Black Caesar
29 cars on screen, including the 1972 Cadillac Fleetwood 75 and the 1970 Checker Taxicab.
-
1972 Cadillac Fleetwood 75 Important role -
1970 Checker Taxicab Important role -
1935 Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux Minor role -
1971 Cadillac Sedan DeVille Minor role
Black Caesar Also Known As
21 alternative titles, including “Godfather of Harlem” and “Godfather of Harlem (Der Pate von Harlem)”.
- Also known as
-
- Godfather of Harlem
- Godfather of Harlem (Der Pate von Harlem)
- Black Caesar - Der Pate von Harlem
- Black Max
- Die Ratte von Harlem
- Black Cæsar
- Black Max - Der Pate von Harlem
- Black Cesar, le parrain de Harlem
- El padrino de Harlem
- Fekete Caesar
- Der Pate von Harlem
- Чорний Цезар
+9 more Show fewer
- Чорны Цэзар
- Black Caesar - Il Padrino nero
- Czarny Cezar
- Чёрный цезарь
- 黑凯撒
- O Chefão de Nova York
- 블랙 시저
- L’emperador negre
- Kara Sezar
Seen Black Caesar?
Movies Like Black Caesar
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Little Caesar, The Black Godfather and Black Legion.
Black Caesar FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Black Caesar, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Black Caesar?
Black Caesar runs 1 hour 34 minutes (94 minutes).
When was Black Caesar released?
Black Caesar was released on February 7, 1973.
Who directed Black Caesar?
Black Caesar was directed by Larry Cohen.
More films by Larry Cohen Who is in the cast of Black Caesar?
Black Caesar stars Fred Williamson as Tommy Gibbs, Minnie Gentry as Mama Gibbs and Omer Jeffrey as Tommy (as a boy), among 20 credited actors.
Does Black Caesar have a post-credit scene?
No. Black Caesar has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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