In 1971 Richard Roundtree was the original Shaft -- John Shaft -- a super-cool black private eye who took Hollywood by storm in one of the best blaxploitation films ever.

Director Gordon Parks brought the original Shaft to the big screen in 1971. Richard Roundtree played the title character, black private eye John Shaft, with Moses Gunn, Charles Cioffi, Christopher St. John and Gwenn Mitchell in support. Can you dig it?

Based on the Novel by Ernest Tidyman

Shaft was based on the novel of the same name by Cleveland-born Ernest Tidyman (1928-1984). One of only several Caucasians to win an NAACP Image Award, Tidyman garnered the title for his novel when looking out of his publisher's window, where he spied the sign, "Fire Shaft."

Shaft was published in 1970 by Macmillan. It was followed by six other novels in the series: Shaft Among the Jews (1972), Shaft's Big Score (1972), Shaft Has a Ball (1973), Goodbye, Mr. Shaft (1973), Shaft's Carnival of Killers (1974) and The Last Shaft (1975).

Screenplay, Director, Music

Shaft was written for MGM by Ernest Tidyman and John D.F. Black.

Directing the action was Gordon Parks (1912-2006). In 1969, Parks had become the first African-American to direct a film for a major studio: The Learning Tree (Warner Bros.).

Isaac Hayes provided both the film's music score and its popular, super-hip theme song.

Shaft Cast

Starring as John Shaft was the athletic Richard Roundtree, who had attended Southern Illinois University on a football scholarship.

Supporting players included Moses Gunn (Bumpy Jonas), Charles Cioffi (Lieutenant Vic Androzzi), Christopher St. John (Ben Buford), Gwenn Mitchell (Ellie Moore), Lawrence Pressman (Sergeant Tom Hannon), Victor Arnold (Charlie), Sherri Brewer (Marcy), Drew Bundini Brown (Willy), Al Kirk (Sims) and Antonio Fargas (Bunky).

Appearing in an uncredited role as an apartment landlord was director Gordon Parks.

Budget, Filming Locations

Budgeted at $1.2 million, Shaft was shot on location in New York City.

Familiar landmarks included Cafe Reggio in the West Village, Times Square and Harlem.

Harlem Gangsters, Spade Detective, Shootout

John Shaft is a private eye -- or "a spade detective," as he calls himself -- who lives in Greenwich Village. He operates his PI agency out of a seedy, rented office in mid-town Manhattan.

When tipped off that two hoods are looking for him, Shaft gets the jump on one of them, taking him to his office at gunpoint. The other thug comes to his pal's rescue, with a brawl ensuing and one of the hoods taking a plunge out of an office window.

Too bad, but all they really wanted was to arrange a meeting between Shaft and Harlem gangster Bumpy Jonas. Lt. Vic Androzzi of the NYPD learns of this development, and wants to use Shaft as a source of information on organized crime.

Bumpy Jonas, head of a black syndicate which traffic in drugs and prostitution, hires Shaft at $50 an hour to rescue his kidnapped daughter, Marci, from the clutches of the Mafia. Shaft locates the girl at a Greenwich Village hotel, and with the help of a black militant group called the Lumumba storms the fleabag joint. A hail of gunfire ensues, with Shaft and his volunteer army deposing the bad guys and whisking Marci away in a caravan of four taxicabs.

Release, Reviews

Shaft was released on July 2, 1971.

"There have been lots of movies about black cops...but Gordon Parks' Shaft gives us the first really convincing black private eye," reported Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times (7/1/71).

"About a razzle-dazzle black private eye, the film is outrageously funny in its tough, campy, compendium of mod attitudes and expressions..." opined William Wolf of Cue magazine (7/3/71).

Box Office, Academy Award, DVD

Shaft grossed $7.068 million at the box office, good for #16 on the list of Hollywood's top moneymaking films of 1971.

Shaft won one Academy Award for Best Music, Original Song: "Theme from Shaft," written and performed by Isaac Hayes.

Shaft has been out on DVD since 2000, baby.

Sequels, TV Series, Remakes

Shaft spawned two sequels, Shaft's Big Score! (1972) and Shaft in Africa (1973), a Shaft television series also starring Richard Roundtree (1973-74) and one remake, Shaft (2000), starring Samuel L. Jackson.

"Who's the cat that won't cop out/When there's danger all about?"

We know...SHAFT! Right on!