Drum

De Laurentiis. Director Steve Carver; Producer Ralph Serpe; Screenplay Norman Wexler; Camera Lucien Ballard; Editor Carl Kress; Music Charlie Smalls; Art Director Stan Jolley

Warren Oates
Isela Vega
Ken Norton
Pam Grier
Yaphet Kotto
John Colicos

Drum is a grubby followup to Mandingo [1975] which invites its own derisive audience laughter. Ham acting like you wouldn't believe, coupled with non-direction by Steve Carver and a correspondence-school script by Norman Wexler, add up to cinematic trash.

There's slave-breeder Warren Oates who buys Ken Norton and Yaphet Kotto from bordello queen Isela Vega, who in reality is Norton's real mother though her lesbian lover-maid Paula Kelly raised the boy; Pam Grier goes along with the deal as Norton's girl and occasional wench to Oates, though Fiona Lewis, her eyes on Oates, has other plans.

Climax of the film is a slave revolt where lots of people get killed, including Royal Dano who manages to keep a straight face as a mean slaver.

(Color) Available on VHS. Extract of a review from 1976. Running time: 100 MIN.

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