The Take

Billy Dee Williams stars as a hot shot police detective named Sneed, who's just moved from San Francisco to Paloma, New Mexico, on job-related purposes. From there, he continues his practice of being on the payroll of local criminals. Here, the criminal in question is a kingpin, Manso (Vic Morrow) hiding behind a legitimate company. Sneed is always figuring how to do his job while also accepting this syndicate money, and he even has a business advisor (Sorrell Booke) to help him in his pursuits.

As directed by Robert Hartford-Davis, "The Take" is now somewhat forgotten over time, but it's an interesting little cop / crime film. Part of that stems from the fact that Sneed is so matter of fact about being corrupt. It's all part of the job for him.

There are capably handled action scenes, as well as a fair dose of violence, but "The Take" is fairly standard stuff for the most part. One standout sequence involves the humiliation of an overweight suspect (Robert Miller Driscoll). One thing the viewer will notice is that the screenplay (based on a novel by G.F. Newman) doesn't try to shoehorn in too many romantic scenes with Sneed and the woman he loves (Tracy Reed, gorgeous but infrequently seen). It mostly centres around this milieu of male characters who are sometimes morally compromised in some way. Beautiful photography of the various NM locations is a big plus.

Billy Dee does a solid job in the lead, although the scenario often has his supporting players stealing the movie away from him: Morrow as the sickly kingpin, Eddie Albert as the unknowing police captain, Albert Salmi as a colleague who's ALSO on the take, James Luisi as a trigger-happy thug, the ever-creepy John Chandler as a mystery attendant for the opening trial scene, and A Martinez as the determined young detective Tallbear. But the biggest surprise may be Frankie Avalon's deft performance as a low-level hood who becomes an informant. He has one impressive scene in an interrogation room where he breaks down.

All in all, pretty enjoyable, if not all that memorable.

Seven out of 10.

This film essentially begins with a San Francisco police detective by the name of "Lieutenant Terry Sneed" (Billy Dee Williams) arriving in Poloma, New Mexico to help the police department on a case involving a local crime syndicate headed by a man named "Victor Manso" (Vic Morrow). To that effect, as soon as he arrives he finds himself in the middle of a gunfight between the local police and some of Manso's hired killers. Needless to say, thanks to his efforts in that affair, he is heartedly welcomed by the head of the Paloma Police Department, "Chief Berrigan" (Eddie Albert) who explains that he is in desperate need of a police detective that he can trust. Not long afterward, however, Lieutenant Sneed decides to visit the home of Victor Manso and accepts some money from him for his cooperation along the way. In short, the good lieutenant is on the take. But what Victor Manso doesn't realize is that apparently Lt. Sneed isn't loyal to anyone but himself--and it's going to eventually cause problems for him later on down the line. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was an okay movie which suffered somewhat by a rather convoluted plot which made it difficult to really like any of the characters in this film. Even so, I suppose it had its moments and passed the time fairly well, and I have rated it accordingly. Average.

I recently watched The Take (1974) on Tubi. The storyline follows a New Mexico police officer who walks a fine line between upholding the law and turning a blind eye to criminal gangs in exchange for hush money. However, there comes a point where he has to choose a side-and that moment is fast approaching.

Directed by Robert Hartford-Davis (Black Gunn), the film stars Billy Dee Williams (Star Wars), Eddie Albert (Roman Holiday), Sorrell Booke (The Dukes of Hazzard), Vic Morrow (Twilight Zone: The Movie), and Tracy Reed (Running Scared).

There's something satisfying about a protagonist who exists in the moral gray area, and The Take delivers that in spades. Billy Dee Williams shines as a character who is both hero and anti-hero, while the villain is easy to root against. The plot features a few clever twists as the main character faces escalating challenges. The film also includes classic car chases-a staple of the era-and a well-executed final fight scene. Plus, there's a random snake scene thrown in for good measure.

In conclusion, The Take is a fun entry in the blaxploitation genre, with a strong lead performance and some entertaining moments. I'd rate it a 5.5-6/10 and recommend it to fans of the genre.

Billy Dee Williams comes to Arizona to work for Police Chief Eddie Albert. It seems that 'the Syndicate' is moving into Albert's city, and Williams is an expert on them. He's also on the take.

At least in this movie, the anonymous crime syndicate has members with names that sound Italian. Although there is a story involved, of Williams making the occasional effort to come unstuck from the criminals, by and large it's about how he manages to remain undiscovered, and what it does to him, his loneliness and lack of connection to people other than on a professional level. Williams is very good in the role, offering an emotionally guarded performance that occasionally lets his feelings seep through. Vic Morrow, as the local crime boss with a dodgy heart complements him in this relationship, where it's all business in when there's no one else around.

At first glance, this seems like a good underworld melodrama/action flick but it's so poorly put together that it's unlikely to satisfy many. The film has the look and feel of a TV-movie and even by 1974, seems to have cheap production values. Most of the actors, especially Williams, seem to walk through their roles and the minimal action/violence scenes are so mild, they produce little effect. It is interesting though to see Sorrell Booke (Boss Hogg from the Dukes of Hazzard)in a straight role. You may not recognize him right away as he seems so different. It's also odd to see Frankie Avalon play a whining, pathetic hood. Given the cast and the premise though, you'd expect a lot more. Williams was an up and comer at the time this was made. It may be one of the reasons why he never quite made it as a mainstream movie star or even as a TV star.