After an attempted heist of a Mafia-controlled Harlem bank goes horribly wrong, resulting in the deaths of seven people, all hell breaks loose as both the police and the mob go after the surviving robbers. A by-the-book African-American detective has to join forces with his older, racist Italian-American colleague in an effort to catch the criminals before the Mafia makes a brutal example of them so as to discourage others from daring to rob their banks in the future.
Across 110th Street, which got its name after the traditional dividing line between Harlem and Central Park that was considered a boundary of class and race in the seventies, is a great action thriller with film noir elements inspired by the blaxploitation movies of the period. Producer Anthony Quinn first approached John Wayne, Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster for the role of the racist cop, but ultimately had to fill the position himself, while his first choice for the black detective was Sidney Poitier, whom Harlem residents considered “not urban enough” for the part. Yaphet Kotto played it marvelously. Director Barry Shear insisted on shooting on location so as to get that authentic feeling, and Egyptian cinematographer Fouad Said, an expert in location shooting, was added as a co-producer. Across 110th Street, with Bobby Womack’s songs, is a capably made thriller that successfully tackles heavier themes such as racial tension in 1970s New York City, and was met with support and praise by the critics.
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