Wanting to disassociate himself with the so-called blaxploitation genre and be recognized as an all-around action film star, Fred “The Hammer” Williamson made his directorial debut with MEAN JOHNNY BARROWS, a film he also starred in and produced for his newly formed company, Po' Boy Productions. Shot mostly on the streets of L.A. with the expectedly low budget, the film mixes the black action genre with mafia crime themes (at a time when THE GODFATHER films had just experienced worldwide acclaim and Oscar accolades) and remains an honorable independent directorial debut, especially given the incredible cast on hand, and a fine leading role for one of cult cinema’s baaaadest!

Former football star Johnny Barrows (Fred Williamson) is a G.I. in Vietnam who is given a dishonorable discharge after slugging his shady commanding officer. Returning to the City of Angels as a civilian, he immediately finds himself mugged, penniless and thrown in jail (falsely accused of drunkenness). Released from the slammer and without a home, he searches for honest work, turning down an offer from mobster Mario Racconi (Stuart Whitman) and his father, Don Racconi (Luther Adler) to be a well paid assassin. Instead, Johnny takes up employment at a gas station owned by a redneck slaver (played by the always marvelous R.G. Armstrong), but is forced out after his monthly pay only amounts to $21 and he again finds himself in police custody after a scuffle. A luscious blonde (Jenny Sherman) who has gained Johnny’s attentions might be the only one to convince him to work for the Racconis, who has just been hit by the rival Da Vince family.

Admittedly, some scenes in MEAN JOHNNY BARROWS carry on too long, but it’s a decent attempt at a character-driven action film that fittingly captures L.A. during the mid 1970s, and it must have been great to catch this one at a grindhouse when first released (when Barrows becomes a well-dressed hitman, the film is a pure, bloody delight). Williamson also uses a number of clever transitions (especially a shot of a pistol to the head to a blow dryer to the scalp) to move from scene to scene, and it exceeds the budgetary restraints by shooting around various locations to give the film a wider scope. Accenting the entire film is a melodic, funky score credited to Motown arranger Paul Riser, with the unforgettable tune “Strung Out” (which dates back to 1970) by Gordon Staples & The String Thing, heard repeatedly.

MEAN JOHNNY BARROWS boasts some terrific names, not only in stalwarts Williamson and Whitman, but second-billed Hollywood legend Roddy McDowall in a bit of eccentric casting that borderlines on hilarious (Fred reports here that he and McDowall shared the same agents). McDowall plays Italian mobster (and womanizer!) Tony Da Vince, the son of boss Don Da Vince (Anthony Caruso) and “younger” brother of Carlo Da Vince (former “Tarzan” Mike Henry). Hiding his accent, with his curly hair and pimp-inspired wardrobe, McDowall is about as tough as Pee Wee Herman, and his confrontation with Williamson is a must see. Martial Arts legend Aaron Banks plays Johnny’s nasty commanding officer in the Vietnam flashback (which also features a brief appearance by Leon Isaac Kennedy, here billed as “Leon Issac”) and they later confront each other in a black belt battle to the death. Williamson’s MASH co-star Elliot Gould has a “guest star” cameo as an eloquent bum named Professor Theodore Rasputin Waterhouse, humorously improvising his entire quick scene as Williamson fights to hold back his laughter.

Code Red is here releasing the first authorized DVD of MEAN JOHNNY BARROWS, as it’s been previously available from a number of budget companies. Presented in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio with anamorphic enhancement and transferred in HD from the original camera negatives, the DVD is a revelation when compared to the other horrid, cropped PD editions out there. The proper Scope framing now looks terrific, so it’s sort of like seeing the film for the first time. Colors look great and detail is crisp, and there’s very little in the way of blemishes. The mono English audio is very clear with no noticeable flaws. The “director’s cut” seen here also runs longer than the PD prints out there.