Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, SHAFT tells the story of the eponymous private detective – a suave, two-fisted Black hero who was hired to search Manhattan for the kidnapped daughter of a Harlem kingpin. Based on the novel by journalist and screenwriter Ernest Tidyman, SHAFT stars Richard Roundtree in his first major film role and marks the motion picture debuts of Gwenn Mitchell and Drew Bundini Brown (the well-known trainer of boxer Muhammad Ali). Isaac Hayes’ iconic “Theme from SHAFT” appeared at #38 on AFI’s list of the greatest American movie music – and earned him an Academy Award®, only the third in Oscar® history ever conferred upon a Black artist.
August 25, 2025
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SHAFT (1971) – AFI Movie Club
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