Cleopatra Jones is a 1973 American blaxploitation film directed by Jack Starrett. Tamara Dobson stars as an undercover government agent who uses the day job of supermodel as her cover and an excuse to travel to exotic places. Bernie Casey, Shelley Winters and Antonio Fargas also feature. The film has been described as being primarily an action film, but also partially a comedy with a spoof tone. It was followed by the sequel Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold, released in 1975.
Plot
Cleopatra "Cleo" Jones is an undercover special agent for the United States government. Overseas modeling is only a cover for her real job: Cleo is a James Bond-like heroine with power and influence. She drives a silver and black '73 Corvette Stingray (equipped with automatic weapons), and has martial arts ability. She also remains loyal to her drug-ravaged community and her lover, Reuben Masters, who runs B&S House (a community home for recovering drug addicts).
Cleo is overseeing the destruction of a poppy field in Turkey belonging to the evil drug lord Mommy. Mommy employs an all-male crew and a bevy of beautiful young women catering to her many wants. When she hears about her poppies' demise, she plots revenge, ordering a corrupt policeman to raid the B&S House.
When Cleo returns to LA to arrest the police responsible for the raid, she continues to take apart Mommy's underworld drug business, thwarting her minions along the way. Cleo and Mommy face off in a showdown, in which she is trapped by Mommy in a car crusher but is saved by her friends from the B&S House. In the final showdown, Cleo chases Mommy to the top of a magnetic crane where the two women fight. Mommy proves to be no match for Cleo, who hurls Mommy over the side of the crane to her death, while Cleo's friends defeat her henchmen. At the end of the film, as Reuben and the members of the community celebrate victory, Cleo departs the scene. She sets off to complete her mission of stemming the tide of drugs that flow into her community.
Cast
- Tamara Dobson as Cleopatra Jones
- Bernie Casey as Reuben Masters
- Shelley Winters as Mommy
- Brenda Sykes as Tiffany
- Antonio Fargas as "Doodlebug" Simpkins
- Bill McKinney as Officer Purdy
- Dan Frazer as Captain Crawford
- Stafford Morgan as Sergeant Kert
- Mike Warren as Miller Anderson
- Albert Popwell as Matthew Johnson
- Caro Kenyatta as Melvin Johnson
- Esther Rolle as Mrs. Johnson
Don Cornelius and Frankie Crocker make appearances as themselves, while former child-star Eugene W. Jackson II makes an appearance as Henry and actor Lee Weaver plays Henry's friend.
Background
Cleopatra Jones was made by Warner Bros. following the success of the Shaft series and AIP's films. It opened at a time when the Black Power Movement, Black Arts Movement, second-wave feminism, and an increasingly growing black feminism were all prevalent. From this social context emerged the desire for a black heroine who appealed to women through a combination of alluring femininity, female strength, and combat skill. The film depicts the harsh reality of the black ghetto, but also portrays a united community whose members help and support one another. The film's final scene, in which Jones, Reuben, and the other B&S members join to defeat Mommy, reflects the Black Arts Movement's emphasis upon the need for the black community to work together to defeat white supremacy. It appeals to audiences who enjoy action movies (such as the James Bond series) and has invited comparisons between Jones and Bond. Critic Chris Norton suggested, "like Bond, Cleo is not a stealthy character who tries to infiltrate the underworld by losing her identity... Bond seldom tried to hide his identity, often using his real name during introductions, and all Bond films rely on his being recognized as 007."
Just as Jones came from a poor, high-crime neighborhood, Dobson came from a working-class background. She grew up in Baltimore's inner city; her mother owned a beauty salon and her father worked at a railroad station. After earning a degree from the Baltimore Institute of Art, Dobson moved to New York City to become a model. Her race proved an obstacle until she caught the attention of movie producers searching for a black heroine. Ironically, though she works for the white government, Jones is clearly better at policing black neighborhoods than are white cops.
The film was a box office success, grossing more than $100,000 in its first week of release, climbing to $400,000 by the fifth week. In the film, Jones travels to Hong Kong to free government agents Matthew and Melvin Johnson, who have been captured by the Dragon Lady (Stella Stevens). Jones pairs up with Mi Lin-fong () and ends up in the Dragon Lady's casino, headquarters for her underground drug empire.