Cleopatra Jones

Warner. Director Jack Starrett; Producer William Tennant, Max Julien; Screenplay Max Julien, Sheldon Keller; Camera David Walsh; Editor Allan Jacobs; Music J.J. Johnson, Carl Brandt, Brad Shapiro;; Art Director Peter Wooley

Tamara Dobson
Bernie Casey
Brenda Sykes
Antonio Fargas
Bill McKinney
Shelley Winters

Cleopatra Jones is a good programmer with the offbeat twist of having a sexy woman detective as the lead character. The script incorporates a slew of action set pieces, capably directed by Jack Starrett.

Tamara Dobson makes a smart starring debut, after fashion model and teleblurb work, as the title character, a sophisticated undercover agent working to stamp out the world drug trade. But a phony raid on lover Bernie Casey's ghetto halfway house, in which Dobson has a great interest, draws her home to unravel the plot.

Behind Casey's problems, and serving as Dobson's arch-enemy, is Shelley Winters, in vulgar characterization as a lesbian-type gangleader. The line between offbeat cameo and repulsive casting is wider than a freeway, but Winters crosses it with felicity.

(Color) Widescreen. Available on VHS. Extract of a review from 1973. Running time: 89 MIN.

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