| That Man Bolt | |
| Director: | David Lowell Rich Henry Levin |
| Producer: | Bernard Schwartz |
| Screenplay: | Ranald MacDougall Charles Eric Johnson |
| Story: | Charles Eric Johnson |
| Starring: | Fred Williamson |
| Music: | Charles Bernstein |
| Cinematography: | Gerald Perry Finnerman |
| Editing: | Carl Pingitore Robert F. Shugrue |
| Studio: | Universal Pictures |
| Distributor: | Universal Pictures |
| Runtime: | 103 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
That Man Bolt is a 1973 American action film directed by David Lowell Rich and Henry Levin. It stars Fred Williamson in the title role of a courier and Byron Webster.[1] The film combined several genres: blaxploitation, the martial arts film, and James Bond superspy films (with some posters featuring the tagline "He's Bonded"[2]). It was filmed in Hong Kong, Macau and the United States and featured several martial arts experts in action: Mike Stone, World Professional Light Heavyweight Karate Champion,[3] Kenji Kazama Japan Kickboxing Champion, Emil Farkas, European Black Belt Karate Champion,[4] and David Chow,[5] Former California State Judo Champion.[6] It was titled Operation Hong Kong outside the United States. Peter Crowcroft wrote the novelization of the screenplay.
Courier Jefferson Bolt is asked to take a briefcase from Hong Kong to Mexico City, but he is not told what is in it or the identity of the man who asks him, a man named Griffiths. Convinced he will get good pay and see a few good places, Bolt takes on the job, while looking out for anything suspicious. Soon he does find exotic places, beautiful women, and ruthless gunmen interested in the briefcase.
Fred Williamson recalled that Universal Pictures signed him for three films featuring the Bolt character as a black James Bond, but avoiding the urban locations of blaxploitation films. One director was replaced to make the film look more like a globetrotting secret agent film rather than a made for television movie. Williamson felt that Universal was not prepared to launch a film series featuring a black star. Though no other Bolt films were made, Williamson was paid for two films.[7]