BLACK FILM HISTORY: “Let’s Do It Again” (1975) is a comedy movie that many consider the second film in the unofficial Uptown Trilogy, which includes “Uptown Saturday Night” (1974) and “A Piece of the Action” (1977). Actor-director-producer Sidney Poitier teams up again with Bill Cosby and screenplay writer Richard Wesley to create one of the greatest comedies ever. Poitier was directing his third movie, which he was also the director for, “Uptown Saturday.” Like “Uptown,” “Let’s Do It Again” had a lot of star power, including Denise Nicholas, Lee Chamberlin, Calvin Lockhart, John Amos, Ossie Davis, Jimmie ‘J.J.’ Walker, Julius Harris, and Mel Stewart. Warner Brothers was responsible for the distribution of the movie.
In addition to “Let’s Do It Again” being an all-time comedy, it has one of the greatest soundtracks. Curtis Mayfield was the producer and writer for the soundtrack, and The Staple Singers were the vocalists. The title song, “Let’s Do It Again,” hit number one on both the R&B and pop charts in the U.S. The soundtrack is still part of pop culture, and hip-hop producers highly sample it today. Curtis Mayfield released the soundtrack under his record label, Curtom, based out of Chicago.
Every primary actor in this movie has some of the most fluent chemistry I have ever seen in a film. They were all established and current in the 70s movie and television industry. Denise Nicholas appeared in several films, including “Blacula” and starred in the hit show “Room 222”. John Amos was still establishing his acting career in movies, but he starred in the Disney film “The World’s Greatest Athlete” in 1973. Still, people knew him as James Evans from “Good Times.” In addition, “Good Times” actor Jimmie Walker was appearing in his first Hollywood movie with significant speaking parts.
Lee Chamberlin previously starred in “Uptown Saturday Night” as Madam Zenobia and regularly featured in the T.V. show “The Electric Company.” Calvin Lockhart was also in “Uptown Saturday” as Silk Slilm. In “Let’s Do It Again,” he plays the character Biggie Smalls, which legendary hip-hop artist, The Notorious B.I.G, used as his stage name. Mel Stewart started his career in the 1950s and appeared in several T.V. shows throughout the 1960s. Finally, legendary filmmaker Ossie Davis makes an appearance as Elder Johnson. Davis previously directed “Cottom Comes to Harlem,” “Black Girl,” and “Gordon’s War” before starring in “Let’s Do It Again.”
“Let’s Do It Again” is a great comedy. I will forever recommend it. It’s a feel-good movie with a soundtrack that will keep you engaged.
Director: Sidney Poitier
Writers: Richard Wesley, Timothy March
Starring Sidney Poitier, Bill Cosby, Calvin Lockhart, John Amos, Jimmie Walker, Ossie Davis, Denise Nicholas, Lee Chamberlin, Mel Stewart, Julius Harris, Paul Harris, Val Avery, Morgan Roberts, Talya Ferro, George Forman, Jayne Kennedy
STORY LINE
Clyde Williams and Billy Foster are a couple of blue-collar workers in Atlanta who have promised to raise funds for their fraternal order, the Brothers and Sisters of Shaka. However, their money-raising method involves traveling to New Orleans and rigging a boxing match. Using hypnotism, they turn the scrawny underdog into a super-confident fighting machine. They bet heavily on him, he wins easily, and they return to Atlanta with their money. All is fine until the gangsters conned by these two figure out what happened and show up in Atlanta with a grudge. Now Williams and Foster have to rig the fight again so the gangsters can get their money back, or they’ll be killed. Can they do it again…?
https://www.daarac.ngo
https://www.daaracarchive.org/…/lets-do-it-again-1975.html
Available on DVD (out-of-print) and streaming services. Hopefully, this movie will get a Blu-ray upgrade in the future.
