No Way Back (1976 Film)
Encyclopedia
No Way Back is a 1976 Blaxploitation
film starring Fred Williamson
who also starred in the film as Jesse Crowder, a private detective who once used to belong to a police force but that now finds himself taking odd jobs for a little extra money. Catchphrases include “ Never trust a woman with her clothes off!” and “You pay the bill. I’ll deliver it, legal, illegal, moral or otherwise!”
's character plays by his own rules and will do anything he can within his power to complete his mission, all that he needs to ensure that he does this is some cold hard cash. Besides a thirst for money Crowder also has a thirst for women. He is a ladies’ man as some would say, and is also a stereotypically strong African American man. Crowder is a strong black man, and makes sure that everyone around him knows this. This aspect of the movie may represent a sort of ironic situation in that Crowder boasts about his strength and physical prowess with the women, which are animal-like characteristics, yet also demands to be seen as more than just what the white man has made him out to be. Crowder is a real pro with a gun and his fists and because of this he gets hired by the wife and brother of fugitive Woolf who is on the run because he had just robbed a bank. Woolf uses this money to embezzle it, where from Crowder decides to take the case and follows the fugitive from Los Angeles, California to San Francisco, California. Woolf is on the run with his girlfriend, Candy, played by Tracy Reed
. On his pursuit for Woolf Crowder often encounters many women whom he has sexual relations with shortly after meeting them. His slick lines and tough guy attitude sweeps the ladies right off their feet so that at the end of all of these sexual encounters the women are often seen begging for more sex. This stereotype was a common Blaxploitation
characteristic to use in African American films. Crowder pursues his targets following small clues while causing a whole mess of trouble with a gangster named Bernie (played by Stack Pierce
). Bernie is Candy’s pimp and also the leader of a gang. When Bernie learns that Crowder is looking for one of his employees he makes sure that Crowder is taken care of. He sends numerous thugs in Crowder’s direction but nonetheless Crowder manages to successfully capture Mrs. Pickens’ husband after fighting off a couple of Bernie’s thugs but has yet to capture the girlfriend. Crowder’s previous cop experience provided a helpful basis from which he was able to eventually pick up on her trail after having gotten himself into more trouble with Candy’s pimp and his gang. The movie has a final showdown which takes place in the desert in a blind haze of gunfire. Don Cornelius
also guest stars in this film as himself.
which emerged in the early 1970s in the time when many black exploitation films were being made specifically to target black audiences. No Way Back emerged as one of these Blaxploitation
films in 1976 and was set on the West Coast, which typically as many other Blaxploitation
films like it took place in the ghetto. This was a common characteristic of Blaxploitation
films which accentuated crime, drug deals, and pimps. Another important aspect of this particular movie is the pun with the name Jesse Crowder which plays on Jim Crow Laws
, an important and controversial aspect of earlier African American life. Only a little over a decade before the film was made it had actually been legal to segregate black and whites in public institutions as well as in other places in society (this play on words is prevalent in Blaxploitation
films) These laws eventually led to one of the greatest court decisions in this country’s history known as Brown v. Board of Education
in which the Warren Court
held that separate but equal learning facilities was unconstitutional and therefore overturned the previous court decision of Plessy v. Ferguson
.
Aside from the main characters name the other characters names also have a great deal of importance. The fugitive for example possesses a strong white American name, Henry, yet in this movie the man with the white name is portrayed as the bad guy, and the source of all the corruption and greed in the world. His surname is coincidentally Pickens, which could be associated with the hard labor that slaves had to do before Fred Williamson
’s time. It also brings to mind all of the hardships which were faced during the time of slavery, as well as the slightly improving segregation period of American History. The film also works on a secondary level, which is in the subjugation of women. This element is evident in the film when Crowder has sexual relations with some women throughout the movie. These women are often left begging for more sex which was the foundation of many Blaxploitation
films. This of course leads to anti-women sentiments as one of the movie’s catchphrases is “Never Trust a Woman with Her Clothes Off!” Another of this films quotes is “You pay the bill. I’ll deliver it, legal, illegal, moral or otherwise!” This is symbolic of the economic situations which had been crippling the culture of the United States. This was in part because major companies were committing crimes, were employing policies of segregation, and were able to get away with it because of their favorable financial situations. This powerful quote also demonstrates the ideology of the time and the stereotypes with which white American’s described African Americans. Apart from being seen as inferior, African-Americans (as well as many other minorities) were seen as utter savages and because of this most Americans believed that they lacked the inability to distinguish between things that would be considered legal or illegal. One Blaxploitation
film that accentuates this barbarian belief is Spike Lee
’s Bamboozled
.
< fp> Slow motion
“You pay the bill. I’ll deliver it, legal, illegal, moral or otherwise!
Blaxploitation
Blaxploitation or blacksploitation is a film genre which emerged in the United States circa 1970. It is considered an ethnic sub-genre of the general category of exploitation films. Blaxploitation films were originally made specifically for an urban black audience, although the genre's audience...
film starring Fred Williamson
Fred Williamson
Fred "The Hammer" Williamson is an American actor, architect, and former professional American football defensive back who played mainly in the American Football League during the 1960s.-Football career:...
who also starred in the film as Jesse Crowder, a private detective who once used to belong to a police force but that now finds himself taking odd jobs for a little extra money. Catchphrases include “ Never trust a woman with her clothes off!” and “You pay the bill. I’ll deliver it, legal, illegal, moral or otherwise!”
Synopsis
Fred WilliamsonFred Williamson
Fred "The Hammer" Williamson is an American actor, architect, and former professional American football defensive back who played mainly in the American Football League during the 1960s.-Football career:...
's character plays by his own rules and will do anything he can within his power to complete his mission, all that he needs to ensure that he does this is some cold hard cash. Besides a thirst for money Crowder also has a thirst for women. He is a ladies’ man as some would say, and is also a stereotypically strong African American man. Crowder is a strong black man, and makes sure that everyone around him knows this. This aspect of the movie may represent a sort of ironic situation in that Crowder boasts about his strength and physical prowess with the women, which are animal-like characteristics, yet also demands to be seen as more than just what the white man has made him out to be. Crowder is a real pro with a gun and his fists and because of this he gets hired by the wife and brother of fugitive Woolf who is on the run because he had just robbed a bank. Woolf uses this money to embezzle it, where from Crowder decides to take the case and follows the fugitive from Los Angeles, California to San Francisco, California. Woolf is on the run with his girlfriend, Candy, played by Tracy Reed
Tracy Reed
Tracy Reed is an English actress. She was born Clare Tracy Compton Pelissier, the daughter of the director Anthony Pelissier and the actress Penelope Dudley-Ward, but took the surname of her stepfather, Sir Carol Reed, following her mother's remarriage in 1948...
. On his pursuit for Woolf Crowder often encounters many women whom he has sexual relations with shortly after meeting them. His slick lines and tough guy attitude sweeps the ladies right off their feet so that at the end of all of these sexual encounters the women are often seen begging for more sex. This stereotype was a common Blaxploitation
Blaxploitation
Blaxploitation or blacksploitation is a film genre which emerged in the United States circa 1970. It is considered an ethnic sub-genre of the general category of exploitation films. Blaxploitation films were originally made specifically for an urban black audience, although the genre's audience...
characteristic to use in African American films. Crowder pursues his targets following small clues while causing a whole mess of trouble with a gangster named Bernie (played by 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...
). Bernie is Candy’s pimp and also the leader of a gang. When Bernie learns that Crowder is looking for one of his employees he makes sure that Crowder is taken care of. He sends numerous thugs in Crowder’s direction but nonetheless Crowder manages to successfully capture Mrs. Pickens’ husband after fighting off a couple of Bernie’s thugs but has yet to capture the girlfriend. Crowder’s previous cop experience provided a helpful basis from which he was able to eventually pick up on her trail after having gotten himself into more trouble with Candy’s pimp and his gang. The movie has a final showdown which takes place in the desert in a blind haze of gunfire. Don Cornelius
Don Cornelius
Donald Cortez "Don" Cornelius is an American television show host and producer who is best known as the creator of the nationally syndicated dance/music franchise Soul Train, which he hosted from 1971-1993...
also guest stars in this film as himself.
Cast
- Fred WilliamsonFred WilliamsonFred "The Hammer" Williamson is an American actor, architect, and former professional American football defensive back who played mainly in the American Football League during the 1960s.-Football career:...
- Jesse Crowder - Charles Woolf – Pickens
- Tracy ReedTracy ReedTracy Reed is an English actress. She was born Clare Tracy Compton Pelissier, the daughter of the director Anthony Pelissier and the actress Penelope Dudley-Ward, but took the surname of her stepfather, Sir Carol Reed, following her mother's remarriage in 1948...
– Candy - Virginia GreggVirginia GreggVirginia Gregg Burket was an American actress best known for her many roles in radio dramas.Born in Harrisburg, Illinois, Virginia Gregg was the daughter of musician Dewey Alphaleta and businessman Edward William Gregg.-Radio:Gregg was a prolific radio actor, heard on such programs as The...
– Mildred, Mrs. Pickens - Stack PierceStack PierceStack 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...
- Bernie - Argy Allen - Pickens' Brother
- Paula Sills - Crowder's Secretary
- Don CorneliusDon CorneliusDonald Cortez "Don" Cornelius is an American television show host and producer who is best known as the creator of the nationally syndicated dance/music franchise Soul Train, which he hosted from 1971-1993...
- Don Cornelius
Crew
- Fred WilliamsonFred WilliamsonFred "The Hammer" Williamson is an American actor, architect, and former professional American football defensive back who played mainly in the American Football League during the 1960s.-Football career:...
- Director, Producer, Screenwriter - Jeff Williamson - Producer
- James E. Nownes - Editor
- Oliver Moss - Sound/Sound Designer
- Robert Caramico – Cinematographer
Distribution
Atlas Films – The film was primarily targeted at African-Americans in suburban areas across the United States of America and to those primarily situated in western and eastern suburban areas.Historical Significance/ Importance
This film is part of a larger genre known as BlaxploitationBlaxploitation
Blaxploitation or blacksploitation is a film genre which emerged in the United States circa 1970. It is considered an ethnic sub-genre of the general category of exploitation films. Blaxploitation films were originally made specifically for an urban black audience, although the genre's audience...
which emerged in the early 1970s in the time when many black exploitation films were being made specifically to target black audiences. No Way Back emerged as one of these Blaxploitation
Blaxploitation
Blaxploitation or blacksploitation is a film genre which emerged in the United States circa 1970. It is considered an ethnic sub-genre of the general category of exploitation films. Blaxploitation films were originally made specifically for an urban black audience, although the genre's audience...
films in 1976 and was set on the West Coast, which typically as many other Blaxploitation
Blaxploitation
Blaxploitation or blacksploitation is a film genre which emerged in the United States circa 1970. It is considered an ethnic sub-genre of the general category of exploitation films. Blaxploitation films were originally made specifically for an urban black audience, although the genre's audience...
films like it took place in the ghetto. This was a common characteristic of Blaxploitation
Blaxploitation
Blaxploitation or blacksploitation is a film genre which emerged in the United States circa 1970. It is considered an ethnic sub-genre of the general category of exploitation films. Blaxploitation films were originally made specifically for an urban black audience, although the genre's audience...
films which accentuated crime, drug deals, and pimps. Another important aspect of this particular movie is the pun with the name Jesse Crowder which plays on Jim Crow Laws
Jim Crow laws
The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws in the United States enacted between 1876 and 1965. They mandated de jure racial segregation in all public facilities, with a supposedly "separate but equal" status for black Americans...
, an important and controversial aspect of earlier African American life. Only a little over a decade before the film was made it had actually been legal to segregate black and whites in public institutions as well as in other places in society (this play on words is prevalent in Blaxploitation
Blaxploitation
Blaxploitation or blacksploitation is a film genre which emerged in the United States circa 1970. It is considered an ethnic sub-genre of the general category of exploitation films. Blaxploitation films were originally made specifically for an urban black audience, although the genre's audience...
films) These laws eventually led to one of the greatest court decisions in this country’s history known as Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 , was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which...
in which the Warren Court
Warren Court
The Warren Court refers to the Supreme Court of the United States between 1953 and 1969, when Earl Warren served as Chief Justice. Warren led a liberal majority that used judicial power in dramatic fashion, to the consternation of conservative opponents...
held that separate but equal learning facilities was unconstitutional and therefore overturned the previous court decision of Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537 , is a landmark United States Supreme Court decision in the jurisprudence of the United States, upholding the constitutionality of state laws requiring racial segregation in private businesses , under the doctrine of "separate but equal".The decision was handed...
.
Aside from the main characters name the other characters names also have a great deal of importance. The fugitive for example possesses a strong white American name, Henry, yet in this movie the man with the white name is portrayed as the bad guy, and the source of all the corruption and greed in the world. His surname is coincidentally Pickens, which could be associated with the hard labor that slaves had to do before Fred Williamson
Fred Williamson
Fred "The Hammer" Williamson is an American actor, architect, and former professional American football defensive back who played mainly in the American Football League during the 1960s.-Football career:...
’s time. It also brings to mind all of the hardships which were faced during the time of slavery, as well as the slightly improving segregation period of American History. The film also works on a secondary level, which is in the subjugation of women. This element is evident in the film when Crowder has sexual relations with some women throughout the movie. These women are often left begging for more sex which was the foundation of many Blaxploitation
Blaxploitation
Blaxploitation or blacksploitation is a film genre which emerged in the United States circa 1970. It is considered an ethnic sub-genre of the general category of exploitation films. Blaxploitation films were originally made specifically for an urban black audience, although the genre's audience...
films. This of course leads to anti-women sentiments as one of the movie’s catchphrases is “Never Trust a Woman with Her Clothes Off!” Another of this films quotes is “You pay the bill. I’ll deliver it, legal, illegal, moral or otherwise!” This is symbolic of the economic situations which had been crippling the culture of the United States. This was in part because major companies were committing crimes, were employing policies of segregation, and were able to get away with it because of their favorable financial situations. This powerful quote also demonstrates the ideology of the time and the stereotypes with which white American’s described African Americans. Apart from being seen as inferior, African-Americans (as well as many other minorities) were seen as utter savages and because of this most Americans believed that they lacked the inability to distinguish between things that would be considered legal or illegal. One Blaxploitation
Blaxploitation
Blaxploitation or blacksploitation is a film genre which emerged in the United States circa 1970. It is considered an ethnic sub-genre of the general category of exploitation films. Blaxploitation films were originally made specifically for an urban black audience, although the genre's audience...
film that accentuates this barbarian belief is Spike Lee
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
’s Bamboozled
Bamboozled
Bamboozled is a 2000 satirical film written and directed by Spike Lee about a modern televised minstrel show featuring black actors donning blackface makeup and the violent fall-out from the show's success...
.
An important event in this film which occurs fairly on in the films runtime is when Mr. Pickens robbed the bank and flees with the stolen money. He then chooses to embezzle that money which he had just stolen, which logically makes no sense at all, but if this event is thought of symbolically it could represent the ideals and thoughts of the culture of that time, which held that whites were notoriously corrupt individuals. It could also be thought of as an allusion to American companies which were committing countless numbers of crimes upon crimes, from not providing adequate working conditions to racism in the workplace to lynching and countless other immoral and unethical crimes.
Sound Track
This film consisted of three soundtracks from the album with the same name by The Dels:West Virginia symphony
When does the lovin' start
I'll make you my girl
Life is the time
Ain't no black and white in music
No way back (from No Way Back)
Too Late for Love (from No Way Back)
You are the Greatest
Adventure (from No Way Back)
I'll try again
< fp> Slow motion
This album is not as popular as other BlaxploitationBlaxploitationBlaxploitation or blacksploitation is a film genre which emerged in the United States circa 1970. It is considered an ethnic sub-genre of the general category of exploitation films. Blaxploitation films were originally made specifically for an urban black audience, although the genre's audience...
scores but it does have a “nice hard funk theme with a heavy bass line and persistent riff start the second side, then a straightforward soulful love theme, and finally a great funky instrumental to finish the selection.”
Catchphrases
“ Never trust a woman with her clothes off!”“You pay the bill. I’ll deliver it, legal, illegal, moral or otherwise!