Up Tight!
Encyclopedia
Up Tight! is a 1968 American drama film
directed by Jules Dassin
. It was intended as an updated version of John Ford
's 1935 film, The Informer, but the setting was transposed from Dublin, Ireland
to Cleveland, Ohio
, USA. The soundtrack was performed by Booker T. & the MG's
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Jules Dassin
Jules Dassin
Julius "Jules" Dassin , was an American film director, with Jewish-Russian origins. He was a subject of the Hollywood blacklist in the McCarthy era, and subsequently moved to France where he revived his career.-Early life:...
. It was intended as an updated version of John Ford
John Ford
John Ford was an American film director. He was famous for both his westerns such as Stagecoach, The Searchers, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath...
's 1935 film, The Informer, but the setting was transposed from Dublin, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
to Cleveland, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, USA. The soundtrack was performed by Booker T. & the MG's
Plot
Dassin's first US film in what then was nearly fifteen years follows two men: a black radical named Johnny, wanted by the police and his friend, Tank, who has been devoted to him for a long time. When Tank betrays Johnny for money to take care of his own family, it leads to Tank being hunted by both the radical and the police.Cast
- Raymond St. JacquesRaymond St. JacquesRaymond St. Jacques was an American actor.-Career:St. Jacques was born James Arthur Johnson in Hartford, Connecticut, the son of Vivienne Johnson, a medical technician...
- B. G. - Ruby DeeRuby DeeRuby Dee is an American actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist, and activist, perhaps best known for co-starring in the film A Raisin in the Sun and the film American Gangster for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.-Early years:Dee was born Ruby...
- Laurie - Frank SilveraFrank SilveraFrank Alvin Silvera was an American actor and theatrical director.-Career:Silvera was born in Kingston, Jamaica to a Spanish Jewish father and Jamaican mother. His family later emigrated to the United States, settling in Boston where Silvera attended English High School and Northeastern Law School...
- Kyle - Roscoe Lee BrowneRoscoe Lee BrowneRoscoe Lee Browne was an American actor and director, known for his rich voice and dignified bearing.-Biography:Browne was the fourth son of a Baptist minister, Sylvanus S. Browne, and his wife Lovie...
- Clarence - Julian MayfieldJulian MayfieldJulian Hudson Mayfield was an American actor, director, writer, lecturer and Civil Rights activist.-Early life:...
- Tank Williams - Janet MacLachlanJanet MacLachlanJanet MacLachlan was an American character actress who had roles in such television series as The Rockford Files, Alias and The Golden Girls.-Career:MacLachlan was born in New York City on August 27, 1933...
- Jeannie - Max JulienMax JulienMax Julien , is an American actor, best known for his role as Goldie in the 1973 blaxploitation film, The Mack. He also appeared in Def Jam's How to Be a Player and has guest starred on TV shows such as The Mod Squad and One on One.-Film career:A classically trained actor, Julien began his career...
- Johnny Wells - Juanita MooreJuanita MooreJuanita Moore is an American film and television actress. She is the fifth African American to be nominated for an Academy Award in any category, and the third in the Supporting Actress category.-Career:...
- Mama Wells - Dick Anthony WilliamsDick Anthony WilliamsDick Anthony Williams is an American actor. Williams is known for his starring performances on Broadway in The Poison Tree, What the Wine-Sellers Buy and Black Picture Show. He is also remembered for playing the character of Pretty Tony in The Mack, which starred Max Julien and Richard Pryor...
- Corbin - Michael Baseleon - Teddy
- Ji-Tu CumbukaJi-Tu CumbukaJi-Tu Cumbuka is an American veteran stage and screen actor.-Career Biography:...
- Rick - John WesleyJohn Wesley (actor)John Wesley is an American actor who worked in many television series, among which Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad, where he played the role of Principal Pratchert.-External links:*...
- Larry - Ketty LesterKetty LesterKetty Lester is an American singer and actress, who is best known for her 1962 hit single, "Love Letters", which reached the Top 5 of the charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom.-Life and career:...
- Alma - Robert DoQuiRobert DoQuiRobert DoQui was an American actor who starred in film and on television. He is best known for his role as King George in the 1973 film Coffy, starring Pam Grier, as Sgt. Warren Reed in the 1987 science fiction film RoboCop, the 1990 sequel RoboCop 2, and the 1993 sequel RoboCop 3...
- Street Speaker - Leon BibbLeon BibbLeon Bibb is an American news anchor for WEWS-TV in Cleveland, OH and was a member of the BGSU Board of Trustees...
- Mr. Oakley - James McEachinJames McEachinJames McEachin is an American actor, award-winning author, and known for his many character roles such as portraying police Lieutenant Brock in several Perry Mason television movies.-Military career:...
- Mello - Vernett Allen - Ralph