Richard Roundtree, Star of ‘Shaft,’ Dies at 81

One of many Seventies’ enduring cinematic icons has died. Richard Roundtree, greatest recognized to generations of moviegoers because the title character within the Shaft movie collection, handed away on Tuesday in Los Angeles. The reason for dying, in response to his supervisor, was pancreatic most cancers, which he had been recognized with a number of months earlier. Roundtree was 81 years outdated.

Roundtree had an extended and prolific profession on movie and tv. On the small display screen he appeared on exhibits starting from CHiPs to A Totally different World, from Magnum, P.I. to Gray’s Anatomy. At film theaters, audiences noticed him in movies like Earthquake, Q, Metal, and Brick. However with out query, Roundtree’s signature function was that of personal eye John Shaft who — in response to the Oscar successful theme music that got here to outline the movie — was “the black personal dick that’s a intercourse machine to all of the chicks.”

Based mostly on the novels by Ernest Tidyman, John Shaft was one of many first black motion heroes of flicks; a non-public eye who didn’t take any s— from the cops or the New York mob. Shaft’s recognition with audiences not solely led to a complete collection of flicks and a by-product TV present (all of which additionally starred Roundtree), it helped launch the blaxploitation movie style.

Shaft’s opening scene, which introduces the character as Roundtree strides by Instances Sq. to the sounds of Isaac Hayes’ “Theme From Shaft,” is without doubt one of the best introductions of any character within the historical past of cinema.

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Shaft’s monumental success in theaters in 1971 led to Shaft’s Large Rating! in 1972 and Shaft in Africa in 1973. They had been adopted by a short-lived collection of Shaft TV films in 1973 and ’74. The franchise ended there till Samuel L. Jackson introduced it again to life in 2000 with a brand new Shaft — which forged Roundtree as the brand new Shaft’s uncle. In 2019, yet one more Shaft was launched, with Roundtree because the elder Shaft, Jackson as his son (sure, within the earlier film they had been uncle and nephew, they determined to retcon that on this movie), and Jesse T. Usher because the youngest Shaft, an analyst for the FBI. Even in his 70s, Roundtree was nonetheless the best as Shaft in and in any other case not significantly good movie.

Shaft was an enormous hit; it was additionally an unlimited influential one. To at the moment’s audiences, the significance and novelty of the John Shaft character, who wouldn’t cop out when there’s hazard all about, will not be clearly obvious. Within the early Seventies, the thought of a “Black James Bond,” as he was typically referred to as, was past highly effective. And even in 2023, Roundtree’s Shaft stays one of many defining motion heroes in cinema historical past — to not point out one unhealthy mom.