Willie Dynamite

Actor Roscoe Orman is probably best known for his role as Gordon on the children's television favorite Sesame Street, but in 1974, the same year that kid-friendly series launched, Orman starred in a much different role; he played the lead in Willie Dynamite, the blaxplotation saga of the rise and fall of a pimp living in New York City. The movie begins with Willie giving a stern monologue to one of his "employees" about the "business". It's Willie's ambition to be the number one pimp in the city and he threatens his women and competitors to fall in line or pay the price. Willie is one shrewd businessman and cutthroat capitalist and he plans to get rich hustling and exploiting as many horny tourists and businessmen as possible. His business begins to suffer when a pair of New York City police officers begin putting the heat on Willie. They follow and harass him wherever he goes, arrest his women, and tow his car (an amazing, purple-colored seventies vintage "pimpmobile"). When his Number One lady Pashen (Joyce Walker) gets sent to the clink, she is approached by a former prostitute-turned social worker named Cora (Diana Sands, in one of her last roles before her death in 1973) who tries to rehabilitate her. Cora strongly encourages Pashen to consider another profession instead of tricking before it's too late. Cora's ulterior motive is to shut down Willie's operation for good with the help of her District Attorney boyfriend Robert (Thalamus Rasulala). But first, she needs Cora's help in convincing all of Willie's girls to quit the profession and stop working the streets. Adding to Willie's problems is a competing pimp named Bell (Roger Robinson) who wants to restrict Willie's territory, with secret desires to take over the entire NYC sex industry. Bell abducts Willie in the purple pimpmobile, and has one of his henchmen hold a gun to his head. Willie doesn't go down without a fight, however, pulling his own gun out of his crotch and sending Bell running naked through the Bronx. But Willie's victories are few and he struggles to stay afloat, encountering one setback after another. In the end it all comes crashing down. Cora and Robert have his bank accounts frozen and most of his working girls arrested. And to top it off, Willie finds out his mother has suffered a heart attack after learning about her son's REAL profession. What further disasters and indignities await the would-be number one pimp king? Unlike most of the movies in the blaxpolitation genre, Willie Dynamite is light on the violence and nudity. Foul Language and scenes of drug use, on the other hand, are abundant and so is the street smart dialogue (our favorite is, upon being asked if he'd learned how to be a pimp from a book, Willie claims, "No man, I just watch Ironside"). As for the clothes, Willie's eye popping suits and fur coats are over the top even by blaxplotation film standards. And while most viewers will find Roscoe "I'm friends with Big Bird" Orman's presence in the film the most surreal and entertaining aspect of Willie Dynamite, the real treat is gazing upon the women of Willie's harem, most of whom who will be instantly recognizable to exploitation film fans. These include the beautiful Marcia McBroom from Russ Meyer's Beyond The Valley of The Dolls and the uber-sexy, throat-slitting Leslie McRae. Look for the scene where Willie leaves the courtroom and walks into the parking garage with the girls – definitely as baadasssss as you can get. Last but not least, Diana Sands as Cora gives the most credible and knowing performance in the movie and is the perfect counter-character to Willie - an ex-hooker with a heart of gold who can match Willie's jive and sass with her own. In the end, Willie Dynamite is less like your run-of-the-mill '70s inner city crime drama than a funky Greek tragedy. Yet, at the same time, it avoids the Big Message ending of a blaxploitation classic like The Mack. Instead the film examines what happens when the "business" consumes you and humanity falls by the wayside. And while we've definitely seen more ruthless pimps portrayed on the screen, Orman's Willie is his own unique creation, and looks great, of course, in those suits. Producers: David Brown, Richard D. Zanuck Director: Gilbert Moses Screenplay: Ron Cutler (screenplay and story); Joe Keyes Jr. (story) Cinematography: Frank Stanley Art Direction: John T. McCormack Music: J.J. Johnson Film Editing: Aaron Stell Cast: Roscoe Orman (Willie Dynamite), Diana Sands (Cora), Thalmus Rasulala (Robert Daniels), Joyce Walker (Pashen), Roger Robinson (Bell), George Murdock (Celli), Albert Hall (Pointer), Norma Donaldson (Honey), Juanita Brown (Sola), Royce Wallace (Willie's mother), Judith M. Brown (Gorgia), Marilyn Coleman (Connie), Mary Charlotte Wilcox (Scatback), Marcia McBroom (Pearl), Jack Bernardi (Willie's lawyer), Ted Gehring (Sergeant), Ron Henriquez (Cyrus), Nathaniel Taylor (Sugar). C-102m. by Mille de Chirico