| The Bus Is Coming Ghetto Revenge | |
| Starring: |
|
| Music: | Tom McIntosh |
| Cinematography: | Mike Rhodes |
| Editing: | Donald R. Rode |
| Studio: | K-Calb Productions |
| Director: | Wendell James Franklin |
| Producer: | Horace Jackson Herbert H. Dow |
| Distributor: | William Thompson Productions Incorporated |
| Runtime: | 107 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
The Bus Is Coming (also known as Ghetto Revenge) is a 1971 American drama film written by Horace Jackson. The film is directed by Wendell James Franklin and stars Mike B. Simms and Burl Bullock.[1]
The film is about the death of a prominent Black community member Joe Mitchell, who served on the school board. "The Black Fist," a local black power political organization wants to hold a rally in response to Mitchell's death because the "town must pay it's dues". Billy Mitchell, Joe's brother returns from the Vietnam War and investigates Joe's death. He becomes aware of a gang of racist cops, and eventually joins The Black Fist group to seek revenge.
Howard Thompson of The New York Times called the film "strong, probing and impressively balanced".[2] TV Guide wrote that the film "manages to address the racial issues while telling an interesting, albeit melodramatic story."[3]
Richard Leary of The Village Voice called the acting "amateurish", the direction "pedestrian", and the production "shoe-string".[4] John Little of The Pittsburgh Press called the film "angry" and wrote that "the anger overcomes the effort".[5] Sharon Scott of The Pittsburgh Courier wrote a negative review of the film.[6]