Quincy Drew and Jason O’Rourke, a pair of friends and con men—the former white, the latter a Northern-born free Black man— travel from town to town in the pre–Civil War American West. In their scam, Quincy sells Jason into slavery, frees him, and the two move on to the next town of suckers . . . until a con gone wrong leads Jason into real danger.
Acting
Gossett Jr. balances comedy and dignity while literally performing bondage for survival.
Writing
The con structure forces viewers to confront their own complicity in entertainment.
Director
Paul Bogart
James Garner
Quincy Drew
Louis Gossett Jr.
Jason O'Rourke
Susan Clark
Ginger
Brenda Sykes
Naomi
Ed Asner
Plunkett
Andrew Duggan
Howard Calloway
Henry Jones
Sam Cutler
Neva Patterson
Mrs. Claggart
Parley Baer
Mr. Claggart
George Tyne
Henry P.Bonner
Royal Dano
John Brown
J. Pat O'Malley
William
Joel Fluellen
Uncle Abram
Napoleon Whiting
Ned
Juanita Moore
Viney
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released the same year as 'Shaft,' this was part of Hollywood's brief, awkward attempt to make commercial films about Black protagonists without alienating white audiences—note how Garner still gets top billing.
Gossett and Garner became genuine friends during filming; their offscreen bond reportedly made the uncomfortable onscreen power dynamics even more complex to navigate.
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