TROUBLE MAN

TROUBLE MAN
Caught this 1972, Shaft inspired, blaxploitation flick earlier this week when it premiered on TNT. Starring the cool and stylin’ Robert Hooks as a West Coast private eye taking on double crossing mobsters, it was directed by Ivan Dixon (Hogan’s Heroes) with music by Marvin Gaye (call it Isaac Hayes lite).

Leaving out the awful misstep of casting Ralph Waite as a honky crime king, it was very watchable. Production quality was reasonable, Dixon’s direction crisp, and the plot actually made some sense—unlike many films in the gene. It’s definitely derivative and very ‘70s, but worth checking out for Shaft and blaxploitation fans...