After Cotton Comes to Harlem became one of the most commercially successful films of the early blaxploitation era, a sequel appeared to be an obvious priority. Ossie Davis, who had co-written and directed the 1970 original, ultimately declined to return because of what the source describes as strong artistic differences with producer Samuel Goldwyn Jr. and the executives at his studio. The disagreement was serious enough to end Davis's involvement rather than force him into a continuation he did not approve of creatively. The eventual follow-up, Come Back, Charleston Blue, was made without him: Mark Warren directed, and the production moved to Warner Bros. for its 1972 release. Although it drew on Chester Himes's novel The Heat's On, the sequel incorporated substantial original material and failed to reproduce the first film's distinctive mixture of Harlem location realism, political satire, crime plotting, and irreverent comedy. Critics considered it acceptable but notably less riotous than Cotton Comes to Harlem, making Davis's departure an important example of how post-hit studio decisions could reshape—and sometimes dilute—the identity of a successful film series.
Preparing the daily feature…
AI concept artworkArchive Record · 1970s
Ossie Davis Walks Away from the Cotton Comes to Harlem Sequel After Clashing with Samuel Goldwyn Jr.
Ossie Davis / Cotton Comes to Harlem / 1970s
After Cotton Comes to Harlem became one of the most commercially successful films of the early blaxploitation era, a sequel appeared to be an obvious priority. Ossie Davis, who had co-written and directed the 1970 original, ultimately declined to return because of what the source describes as strong artistic differences with producer Samuel Goldwyn Jr. and the executives at his studio. The disagreement was serious enough to end Davis's involvement rather than force him into a continuation he did not approve of creatively. The eventual follow-up, Come Back, Charleston Blue, was made without him: Mark Warren directed, and the production moved to Warner Bros. for its 1972 release. Although it drew on Chester Himes's novel The Heat's On, the sequel incorporated substantial original material and failed to reproduce the first film's distinctive mixture of Harlem location realism, political satire, crime plotting, and irreverent comedy. Critics considered it acceptable but notably less riotous than Cotton Comes to Harlem, making Davis's departure an important example of how post-hit studio decisions could reshape—and sometimes dilute—the identity of a successful film series.
The daily feature is taking an intermission. There’s still an entire archive to explore.