Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold

Director: Chuck Bail, Charles Bail Chuck Bail

Overview

This sequel to the blaxploitation hit Cleopatra Jones mixes in elements of the kung-fu genre and James Bond-styled spy adventures as it sends its colorful heroine to a high-flying adventure in an exotic locale. When fellow operatives (and childhood friends) Matthew Johnson (Albert Popwell) and Melvin Johnson (Caro Kenyatta) disappear during an undercover mission in Hong Kong, Cleopatra Jones (Tamara Dobson) travels there to find them. With the help of local detective Mi Ling (Tanny), Cleopatra discovers that her friends' disappearance has to do with The Dragon Lady (Stella Stevens), a much-feared woman who runs a Macao casino and controls a major chunk of the local drug trade. The finale finds Cleopatra and Mi Ling squaring off against the Dragon Lady and her minions in an explosive casino battle that involves kung-fu, gunplay, and roaring motorcycles. Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold didn't reach the same heights of success of its predecessor, but its colorful barrage of action has made it an enduring favorite amongst blaxploitation aficionados. Director Chuck Bail would go on to bigger success next year with the car-chase hit The Gumball Rally and star Dobson continued to play tough heroines in films like Chained Heat. ~ Donald Guarisco

Product Details

Release Date:	09/14/2010
UPC:	0883316276426
Original Release:	1975
Rating:	R
Source:	Warner Archives
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:37:00
Sales rank:	29,809

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Tamara Dobson	Cleopatra Jones
Stella Stevens	Dragon Lady
Tanny	Mi Ling
Norman Fell	Stanley
Albert Popwell	Matthew
Christopher Hunt	Mendez
Caro Kenyatta	Melvin Johnson
Lin Chen-chi	Madalyna
Liu Loke-hua	Tony
Eddy Donno	Morgan
Bobby Canavarro	Lin Ma Chen
Mui Kwok-sing	Benny
John Cheng	David
Shen Chan	Soo Da Chen
Magali Noël	Rosaria Cacchio
Janet Agren	Giulia
Stefano Satta Flores	Principal
Mirando Martino	Miss Calabro
Paola Borbini	Grandmother
Chan Sen	Soo
Dominic Frontiere	Composer

Technical Credits

William Tennant

Chuck Bail	Director,Director
Nobby Clark	Special Effects
Eddy Donno	Stunts
Milt Rice	Special Effects
William Tennant	Producer,Screenwriter
Run Shaw	Producer

Editorial Reviews

This blaxploitation sequel is full of appealing elements, but never truly manages to gel. The culprit is William Tennant's screenplay, which attempts to throw in a nod towards every commercial action film trend of its time, including martial arts films, spy thrillers, drug-themed police action, and blaxploitation. As a result, the story feels overplotted due to its attempts to accommodate all these elements. This overabundance of plot also causes the film to lose sight of its heroine, who ends up feeling like part of an ensemble instead of its driving force. Most notably, it fails to give Cleopatra a major role in the action until the film is almost half over. Despite these key storytelling flaws, Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold remains an entertaining affair thanks to a solid cast and slick direction. Tamara Dobson makes an entertainingly sassy heroine and Stella Stevens makes a sly yet menacing foe. Three's Company fans will also be delighted to see the future Mr. Roper, Norman Fell, in a supporting role as Cleopatra's perpetually exasperated boss. There are plenty of fun action set pieces, the highlights being a scene where Mi Ling has to fight off a room of attackers with her arms tied down and the explosive final assault on the Casino of Gold. This action look fantastic thanks to stunt coordinator-turned-director Chuck Bail, who uses his stunt choreography skills to give these moments the maximum impact they need. In the end, Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold is too slight an affair for most modern viewers, but provides enough excitement to make a fun curio for blaxploitation enthusiasts and action buffs.

All Movie Guide