The Bus Is Coming
1971 American film
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Bus Is Coming (also known as Ghetto Revenge) is a 1971 American drama film written by Horace Jackson. The film is directed by Wendell James Franklin and stars Mike B. Simms and Burl Bullock.[1]
Herbert H. Dow
- Mike B. Simms
- Burl Bullock
| The Bus Is Coming Ghetto Revenge | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Wendell James Franklin |
| Written by | Horace Jackson |
| Produced by | Horace Jackson Herbert H. Dow |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Mike Rhodes |
| Edited by | Donald R. Rode |
| Music by | Tom McIntosh |
Production company | K-Calb Productions |
| Distributed by | William Thompson Productions Incorporated |
Release date |
|
Running time | 107 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot
The film is about the death of a prominent Black community member Joe Mitchell, who served on the school board.[2] "The Black Fist," a local black power political organization wants to hold a rally in response to Mitchell's death because the "town must pay it's dues".[2] Billy Mitchell, Joe's brother returns from the Vietnam War and investigates Joe's death.[2] He becomes aware of a gang of racist cops, and eventually joins The Black Fist group to seek revenge.[2]
Cast
- Mike B. Simms as Billy Mitchell
- Burl Bullock as Michael
- Stephanie Faulkner as Tanya
- Morgan Jones as Tim Naylor
- Robert Brubaker as Chief Jackson
- Sandra Reed as Miss Nickerson
Reception
Howard Thompson of The New York Times called the film "strong, probing and impressively balanced".[3] TV Guide wrote that the film "manages to address the racial issues while telling an interesting, albeit melodramatic story."[4]
Richard Leary of The Village Voice called the acting "amateurish", the direction "pedestrian", and the production "shoe-string".[5] John Little of The Pittsburgh Press called the film "angry" and wrote that "the anger overcomes the effort".[6] Sharon Scott of The Pittsburgh Courier wrote a negative review of the film.[2]