In recent years, I have encountered numerous comments, both online and in print, stating that Shaft was originally intended to be portrayed as a white character in the 1971 film adaptation of Ernest Tidyman’s book. Some go on to say that it wasn’t until Gordon Parks came on board that Shaft reverted to being a…
Tag: Ernest Tidyman
The Last Shaft at 50
50 years ago today, the last of Ernest Tidyman’s seven Shaft novels, appropriately titled The Last Shaft, was published in hardback by Weidenfeld & Nicolson in the UK – the book was never published in the US. A UK paperback, via Corgi, followed two years later. The book would represent the last original material to…
‘Goodbye, Mr. Shaft,’ the fifth Shaft novel, celebrates 50th anniversary
On 28 December 1973, Dial Press published the US hardback edition of Ernest Tidyman’s fifth Shaft novel, Goodbye, Mr. Shaft. The book was a departure in the series being the first to be set largely away from New York City with Shaft being hired to protect a senator’s two young boys from potential kidnapping and…
Shaft’s Big Score! novelisation published 50 years ago today… but nearly wasn’t published at all
Ernest Tidyman’s novelisation of his screenplay for the film Shaft’s Big Score! was the third book in the series, with Shaft Among the Jews having been published in hardback six weeks earlier. Production of the film had run from January to April 1972 and it was intended the paperback adaptation be published in May ahead…
Shaft Among the Jews published 50 years ago today
SHAFT AMONG THE JEWS by Ernest Tidyman was published in hardback in the US by Dial Press on 29 June 1972 and now celebrates its fiftieth anniversary. In the book, Shaft is hired by a group of Jewish diamond merchants to find out what is causing the destabilisation of their business. Morris Blackburn, an ambitious…
Shaft deserves a “boutique” blu-ray release
Having celebrated its 50th-anniversary last year I was disappointed that SHAFT did not get a celebratory collector’s edition Blu-ray release. With so-called “boutique” distributors such as Criterion, Indicator, BFI and Arrow pushing out high-quality releases of both classic and lesser-known titles with superb packaging, a host of extras and commemorative booklets, it is hard to…
The original Shaft movie celebrates its 50th Anniversary
Exactly fifty years ago today (on Wednesday 23 June 1971) SHAFT premiered in Detroit (the Palms Theatre). Reports originally promoted a dual premiere with Chicago (The Roosevelt Theatre), but that opening actually took place one week later on 30 June. The Roosevelt ran showings from 8:45am through to midnight and the film reportedly grossed $108,000…
Film Review (re-watch) – SHAFT (2019)
After more than a year, I decided to give the new Shaft another go. Whilst I enjoyed it more, I still can’t get past its faults and haven’t changed my opinion that it was a wasted opportunity… SHAFT (2019, USA) **½ Action, Crime, Comedy dist. New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. (USA), Netflix (UK); pr co….
Shaft Trilogy released today on Blu-Ray in UK
Today sees the release of the original Shaft trilogy on Blu-Ray (as well as DVD) in the UK. This mirrors the Warner Archive release in the USA on 21 May 2019. The set includes Shaft (1971), Shaft’s Big Score! (1972) and Shaft in Africa (1973). The Shaft disc includes the short documentary Soul in the…
“Shaft” the original novel is 50 today
Today marks the 50th Anniversary of the publication of Ernest Tidyman’s novel Shaft. The book introduces us to black private eye John Shaft as he is hired by Harlem crime lord, Knocks Persons, to locate and rescue his kidnapped daughter who has been grabbed by the Mafia to force Persons to relent in a turf…