Good Guys Wear Black
Encyclopedia
Good Guys Wear Black is a 1978
action film
starring Chuck Norris
. This was the third film to feature Norris as the star.
plays John T. Booker, a former Vietnam
Green Beret
and a member of a group known as the Black Tigers. He is drawn into a web when members of the group start getting killed. Booker quits his school-teaching job, and then sets out to warn surviving members around the country. The killer turns out to be a former Black Tiger team member, Major Mhin Van Thieu (Soon-Tek Oh
) who was silencing the surviving members of the group before their agent, a politician named Conrad Morgan (James Franciscus
), gets appointed to office. Too late to save the last victim in Denver, Booker kills the assassin at the airport with a spectacular flying side kick through the windshield as the car bears down on him. He goes on to Washington, D.C.
, and tries to stop the politician by taking the place of his driver. Just as he finishes telling the politician, "It's not that you deserve to die, but you don't deserve to live," Booker is now struck in the head with a wine preserver from behind while driving. The limousine plunges into the Port of Baltimore now killing Morgan, but Booker emerges as the only survivor now swimming to shore.
), the chief delegate diplomat in negotiating the terms of the end of Vietnam war
, made a deal in Paris
, France
with Kuong Yen, the North Vietnamese negotiator. The deal called for Yen to release certain key CIA POWs in exchange for Morgan setting-up a death-trap for an elite group of CIA assassins, known as the Black Tigers. The treaty signed, the Black Tigers were sent into the jungles of ‘Nam to their unknowing demise, under guise that they were on mission to liberate American POWs. However, the truly important thing to understand is that the negotiators failed to realize one thing: the commando’s team leader was one Major John T. Booker (Chuck Norris
) with his blonde hair
and pasty inconsistent, somehow always slightly sunburned skin
and gee-golly Brady Bunch demeanor, one assumes that Booker would have to have been one psychotic son-of-a-bitch back in the day to be accepted into a group with such a militant
and threatening moniker. Not only that, but imagine what insane acts he must have performed to become their respective leader. So, needless to say and despite all odds, Booker survives. As do the four men wise enough to have remained in his general vicinity.
Booker five years later in Los Angeles
, California
. Gone are his fatigues, facepaint and machineguns; in are turtlenecks, too-tight pants and giant sunglasses. However, Booker has also donned a post-war moustache
, so the rest of his goofy attire is all but forgiven. And in an assumed attempt to balance out his sissy
left-wing political science
professor
day-job at UCLA, Booker keeps himself in bad-ass shape by driving around in a black Porsche 911
(license plate: BOOKER), uncovering government conspiracies and battling the ghosts from his far more interesting past. Booker lectures to a bunch of kids on the failures of America’s part in the Vietnam war and jokes about singing patriotic songs the following week to atone. Booker's class is being attended by the unreleting reporter named Margret (Anne Archer
), who was quite young, saucy, and attractive. Margret every bit as odious as ever, however, and comes on to him HARD. Plus, Booker doesn’t eat lunch, and they finally agree have dinner together.
Booker steps out in this fabulous outfit consisting of a black turtleneck and pants, a gray tweed sports jacket, hip sunglasses, and the deal-maker: black leather gloves. They hop into his black Porsche but are soon finding themselves being pushed into traffic by some evil henchman in a tow truck
. Bookers now manages by doing some fancy maneuvering, then comes back, jumps out of the car and runs up to the driver—who has very politely waited quietly in the front seat for him to do just this.
Ever. And I think we all know the ballsy risks involved in skipping core daily meals, amirite? Booker is suddenly thrown back into his past when the election of Morgan to Secretary of State spurs Yen to blackmail his ex-negotiations buddy into making good on his un-finished deal: The extermination of the Black Tigers.
1978 in film
The year 1978 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 1 - Bob Dylan's film Renaldo and Clara, a documentary of the "Rolling Thunder Revue" tour premieres in Los Angeles, California....
action film
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
starring Chuck Norris
Chuck Norris
Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist and actor. After serving in the United States Air Force, he began his rise to fame as a martial artist and has since founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do...
. This was the third film to feature Norris as the star.
Brief Plot
Chuck NorrisChuck Norris
Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist and actor. After serving in the United States Air Force, he began his rise to fame as a martial artist and has since founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do...
plays John T. Booker, a former Vietnam
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
Green Beret
United States Army Special Forces
The United States Army Special Forces, also known as the Green Berets because of their distinctive service headgear, are a special operations force tasked with six primary missions: unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, direct action, hostage rescue, and...
and a member of a group known as the Black Tigers. He is drawn into a web when members of the group start getting killed. Booker quits his school-teaching job, and then sets out to warn surviving members around the country. The killer turns out to be a former Black Tiger team member, Major Mhin Van Thieu (Soon-Tek Oh
Soon-Tek Oh
Soon-Tek Oh |M*A*S*H]], Charlie's Angels, Airwolf, Magnum, P. I., Hawaii Five-O, Kung-Fu, Zorro, and Touched By An Angel....
) who was silencing the surviving members of the group before their agent, a politician named Conrad Morgan (James Franciscus
James Franciscus
James Grover Franciscus was an American actor, known for his roles in the series The Naked City and The Investigators, and in feature films.-Life and career:...
), gets appointed to office. Too late to save the last victim in Denver, Booker kills the assassin at the airport with a spectacular flying side kick through the windshield as the car bears down on him. He goes on to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and tries to stop the politician by taking the place of his driver. Just as he finishes telling the politician, "It's not that you deserve to die, but you don't deserve to live," Booker is now struck in the head with a wine preserver from behind while driving. The limousine plunges into the Port of Baltimore now killing Morgan, but Booker emerges as the only survivor now swimming to shore.
Plot
Back in 1973, one Senator Conrad Morgan (James FranciscusJames Franciscus
James Grover Franciscus was an American actor, known for his roles in the series The Naked City and The Investigators, and in feature films.-Life and career:...
), the chief delegate diplomat in negotiating the terms of the end of Vietnam war
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, made a deal in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
with Kuong Yen, the North Vietnamese negotiator. The deal called for Yen to release certain key CIA POWs in exchange for Morgan setting-up a death-trap for an elite group of CIA assassins, known as the Black Tigers. The treaty signed, the Black Tigers were sent into the jungles of ‘Nam to their unknowing demise, under guise that they were on mission to liberate American POWs. However, the truly important thing to understand is that the negotiators failed to realize one thing: the commando’s team leader was one Major John T. Booker (Chuck Norris
Chuck Norris
Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist and actor. After serving in the United States Air Force, he began his rise to fame as a martial artist and has since founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do...
) with his blonde hair
Hair
Hair is a filamentous biomaterial, that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Found exclusively in mammals, hair is one of the defining characteristics of the mammalian class....
and pasty inconsistent, somehow always slightly sunburned skin
Skin
-Dermis:The dermis is the layer of skin beneath the epidermis that consists of connective tissue and cushions the body from stress and strain. The dermis is tightly connected to the epidermis by a basement membrane. It also harbors many Mechanoreceptors that provide the sense of touch and heat...
and gee-golly Brady Bunch demeanor, one assumes that Booker would have to have been one psychotic son-of-a-bitch back in the day to be accepted into a group with such a militant
Militant
The word militant, which is both an adjective and a noun, usually is used to mean vigorously active, combative and aggressive, especially in support of a cause, as in 'militant reformers'. It comes from the 15th century Latin "militare" meaning "to serve as a soldier"...
and threatening moniker. Not only that, but imagine what insane acts he must have performed to become their respective leader. So, needless to say and despite all odds, Booker survives. As do the four men wise enough to have remained in his general vicinity.
Booker five years later in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Gone are his fatigues, facepaint and machineguns; in are turtlenecks, too-tight pants and giant sunglasses. However, Booker has also donned a post-war moustache
Moustache
A moustache is facial hair grown on the outer surface of the upper lip. It may or may not be accompanied by a type of beard, a facial hair style grown and cropped to cover most of the lower half of the face.-Etymology:...
, so the rest of his goofy attire is all but forgiven. And in an assumed attempt to balance out his sissy
Sissy
Sissy is a pejorative term for a boy or man who violates or does not meet the traditional male gender role. Generally, sissy implies a lack of the courage and stoicism which are thought important to the male role...
left-wing political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
day-job at UCLA, Booker keeps himself in bad-ass shape by driving around in a black Porsche 911
Porsche 911
The Porsche 911 is a luxury 2-door sports coupe made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a distinctive design, rear-engined and with independent rear suspension, an evolution of the swing axle on the Porsche 356. The engine was also air-cooled until the introduction of the Type 996 in 1998...
(license plate: BOOKER), uncovering government conspiracies and battling the ghosts from his far more interesting past. Booker lectures to a bunch of kids on the failures of America’s part in the Vietnam war and jokes about singing patriotic songs the following week to atone. Booker's class is being attended by the unreleting reporter named Margret (Anne Archer
Anne Archer
Anne Archer is an American actress who has performed in feature films, television, and stage and was named Miss Golden Globe in 1971. Among her best known roles is that of Beth Gallagher in the 1987 movie Fatal Attraction, for which she received a nomination for an Academy Award.-Career:Archer's...
), who was quite young, saucy, and attractive. Margret every bit as odious as ever, however, and comes on to him HARD. Plus, Booker doesn’t eat lunch, and they finally agree have dinner together.
Booker steps out in this fabulous outfit consisting of a black turtleneck and pants, a gray tweed sports jacket, hip sunglasses, and the deal-maker: black leather gloves. They hop into his black Porsche but are soon finding themselves being pushed into traffic by some evil henchman in a tow truck
Tow truck
A tow truck is a vehicle used to transport motor vehicles to another location , or to recover vehicles which are no longer on a drivable surface.Towing services are generally provided by an emergency road service operator...
. Bookers now manages by doing some fancy maneuvering, then comes back, jumps out of the car and runs up to the driver—who has very politely waited quietly in the front seat for him to do just this.
Ever. And I think we all know the ballsy risks involved in skipping core daily meals, amirite? Booker is suddenly thrown back into his past when the election of Morgan to Secretary of State spurs Yen to blackmail his ex-negotiations buddy into making good on his un-finished deal: The extermination of the Black Tigers.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Chuck Norris Chuck Norris Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist and actor. After serving in the United States Air Force, he began his rise to fame as a martial artist and has since founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do... |
Mjr. John T. Booker (The Black Tigers) |
| Anne Archer Anne Archer Anne Archer is an American actress who has performed in feature films, television, and stage and was named Miss Golden Globe in 1971. Among her best known roles is that of Beth Gallagher in the 1987 movie Fatal Attraction, for which she received a nomination for an Academy Award.-Career:Archer's... |
Margaret |
| James Franciscus James Franciscus James Grover Franciscus was an American actor, known for his roles in the series The Naked City and The Investigators, and in feature films.-Life and career:... |
Conrad Morgan |
| Lloyd Haynes Lloyd Haynes Samuel Lloyd Haynes was an African-American actor and television writer. Haynes was a member of the Bahá'í Faith.Haynes served in the Marines from 1952–1964 and during the Korean War... |
Murray Saunders |
| Dana Andrews Dana Andrews Dana Andrews was an American film actor. He was one of Hollywood's major stars of the 1940s, and continued acting, though generally in less prestigious roles, into the 1980s.-Early life:... |
Edgar Harolds |
| Jim Backus Jim Backus James Gilmore "Jim" Backus was a radio, television, film, and voice actor. Among his most famous roles are the voice of Mr... |
Albert (The Apartment Doorman) |
| Lawrence P. Casey | Mike Potter (The Black Tigers) |
| Anthony Mannino | Gordie Jones (The Black Tigers) |
| Soon-Tek Oh Soon-Tek Oh Soon-Tek Oh |M*A*S*H]], Charlie's Angels, Airwolf, Magnum, P. I., Hawaii Five-O, Kung-Fu, Zorro, and Touched By An Angel.... |
Mjr. Mhin Van Thieu (The Black Tigers) |
| Joe Bennett Joe Bennett Joe Bennett may refer to:* Joe Bennett , British musician* Joe Bennett , Brazilian comic book penciller* Joe Bennett , New Zealand writer* Joe Bennett , American Major League player... |
Lou Goldberg (The Black Tigers) |
| Jerry Douglas Jerry Douglas Jerry Douglas may refer to:*Jerry Douglas , actor, who was on The Young and the Restless for 25 years*Jerry Douglas, country/bluegrass musician*Jerry Douglas , director and writer of adult films such as, Score... |
Joe Walker (The Black Tigers) |
| Stack Pierce Stack Pierce Stack Pierce is an actor who prior to becoming an actor was once a boxer and then later on a pro baseball player -Acting career:His acting career mainly began in the early 1970s with film roles in Night Call Nurses , Fred Williamson's film Hammer and Cool Breeze as well as many acting roles in... |
Holly Washington (The Black Tigers) |
| Michael Payne Michael Payne Michael Payne is the host and interior designer of Home and Garden Television's show Designing for the Sexes. The show was aired from 1998 to 2003, and featured Michael navigating design conflicts between couples with conflicting tastes... |
Mitch (The Black Tigers) |
| David Starwalt | Steagle (The Black Tigers) |
| Aaron Norris Aaron Norris Aaron Norris is an American film producer, director, and actor.-Personal information:Norris, who is of Irish descent, is the younger brother of Chuck Norris. During the Vietnam war, both Aaron and his older brother Wieland Clyde Norris enlisted in the United States Army... |
Al (The Black Tigers) |