07/07/2025
WIY? guest Marcia McBroom Small was in this classic film! Lorelei McBroom
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"The Legend of N***er Charley [a.k.a. The Legend of Black Charley, and we will refer to the film as such hereafter]" (1972) was probably the first film of its kind. The film took two themes and combined them into one movie. The themes are western and slavery. After the conclusion of the Race Film Era, black westerns went entirely away for about 20 years. The last one made before "Black Charley" was likely "Soul Soldier" (1970) and then "No Time for Romance" (1948). Many black actors starred in western films, but Hollywood did not produce black-theme westerns of a primarily black cast during this period.
However, the slavery theme began to show up in films like "Tamango" (1959), "Goodbye Uncle Tom" and "Quadroon," both released in 1971. Yet, "Black Charley" took it a step further, and this time the enslaved Charley and his buddies escaped after killing their brutal plantation owner. Furthermore, Fred Williams leads the way as Charley, followed by D'Urville Martin as Toby and Don Pedro Colley as Joshua.
The message in this film was clear. Charley wasn't taking any more mess! Usually, Hollywood writers tend to write in a white savior that aids the black characters to some success, but for some reason, they didn't do it in this movie. While this may not seem like a big deal to some, this was a significant difference in the characterizations of black people on film. Instead, Charley taught himself and his buddies how to shoot and survive independently while taking on their racist environment as escaped enslaved folk. The symbolic nature of this film represented the Black Power Movement after the assassination of Martin Luther King. And in movies, black people were finally allowed to express themselves however they saw fit. But, of course, the involvement of major Hollywood producers impacted the making of these movies, and some portrayals were controversial, henceforth the Blaxploitation Era.
In addition, "Django Unchained" (2012) is said to be a remake of "Black Charley" if any is curious about what inspired Quentin Tarantino. "Black Charley" is a symbolic film with a controversial title. Williamson was entering the scene as a significant lead actor, and the timing of this era was perfect for him. The movie isn't a masterpiece, but for what it's worth, it's a good film. I enjoyed the chemistry between Williamson, Martin, and Colley. And the storyline is very straightforward. If you're looking for a nice western with an unconventional theme, I suggest watching "The Legend of Black Charley."
Director: Martin Goldman
Writers: James Bellah (story), Martin Goldman (screenplay), Larry G. Spangler (screenplay)
Starring Fred Williamson, D'Urville Martin, Don Pedro Colley, Thomas Anderson, Jerry Gatlin, Alan Gifford, Will Hussung, Gertrude Jeannette, Fred Lerner, Marcia McBroom, Tom Pemberton, Tricia O'Neil, Joe Santos
Storyline
After killing his plantation owner, Charley and two friends become outlaws while the sadistic Reverend tracks them down.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrd4raxA3lphmzvwU3ZtczA
