Jones’ sophistication emphasizes Mommy's low-class corruption while Jones’ feminine masculinity highlights Mommy's “butch” lesbianism.[5]. Parts of Dobson's physicality reverbate with notions of black animalistic imagery. [3] Mommy exerts tyrannical control over her henchmen and physically and verbally abuses her young female attendants. It opened at a time when the Black Power Movement, Black Arts Movement, second-wave feminism, and an increasingly growing black feminism were all prevalent. Cleopatra Jones was made by Warner Brothers following the success of the Shaft series and AIP’s films. Oscars Best Picture Winners Best Picture Winners Golden Globes Emmys STARmeter Awards San Diego Comic-Con New York Comic-Con Sundance Film Festival Toronto Int'l Film Festival Awards Central Festival Central All Events Doing Cleopatra Jones gave me a chance to work. The film is a sequel to the 1973 action film Cleopatra Jones. Another theme within the film is the Black Power generated “Black is Beautiful” consciousness seen in Jones's appearance. [4] Jones travels to Hong Kong to free government agents Matthew and Melvin Johnson who have been captured by the Dragon Lady (Stella Stevens). Cleopatra Jones (Tamara Dobson) is a Federal drug agent. Jones indicates at every turn that the unique, exotic beauty of the African culture is even more striking than traditionally white signifiers of beauty. friend Tamara [of Cleopatra Jones] was one of the first black models to wear an afro. While Jones is both feminine and fashionable, at the same time she is talented in combat and driving, even more so than the men in the film. Thus, it is proposed the film's homophobic treatment of Mommy hints at the film's anti-feminism in the white feminist sense. Cleopatra and Reuben's relationship can be considered a more progressive look at black male and black female relations at the time. [3] Also, her mission is directly related to improving the black community. But I don’t care what anybody calls it. Dobson began her career with roles in "Cleopatra Jones" (1973), "Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold" (1975) and "Murder at the World Series" (ABC, 1976-77). [6] Jones flaunts her sexuality through her appearance, managing to remain an autonomous and strong female protagonist. As the queen of Egypt, Cleopatra's role as a leader allowed African American women to identify with Dobson's character and finally call a heroine their own. They must have straight hair, or hair that can be pressed, and they must have Caucasian features.”[5] Dobson's role created an entertaining, “safe” ground for black women to retain their ethnic appearances while still being portrayed as strikingly beautiful and powerful. [3] Cleo and Mommy face off in a showdown, in which she is trapped by Mommy in a car crusher but is saved by her friends from the B&S House. She appears in rich reds and yellows, tailored pantsuits, clinging silk shirts, voluptuous fur jackets, turbans, silk headdresses, and hooded capes. Stunning and 6’2” tall (cited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the tallest leading lady in films), and unafraid to maximize her height with a huge Afro hairdo, she added to her image of the commanding Black woman in the age of Black Power with a distinctive wardrobe influenced by her fashion model background and marked by the liberal use of fur. This wardrobe malfunction wouldn't get so much as a passing glance in 1981, the year the film was shot, but it attracts all the wrong kind of attention in 1936, when the story takes place. [3], When Cleo returns to LA to arrest the police responsible for the raid, she continues to take apart Mommy's underworld drug business, thwarting her minions along the way. "[5] Dobson herself refused to do nude scenes, striving to separate herself from the hypersexuality of many other black heroines of the time. It’s not leaving the garage.”. Jones and Tanny use their combat skills to battle the Dragon Lady's henchmen and defeat the Dragon Lady herself.[3]. http://www.themythsandhistoryofredhair.co.uk/theancientworld.html, Take one little black dress and add one statement necklace and POW, you've got a look. -Handmade in the USA using the best quality material. Editors blame this on the market… but I say forget the market- we’re talking about a pretty girl. Her ability to Dec 15, 2018 - Explore Tyrone Van Hoesen's board "Cleopatra Jones" on Pinterest. She stated in an interview, “We’re trying to free our men. Cleopatra Jones. In the film, we see a double act of appropriation made possible by the ambiguity of the Cleopatra icon.” [5] Shots of Dobson emphasize her exotic beauty especially when imaged through the male gaze. [3] Mommy employs an all-male crew and a bevy of beautiful young women catering to her many wants. Click below and add a rush order…. 1973 Cleopatra Jones (wardrobe: men - as Tommy Welsh) 1972 Black Gunn (wardrobe) 1972 The Other (costumer - as Tommy Welsh) 1971 My Old Man's Place (wardrobe supervisor) 1971 Summertree (costumer) 1963 Beach Party (costume supervisor - uncredited) Get the best deals on Original Movie Programs when you shop the largest online selection at eBay.com. CLEOPATRA JONES is filled with exceptional action sequences and some Bondian style plot devices that really stand out more in the flashy sequel. Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold is a 1975 American action-adventure blaxploitation film directed by Charles Bail and starring Tamara Dobson as Cleopatra "Cleo" Jones, Stella Stevens and Norman Fell. One critic noted “On the surface, Cleopatra Jones is about a black distaff James Bond who drives a fancy car equipped with a submachine gun in the door, wears smart clothes, is a karate expert, and travels all over the world as a United States secret agent, destroying the poppy wherever it is found.”[3] Another critic, Chris Norton, even suggested, “Like Bond, Cleo is not a stealthy character who tries to infiltrate the underworld by losing her identity… Bond seldom tried to hide his identity, often using his real name during introductions, and all Bond films rely on his being recognized as 007.”[3] Likewise, Jones is rarely undercover, and is flashy and flamboyant on the job. [5] From this social context emerged the desire for a black heroine who appealed to women through a combination of alluring femininity, female strength, and combat skill. Oscars Best Picture Winners Best Picture Winners Golden Globes Emmys STARmeter Awards San Diego Comic-Con New York Comic-Con Sundance Film Festival Toronto Int'l Film Festival Awards Central Festival Central All Events In her first wardrobe change, Tamara Dobson (title character and ex-fashion model) joins her new Hong Kong private eye pal Mi Ling (Tanny) and her handy band of street kids, then they get in a car chase, early in the Warner Bros. sequel Cleopatra Jones And The Casino Of Gold, 1975. While she evokes the glory of a funk goddess, she remains loyal to her drug-ravaged community and her lover, Reuben Masters (Bernie Casey), who runs B&S House (a community home for recovering drug addicts). Cleopatra "Cleo" Jones (Dobson) is an undercover special agent for the United States Government. Dobson's role was an example of the potential of a new black female presence in popular action cinema. And if I did, I wouldn’t lift a finger to help you or any of your kind.”[3]. Cleopatra Jones is assigned to crack down on drug trafficking in the United States and abroad. CLEOPATRA JONES AND THE CASINO OF GOLD (1975) Director: Chuck Bail ... Dobson’s face here looks like a Kabuki artists, or David Bowie during his “Aladdin Sane” period, and her wardrobe changes are pretty loud for a 6’2” black woman going undercover in the busy streets of Hong Kong (but that 1970s cinema for you, and we love it). [5], Although Cleopatra Jones contains themes relating specifically to the Black Power and feminist movements, it appeals to the general public and is said to be the “first blaxploitation film to use martial arts as part of its promotion.”[6] It appeals to audiences who enjoy action movies (such as the James Bond series) and has invited comparisons between Jones and Bond. A glamorous image of a woman (or an image of a glamorous woman) is peculiarly powerful in that it plays on the desire of the spectator in a particularly pristine way: beauty or sexuality is desirable exactly to the extent that it is idealized and unattainable.”[5], On the other hand, critics may view the emphasis on Jones's exoticism to be racially stereotypical rather than glorifying black beauty. Cleo is a Bond-like heroine with power and influence, her silver and black '73 Corvette Stingray (equipped with automatic weapons), and her martial arts ability. May 27, 2018 - Explore House of MVT's board "cleopatra jones", followed by 235 people on Pinterest. Dobson herself believed that her role enabled black beauty to be more visible in mainstream media. I’ve seen oooogly white girls on magazine covers. His disdain for blacks is shown at the raid on the B&S house where he attempts to shoot a recovering addict in the back. Cleo is a Bond-like heroine with power and influence, her silver and black `73 Corvette Stingray (equipped with automatic weapons), and her martial arts ability. [5] Their relationship emphasizes the equality and mutual respect in a relationship that has both strong female and male counterparts. Ella es Cleopatra mi ultimo y especial diseño. While the Cleopatra Jones films have co-opted Bond, they avoid a total fusion of her character of Bond.”. [7] Cleopatra Jones replaces the traditional white male action hero with a powerful and assertive black heroine. Max Julien originally wrote the part of Jones for his then-girlfriend Vonetta McGee, but the part was eventually given to Dobson,[3] a fashion model whose height inspired the film's tag line: “6 feet 2 inches of dynamite.”[5] Although blaxploitation films generally used sex to attract an audience, Cleopatra Jones was comparatively modest, containing no nudity or explicit sex. Dobson—along with Pam Grier—paved the way for action heroines like Alien’s Ripley and The Terminator’s Sarah Connor.. Ships from California. [3] Another instance displaying the stereotypical white police officer racism is seen when Jones asks him who was responsible for raid on B&S house and Purdy replies, “I never planted no dope on nobody! Contrasted together, Mommy's whiteness, lesbianism, and phallic power highlight Cleopatra Jones’ heterosexual appeal, blackness, and phallic power. The story is almost the same as the original one, showing us Cleo fight against drug syndicate, of which mastermind, this time Stella Stevens, lives in a gorgeous casino. Jones works for an unnamed agency and wears a badge that reads “Special Agent to the President.”[7] Ironically, though she works for the white government, Jones is clearly better at policing black neighborhoods than are white cops. See more ideas about cleopatra, dobson, jones. 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