While Pam Grier emerges as the prominent actress of the “black exploitation
era” in American film for her roles in films like Foxy Brown and
Coffy, we would like to assert that none of Grier’s roles were as
empowering or classic as Tamara Dobson’s turn as Cleopatra Jones.

Fully
clothed and legitimately imposing, Cleopatra Jones is a U.S. special agent
assigned to and personally invested in eradicating drug trafficking in the black
community. Unlike Grier in many of her starring roles, Dobson’s Jones never had
to use sex appeal to take down a dealer or, as in the case of the film’s main
villain, a kingpin (played with creepy and campy relish by Shelley Winters). She
used martial arts, firearms, verbal intimidation, and downright fist-fighting to
get the job done.

The film’s most recognizable costars were mainstays of
Black ’70s film including Bernie Casey as Cleo’s paramour and Antonio Fargas as
Doodlebug, a lower-level drug peddler.

Produced and written by fellow
Blaxploitation actor, Max Julien, and directed by Jack Sterrett, Cleopatra
Jones was popular enough to warrant a sequel, but when the second film was
released two years later with none of the original filmmakers behind the scene
and none of the charming stars (save Dobson herself) in front of the camera,
audiences considered the venture an extreme disappointment. Cleopatra Jones
and the Casino of Gold was critically panned.

If you haven’t already,
check out the original, which is available on DVD and compare it to some of the
Grier mainstays of the same era. Decide for yourself which roles stand the tests
of time.