Good Guys Wear Black

Last updated
Good Guys Wear Black
Good Guys Wear Black (movie poster).jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Ted Post
Screenplay byBruce Cohn
Mark Medoff
Story byJoseph Fraley
Produced byAllan F. Bodoh
Starring Chuck Norris
Anne Archer
Lloyd Haynes
Dana Andrews
Jim Backus
James Franciscus
Cinematography Robert Steadman
Edited byMillie Moore
William Moore
Music by Craig Safan
Production
companies
Action One Film Partners, LTD
Mar Vista Productions
Western Film Productions
Distributed byAmerican Cinema Releasing
Release date
  • June 2, 1978 (1978-06-02)
Running time
96 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1 million [1]
Box office$18.3 million (United States) [2] [3]

Good Guys Wear Black is a 1978 American martial arts action film starring Chuck Norris and directed by Ted Post. [4] [5] This was the second film to feature Norris as the star, following Breaker! Breaker! (1977). [6] However, this is the one that Norris considers his "breakthrough". [7]

Contents

Following years of kung fu film imports from Hong Kong action cinema during the 1970s, most notably Bruce Lee films followed by Bruceploitation flicks, Good Guys Wear Black launched Chuck Norris as the first successful homegrown American martial arts star, having previously been best known for his film debut as a villain in Bruce Lee's Way of the Dragon (1972). Good Guys Wear Black distinguished itself from earlier martial arts films with its distinctly American setting, characters, themes, and politics, a formula which Norris continued with the similarly successful Force of One (1979). [5] The film featured a first screen appearance by Norris' brother Aaron Norris and the final appearance of Lloyd Haynes. [8]

Plot

In 1973, United States Senator Conrad Morgan (James Franciscus), the chief delegate diplomat in negotiating the terms of the end of the Vietnam War, made a deal in Paris, France with Kuong Yen; a North Vietnamese negotiator. The deal called for Yen to release certain key CIA POWs in exchange for Morgan setting up a death-trap for an elite group of CIA assassins, known as the Black Tigers. The treaty was signed and the Black Tigers were sent into the Vietnam jungle to their unwitting demise, having incorrectly been told that they were on a mission to liberate American POWs. However, the negotiators failed to account for one thing: the commandos' team leader was Major John T. Booker (Chuck Norris). Despite all odds, Booker survives, as do the four men wise enough to have remained in his general vicinity.

Five years after returning from Vietnam, Booker, now living in Los Angeles, is working as a political science professor at UCLA, and with a hobby of race-car driving. At UCLA, Booker lectures on how the war should not have happened, and that the U.S. should not have been involved. Sitting in on one of his lectures is a bright female reporter named Margaret (Anne Archer) who has some very specific questions about the botched rescue mission. To their shock, someone is slowly killing all the surviving members of the special forces team.

Booker is suddenly thrown back into his past when Morgan's appointment as Secretary of State spurs Yen to blackmail his ex-negotiations buddy into making good on his unfinished deal: the extermination of the Black Tigers.

Cast

Production

Norris had been offered a number of karate films but turned them down because he did not want to be limited. "Bruce Lee movies were all karate with a little story thrown in. I want to have a story with some karate scenes." [9]

Norris said a friend wrote the script from a storyline he devised with one of his students. [3] "My country wasn't built on sacrificing people to expedite principles", said Norris. [10]

Norris said he "peddled" the script "all over Hollywood. The night before I was to meet this producer – I'd gone through everyone; he was the last – I thought, 'What can I say to this guy that I haven't said to everyone that's turned me down?' I went to bed, and about 2 o'clock in the morning, the answer popped into my head. And when I met the producer, he asked me the same question the others asked, 'Chuck, why will this movie make money?' And I said, 'First of all, there's four million karate people in America. They all know who I am. And if only half of them go to the movie, that's a $6 million gross on a $1 million budget.' And he said, 'Sounds good to me'." [11]

The film was produced by Allan Bodoh, Mitchell Cannold and Michael Leone. Bodoh ran Mar Vista Productions, who in a two-year period made Dirt, Acapulco Gold , Dogs and The Great Smokey Roadblock . [12] [13]

Norris said during filming that he compared "Breaker! Breaker! with Clint Eastwood's A Fistful of Dollars and Good Guys Wear Black with Dirty Harry ." [9]

Filming started in May 1977. [14] There was an excellent support cast including Dana Andrews. "I do one film a year just to keep my hand in", said Andrews. [15]

"I want to be as big in the movie industry as I've been in the karate industry", said Norris. ""I know I can do it because I've got the faith to do it." [9]

Norris said his character of Booker "had more feeling than the Clint Eastwood characters. Booker's sensitive, caring about people, but if pushed he can take care of the situation. That's like me. I'm an easy going guy but in the ring I have a fanatical desire to win. I want Booker to be someone people can relate to, a hero to worship. Take Bruce Lee, who was an Oriental but able to pull Caucasians. I'm taking a little from Eastwood, a little from Lee, and a little special effects from James Bond. John T Booker is someone moviegoers can emulate, to be that kind of person, a guy who doesn't push his weight around, an easygoing person who can be dangerous." [9] Chuck Norris had a long dialogue scene with James Franciscus about the Vietnam War. Steve McQueen, who Norris knew, saw it and advised Norris to let support characters take care of the exposition, "then when there's something important to say, you say it." [16] "Let the co-stars do the b.s. dialogue", Norris says McQueen told him. "I do it. Eastwood does it. Bronson does it." [3]

Norris later stated:

The film was having trouble getting distribution, so the producers decided to distribute it themselves, renting theaters in individual cities around the country for a flat fee and pocketing the box-office receipts I traveled with them, opening from cities to hamlets, talking with folks and promoting the film any way I could. Many critics panned that film, but the public embraced it. They filled those theaters and launched my movie career. [17]

Release

Rating

The film was originally rated R but Norris lobbied successfully to have it changed to PG. "My argument was the strong, positive image I project on the screen", he said. "The word karate, unfortunately, connotes violence to many people. Actually, it's a means of avoiding violent situations, and a form of defense if you have no choice and you're backed into a corner." [18]

Distribution

The film was distributed by American Cinema Releasing.

Reception

Box office

After opening on five screens in Denver on June 2, 1978, the movie would go on to gross $18 million at the US box office, due in part to a year-long publicity tour Norris did. (The actor estimated he did over 2,000 interviews in a year and says he had to go to hospital for laryngitis.) [3] It earned rentals of $8.3 million. [19]

Critical response

Linda Gross of the Los Angeles Times called it "cynical, reasonably entertaining... the slick, efficient murders are less gory to watch than disturbing to contemplate." [20] The Washington Post said "the little plot it [the film] does have goes a long way." [21] Tom Buckley of The New York Times said the film was "short on everything." [22]

The 1996 movie guide "Seen That, Now What?", the film was given the rating of "C-", stating that "the serious-minded plot is poorly matched with the karate-chopping action sequences, and Norris' fancy footwork only occasionally takes fire." [23]

"The first time I saw myself, I didn't feel embarrassed yet thought I could be better", said Norris. "But, by the fourth viewing, I wanted to hide behind a chair." [10]

According to Norris, the critics said that "I was the worst thing in 50 years. Well, I wasn't good, but my feelings were hurt. I said, 'I'm not trying to be Dustin Hoffman; I just want to project a strong positive hero image on the screen.' I went to Steve [McQueen], and he said, 'In Good Guys you talk too much. Too much dialogue. Let the character actors lay out the plot. Then, when there's something important to say, you say it, and people will listen. Anyway, you'll get better as an actor. You should have seen me in The Blob." [11]

The producers went on to make Go Tell the Spartans with Ted Post. [24]

The film was meant to be the first in a series. [9] However no further Booker movies resulted.

Other media

Chuck Norris' character in The Expendables 2 is named Booker "The Lone Wolf", in homage to John T. Booker in Good Guys Wear Black. (It also references his movie Lone Wolf McQuade )

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martial arts film</span> Film genre

Martial arts films are a subgenre of action films that feature martial arts combat between characters. These combats are usually the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often are a method of storytelling and character expression and development. Martial arts are frequently featured in training scenes and other sequences in addition to fights. Martial arts films commonly include hand-to-hand combat along with other types of action, such as stuntwork, chases, and gunfights. Sub-genres of martial arts films include kung fu films, wuxia, karate films, and martial arts action comedy films, while related genres include gun fu, jidaigeki and samurai films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chuck Norris</span> American martial artist and actor (born 1940)

Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist and actor. He is a black belt in Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu jitsu and judo. After serving in the United States Air Force, Norris won many martial arts championships and later founded his own discipline, Chun Kuk Do. Shortly after, in Hollywood, Norris trained celebrities in martial arts. Norris went on to appear in a minor role in the spy film The Wrecking Crew (1969). Friend and fellow martial artist Bruce Lee invited him to play one of the main villains in Way of the Dragon (1972). While Norris continued acting, friend and student Steve McQueen suggested he take it seriously. Norris took the starring role in the action film Breaker! Breaker! (1977), which turned a profit. His second lead, Good Guys Wear Black (1978), became a hit, and he soon became a popular action film star.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernest Tidyman</span> American author and screenwriter (1928-1984)

Ernest Ralph Tidyman was an American author and screenwriter, best known for his novels featuring the African-American detective John Shaft. He also co-wrote the screenplay for the film version of Shaft with John D. F. Black in 1971.

<i>Sidekicks</i> (1992 film) 1993 American film

Sidekicks is a 1993 American adventure action comedy-drama film directed by Aaron Norris and starring Jonathan Brandis and Chuck Norris.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. Lee Thompson</span> British film director (1914–2002)

John Lee Thompson was a British film director, active in London and Hollywood, best known for award-winning films such as Woman in a Dressing Gown, Ice Cold in Alex and The Guns of Navarone along with cult classics like Cape Fear, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, Battle for the Planet of the Apes and The White Buffalo.

<i>Invasion U.S.A.</i> (1985 film) 1985 film by Joseph Zito

Invasion U.S.A. is a 1985 American action film produced by Cannon Films, and starring Chuck Norris. It was directed by Joseph Zito. It involves the star fighting off a force of Soviet/Cuban-led guerrillas.

<i>The Delta Force</i> 1986 film by Menahem Golan

The Delta Force is a 1986 American action film starring Chuck Norris and Lee Marvin as leaders of an elite group of Special Operations Forces personnel based on the real life U.S. Army Delta Force unit. Directed, co-written and co-produced by Menahem Golan, the film features Martin Balsam, Joey Bishop, Robert Vaughn, Steve James, Robert Forster, Shelley Winters, George Kennedy, and an uncredited Liam Neeson in an early role. It is the first installment in The Delta Force film series. Two sequels were produced, entitled Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection and the direct-to-video Delta Force 3: The Killing Game. The Delta Force was "inspired" by the hijacking of TWA Flight 847.

<i>Silent Rage</i> 1982 film by Michael Miller

Silent Rage is a 1982 American action crime science fiction film directed by Michael Miller. It stars Chuck Norris as a sheriff who must stop a mentally ill man who goes on a rampage after being granted near-indestructibility in a medical experiment. It grossed $10.5 million on release.

<i>Lone Wolf McQuade</i> 1983 film

Lone Wolf McQuade is a 1983 American Western film directed by Steve Carver and starring Chuck Norris, David Carradine, Barbara Carrera, L.Q. Jones, R.G. Armstrong, Leon Isaac Kennedy and Robert Beltran.

<i>Missing in Action</i> (film) 1984 film by Joseph Zito

Missing in Action is a 1984 American action film directed by Joseph Zito and starring Chuck Norris. It is set in the context of the Vietnam War POW/MIA issue. Colonel Braddock, who escaped a Vietnamese prisoner of war camp 10 years earlier, returns to Vietnam to find American soldiers listed as missing in action during the Vietnam War. The film was followed by a prequel, Missing in Action 2: The Beginning (1985), and a sequel, Braddock: Missing in Action III (1988). It is the first installment in the Missing in Action film series. "Missing In Action" was actually intended to be a sequel to "Missing in Action 2", but when it became clear that "Missing in Action" was a much better film with stronger commercial prospects, "Missing in Action 2" was turned into both a sequel and a prequel that detailed events before those in "Missing in Action".

<i>Breaker! Breaker!</i> 1977 film by Don Hulette

Breaker! Breaker! is a 1977 American action film directed by Don Hulette and starring Chuck Norris.

<i>Missing in Action 2: The Beginning</i> 1985 film directed by Lance Hool

Missing in Action 2: The Beginning is a 1985 American action adventure film, and a prequel to Missing in Action, both of which star Chuck Norris. It was directed by Lance Hool, and written by Steve Bing, Larry Levinson and Arthur Silver. It is the second installment in the Missing in Action film series.

<i>Firewalker</i> (film) 1986 film by J. Lee Thompson

Firewalker is a 1986 American action-adventure comedy film starring Chuck Norris, Louis Gossett Jr., Will Sampson in his final feature film role, and Melody Anderson. It was directed by J. Lee Thompson and written by Norman Aladjem, Robert Gosnell and Jeffrey M. Rosenbaum. This was the first comedic role for Norris, giving him a chance to poke fun at his action persona.

Theodore Ian Post was an American director of film and television. Highly prolific, Post directed numerous episodes of well-known television series including Rawhide, Gunsmoke, and The Twilight Zone as well as blockbuster films such as Hang 'Em High, Beneath the Planet of the Apes and Magnum Force.

<i>A Force of One</i> 1979 film by Paul Aaron

A Force of One is a 1979 American martial arts action-thriller film directed by Paul Aaron and starring Chuck Norris, with Jennifer O'Neill, Ron O'Neal, Clu Gulager, and martial artist Bill Wallace in his film debut. Norris plays karate champion Matt Logan, who is hired to assist an anti-narcotics police unit, who are being targeted by a killer. The screenplay by Ernest Tidyman was based on a story co-written by martial artist Pat E. Johnson.

<i>Forced Vengeance</i> 1982 film

Forced Vengeance is a 1982 American action film, starring Chuck Norris, Mary Louise Weller and Camila Griggs. The film was directed by James Fargo, written by Franklin Thompson and James Fargo and filmed in the Crown Colony of Hong Kong and Portuguese Macau.

Aaron Dee Norris is an American stunt performer, director, occasional actor, and film and television producer. He is the younger brother of action film star Chuck Norris.

<i>The Choirboys</i> (film) 1977 film by Robert Aldrich

The Choirboys is a 1977 American comedy-drama film directed by Robert Aldrich, written by Christopher Knopf and Joseph Wambaugh based on Wambaugh's 1975 novel of the same name. It features an ensemble cast including Charles Durning, Louis Gossett Jr., Randy Quaid, and James Woods. The film was released to theaters by Universal Pictures on December 23, 1977.

<i>Hero and the Terror</i> 1988 film by William Tannen

Hero and the Terror is a 1988 American action film starring martial arts star Chuck Norris, directed by William Tannen. Produced by Menahem Golan, written by Michael Blodgett, and was distributed by Cannon Films. The film stars Norris as Danny O'Brien as a cop trying to stop a serial killer, Simon Moon known as "The Terror".

American Cinema Productions was an independent Hollywood film production company that was founded in 1975 and filed for bankruptcy in 1981.

References

  1. ↑ Goldman, Stuart (June 29, 1980). "Movies: Martial-Arts Films: Alive and Kicking". Los Angeles Times. p. y28.
  2. ↑ "Good Guys Wear Black – Box Office Data". The Numbers. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Drooz, A. (Mar 12, 1981). "Chuck Norris aims for stardom". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest   152733428.
  4. ↑ Maslin, Janet (1984-12-02). "Film View; Short On Talk, Big at the Box Office". The New York Times. Retrieved 2011-01-02.
  5. 1 2 Cook, David A. (2002). Lost Illusions: American Cinema in the Shadow of Watergate and Vietnam, 1970–1979. University of California Press. p. 270. ISBN   978-0-520-23265-5.
  6. ↑ "Good Guys Wear Black". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2011-01-02.
  7. ↑ Cook, Bruce (Jan 29, 1988). "In 'Braddock,' Norris Kicks Out Over War's Lost Children". Chicago Tribune (Sports Final, CN ed.). p. K.
  8. ↑ "Good Guys Wear Black". Monthly Film Bulletin. Vol. 47, no. 552. London. Jan 1, 1980. p. 22.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Lee, Grant (May 25, 1977). "Film Clips: Trek From TV to Movie to TV". Los Angeles Times. p. g9.
  10. 1 2 Groen, Rick (16 June 1979). "Karate champion now has 2 films under his black belt". The Globe and Mail. p. 35.
  11. 1 2 Chase, Chris (15 Apr 1983). "AT THE MOVIES; Chuck Norris wins appeal on rating". The New York Times. p. C.10.
  12. ↑ Lees, David; Berkowitz, Stan (Sep 24, 1978). "The Big Lure: Movies As an Investment: Taking a Flyer at Films Movies Movies". Los Angeles Times. p. 11.
  13. ↑ "Article 5 -- No Title". Los Angeles Times. 31 July 1977. p. o42.
  14. ↑ Lee, Grant (Mar 16, 1977). "Farrah, Lee in Majors Production?". Los Angeles Times. p. f11.
  15. ↑ "Star of Stage And Savings". The Washington Post. June 9, 1977. p. B2.
  16. ↑ Broeske, P. H. (May 19, 1985). "Chuck Norris--An All-American Hit". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest   154169712.
  17. ↑ "Chuck Norris: Shuttered movie theaters scene of unfolding cliffhanger". 21 August 2020.
  18. ↑ Ryan, Desmond (21 Apr 1983). "The Loner – Despite Critics, This Actor's Proud of His Films". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. D.6.
  19. ↑ Donahue, Suzanne Mary (1987). American film distribution : the changing marketplace. UMI Research Press. p. 301. ISBN   9780835717762. Please note figures are for rentals in US and Canada
  20. ↑ Gross, Linda (Mar 23, 1979). "Action, Adventure in 'Good Guys Wear Black'". Los Angeles Times. p. g19.
  21. ↑ K.C. Summers (Apr 27, 1979). "Au Courant 'Good Guys'". The Washington Post. p. W25.
  22. ↑ Tom Buckley (June 30, 1979). "Film: 'Good Guys' Opens: The Cast". The New York Times. p. 11.
  23. ↑ Shaw, Andrea (1996). Seen That, Now What?: The Ultimate Guide to Finding the Video You Really Want to Watch. Simon and Schuster. p. 41. ISBN   9780684800110.
  24. ↑ Lee, Grant (Sep 11, 1978). "Film Clips: Vietnam Movie Made on Spartan Budget". Los Angeles Times. p. e9.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.