| Death Journey | |
| Director: | Fred Williamson |
| Starring: | Fred Williamson |
| Cinematography: | Robert Caramico |
| Editing: | James E. Nownes |
| Studio: | Po' Boy Productions |
| Distributor: | Atlas Films |
| Runtime: | 74 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
Death Journey is a 1976 action crime film written by Abel Joney and directed by Fred Williamson, who also stars as Jesse Crowder.
Jesse Crowder is hired to transport a witness from Los Angeles to New York but instead befriends him and helps him evade his foes.
Fred Williamson returned as Jesse Crowder in No Way Back.[1]
The Jesse Crowder character would be used in four or five films featuring Williamson.[2] [3] He first appeared in Death Journey[4] then returned in No Way Back.[5] He would be used again in Efren C. Piñon's Blind Rage, which was released in 1976. The character's final appearance was in The Last Fight, which was released in 1983.[6]
According to The Hammer: an American Hero by Harold D. Edmunds, Williamson actually knew a guy in high school called Jesse Crowder. Crowder was a tough no-nonsense guy that nobody messed with. After the name was used in Williamson's films, Crowder took legal action against Williamson. The case went to court and Williamson's lawyer placed some phone books on the table and asked him which Crowder he was. Crowder realized he didn't have anywhere to go with this. In the end Williamson decided to cease using the Crowder character.[7]