The unintentional shooting by police of a star basketball player has profound personal, political and community repercussions in this acclaimed adaptation of the novel Hog Butcher by Ronald Fair. This was one of the more thoughtful urban dramas produced at the height of the "blaxploitation" craze. Also released under the title Hit the Open Man, it features the screen debut of Laurence Fishburne, who was barely a teenager at the time.
Movie tag line: "He Had the Lightest Touch in a Heavy Town."
Production companies:
Character: Benjamin Blackwell
Character: Sarah Robinson
Character: Officer Larry Atkins
Character: Leona Hamilton
Character: Wilford Robinson
Character: Charlie
Character: One-Eye
Character: Deputy Coroner
Character: Officer John Golich
Character: Fred Jenkins
Character: Sgt. Danaher
Character: Sam Hamilton
Character: Earl Carter
Character: Nathaniel 'Cornbread' Hamilton
Character: Ace
Character: Watkins
Character: Shifty
Character: Mr. Wilson
Character: Mr. Johnson
Character: Jack
Character: Mrs. Parsons
Character: Det. Simmons
Character: Det. Kelly
Character: Diane
Character: Mr. Carter
Character: Stud
Character: Edna
Character: Morgue Man (as Tommy Maier)
Character: Man
Character: Store Manager
Character: Al
Character: Bailiff