Lady Cocoa (also known as Pop Goes the Weasel) is a 1975 low-budget American blaxploitation crime drama that was directed by Matt Cimber.[1] With Lola Falana in the title role,[2] the film also featured Millie Perkins, Alex Dreier, Gene Washington and Joe Greene. It was released by Moonstone Entertainment,[3] and written by George Theakos.
| Lady Cocoa | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Matt Cimber |
| Written by | George Theakos (credited as Mikel Angel) |
| Starring | Lola Falana |
| Cinematography | Ken Gibb |
| Edited by | Bud Warner |
| Music by | Luchi De Jesus |
| Distributed by | Dimension Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Premise
editThe film tells the story of a woman (Lola Falana) who is released from jail for 24 hours prior to testifying against her ex-boyfriend (James A. Watson Jr.) and is placed in police protection for that timeframe.[4] The film mimics the plot-line in theoretically the first blaxploitation movie, Carmen Jones. Adjustments are made to that traditional story so that the protecting officer does not meet a pathetic end nor that our heroine nastily lose her life to him.
Reception
editLinda Gross of the Los Angeles Times called Lady Cocoa "a slick, predictable, but well-made blaxploitation film."[5] Joe Baltake, writing for the Philadelphia Daily News, complimented Falana's performance but called the film "a flimsy, boring situation comedy," concluding: "It's dumb, but Lola makes it palatable."[6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Staff (2004). The Scarecrow Movie Guide. Seattle: Sasquatch Books. p. 391. ISBN 1-57061-415-6.
- ^ Berry, Torriano; Berry, Venise T. (2007). Historical dictionary of African American cinema. Historical dictionaries of literature and the arts. Vol. 12. Scarecrow Press. p. 112. ISBN 978-0-8108-5545-8.
- ^ Lawrence, Novotny (2008). Blaxploitation films of the 1970s: Blackness and genre. Studies in African American history and culture. Psychology Press. p. 108. ISBN 978-0-415-96097-7.
- ^ Craddock, Jim (2005). Videohound's Golden Movie Retriever. Thomson/Gale. p. 460. ISBN 0-7876-7470-2.
- ^ Gross, Linda (October 24, 1975). "Movie Reviews: Double Bill Blaxploitation". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
- ^ Baltake, Joe (August 28, 1975). "Lola's 'Cocoa' Is Palatable". Philadelphia Daily News. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
External links
edit- Lady Cocoa at IMDb
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