remember a one of the early television director and barry shear make occasional visit to the motion picture industry and create a handful of serviceable film date from 1968. of this small group and the urban crime drama across 110th street will probably remain his best know and although it seem destine for eternal life in obscurity . across 110th street be release on the advent of blaxploitation film and other urban black drama and make it cut edge for it time . however and this nasty and unremitting tale of ghetto life have little of the veneer and stylization that have make other 1970s title like shaft and truck turner endure in the american conscience . across 110th street and for all of it violence and anger and be understated and keep glamor completely out of the loop . borrow from a novel by wally ferris and across 110th street be center on three harlem men who be desperate to escape their poor background represent ex convict and apartment super jim harris ( paul benjamin ) and dry cleaner joe logart ( ed bernard ) and and playboy henry jackson ( antonio fargas ) . the three friend barge into a mafia cash count with harris and logart disguise a police officer and jackson drive their getaway car . they speed off with $ 300 and 000 and leave behind seven dead men and include two cop . harris and logart and and jackson spend their time hide from an investigation by old and white detective mattelli ( anthony quinn ) and young and black lieutenant pope ( yaphet kotto ) while avoid black mobster doc johnson ( richard ward ) and italian mafioso nick dsalvio ( anthony franciosa ) and who be look to recover their stake . the hunt for these three men become a race between two faction and the police and organize crime and with racial tension be set off along the way . unlike good know blaxploitation film that combine social problem with heroic act and across 110th street use a completely naturalistic setting and where everyone from citizen to cop be look merely to stay alive while mob men drive fear into innocent people and cop take kickback from drug and gambling ring and and those raise in poverty go to unthinkable extreme for a few extra dollar . the entire atmosphere of 110th be grim and unsettling and and unremitting and with no one immune from the sickness of modern life . barry shear direction be strong and bring out excellent performance by quinn and kotto and benjamin and and the support cast . while shear style of direction be not very imaginative and he make use of tight surroundings to create the hot and claustrophobic aura that across 110th street need . most of the film be shoot in confined location and such a tenement and small business and and police precinct and which shear use to magnify the friction between each character . the film ( co produce by shear and quinn and and three others ) seem to have be make on a limited budget and a indicate by it below average technical work . the photography by jack priestley be quite good and but there be off moment involve out of sync dialogue and poor foley effect . this in no way spoil the film impact and but the overall quality be somewhat pulled down . the score by j. j. johnson ( with solo by bobby womack ) do hold up nicely and always with a feel of menace . even with black drama from the 1970s be rediscover and across 110th street seem to lag considerably behind other title . quentin tarentino borrowing of the title song for use in jackie brown have help to give the film some new exposure and perhaps enough to bring a modern day reevaluation . but for now and 110th hold it place a a forgotten landmark of black film making and still entertain a limited audience . across 110th street have be give a ( surprise . ) mediocre release by mgm home video a part of it soul cinema collection . the film be present in widescreen with dolby enhancement of the original mono track while spanish and french wouldubbing be offer besides three language subtitle . the film print be in good condition with some visible artifact and occasional grain . the audio be poorly balance and however and with dialogue often muffle by adjacent noise . it seem that the film have be repair to an extent and but mgm do not go far enough to make across 110th street the pristine film it could be . and once again and dolby enhancement serf a a handicap and not an improvement and to pre stereo film . the theatrical trailer and also in fair shape and be offer a an extra . out of 4roving reviewer www . geocities . com or paul_johnr .