Frederick O'Neal

Cotton Comes to Harlem -- Ossie Davis makes his directorial debut a smashing success in the trend-setting action crime comedy Cotton Comes To Harlem.

Ossie Davis makes his directorial debut a smashing success in the trend-setting action crime comedy Cotton Comes To Harlem. Coffin Ed (Raymond St. Jacques) and Grave Digger Jones (Godfrey Cambridge), two plainclothesmen on the Harlem detail, are assigned to investigate the goings-on of suspicious local preacher Deke O'Malley (Calvin Lockhart), whose "Back to Africa" political movement turns out to be a scam to milk the community of their hard-earned cash.

It's 1939, and World War II begins its carnage. But deep in the Belgian Congo, nurse Rachel Cade goes about the daily, desperate business of saving lives, barely touched by the world outside. Then an RAF pilot crash lands near the hospital, bringing with him the urgency of war...and a love that will change Rachel's life forever. Three exciting stars - Angie Dickinson (Point Blank), Peter Finch (Network) and seven-time James Bond Roger Moore - headline an exotic drama scripted by Edward Anhalt (Becket). Of equal note is the extraordinary supporting cast, including Woody Strode, Juano Hernandez, Rafer Johnson and Scatman Crothers. Powerful performances and powerful storytelling infuse this film with a timeless relevance.

Ossie Davis makes his directorial debut a smashing success in the trend-setting action crime comedy Cotton Comes To Harlem. Coffin Ed (Raymond St. Jacques) and Grave Digger Jones (Godfrey Cambridge), two plainclothesmen on the Harlem detail, are assigned to investigate the goings-on of suspicious local preacher Deke O'Malley (Calvin Lockhart), whose 'Back to Africa' political movement turns out to be a scam to milk the community of their hard-earned cash.