Good Guys Wear Black

Multiple black belt holder Chuck Norris scored his first hit with 1978's GOOD GUYS WEAR BLACK, independently filmed and released hokum that he actually toured with to promote.  This strategy worked -  leading to many years of not much better and sometimes worse movies.  Chuck's fans tend not to be bothered by his non-acting; they are there for the roundhouse kicks and bone crunching.  I wonder how they were not bored to tears by all the talking he does in this movie, which attempts to ape the conspiracy thrillers (ala THE PARALLAX VIEW) of the decade.  A surprising lack of action in this popcorn and beer affair.

Mark Medoff,  the playwright known for Children of a Lesser God, co-wrote (with Bruce Cohn) this modest programmer that was directed by action vet Ted Post.  Some decent pedigree behind the scenes for such a middling flick.   Norris plays John T. Booker, leader of a group of CIA assassins called the Black Tigers who during the Vietnam conflict find themselves deemed expendable by a Senator/diplomat named Morgan (James Franciscus).  Morgan made a covert deal with the Vietnamese to release certain CIA POWs in exchange for the Tigers, who were led to believe they were on a rescue mission.  Booker and four of his team survive the ruse (in poorly lit and blocked combat scenes that look like they were filmed in someone's backyard).   Back in the States five years later, Morgan has been appointed Secretary of State and Booker, who's now a UCLA professor (!) and trying to bury his past, finds he and his special forces comrades again marked for death.

GOOD GUYS WEAR BLACK is mostly static dialogue scenes in drably designed hotel rooms and apartments, punctuated by the occasional fight sequence (choreographed by Chuck and his brother Aaron), including that famous jump-through-the-windshield.  Robert Steadman's photography has the look and feel of a typical '70s TV crime show, and that's OK.  Even more OK is the presence of Anne Archer as a brash investigative reporter who takes an immediate shine to Booker.  While her character won't necessarily win any raves for femininity, she's sexy as hell and has more spunk than just about anyone else here.  The screenplay teases as to whether she is someone to be trusted, and she pulls that off fairly well.

The cast is full of old veterans, which also includes Dana Andrews and Lloyd Haynes, both making their final film appearance.  Jim Backus has a cameo as a doorman in a fancy building; Booker promises to rearrange his face if he doesn't let him through.   Norris tries to come off as credible, and compared to his work in films like FORCED VENGEANCE he's not too bad.  His mustache almost upstages him.  As time went on silence would prove to be golden for the Tang Soo Do master, someone who always communicated best with his extremities.