Let’s Do It Again *** (1975, Sidney Poitier, Bill Cosby, Calvin Lockhart, Jimmie Walker, John Amos, Ossie Davis) – Classic Movie Review 7906

The team from Uptown Saturday Night does it again in director Sidney Poitier’s 1975 Let’s Do It Again, a ragged but effervescent farce sequel to the 1974 hit, with Sidney Poitier and Bill Cosby back in different roles as Atlanta fraternity brothers Clyde Williams and Billy Foster out to score some gambling winnings for their fraternal order by hypnotising boxer Bootney Farnsworth (JimmieWalker) to turn him into a fighting machine. But rigging boxing matches in NewOrleans gets them in trouble with the mob.

Cosby carries off the laughs with his usual aplomb, often upstaging Poitier whose métier is something meatier, and Walker is very funny with the crazy comedy. The film’s amiable daftness can be gauged by the character names – Biggie Smalls (Calvin Lockhart), Kansas City Mack (John Amos), Bubbletop Woodson (Julius Harris) and Fish an’ Chips Freddie (Morgan Roberts).

The screenplay by Richard Wesley, based on a story by Timothy March, is serviceable, and really pretty good, while Curtis Mayfield’s score is a big asset.

Also in the cast are Denise Nicholas, Lee Chamberlin, Ossie Davis, Mel Stewart, Paul E Harris, Val Avery, Billy Eckstein, George Foreman and Med Flory.

A third movie followed with the sequel A Piece of the Action (1977).

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7906

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