Super Fly

Super Fly is a 1972 American crime drama directed by Gordon Parks Jr. and written by Phillip Fenty. Ron O'Neal stars as Priest, a cocaine dealer in New York City who has grown wealthy but knows the life will eventually leave him dead or imprisoned. He wants out, and to fund his retirement he plans one large final deal: moving thirty kilos of cocaine for half a million dollars. His friend Eddie, played by Carl Lee, is drawn into the scheme reluctantly. The plan goes wrong when a street-level dealer informs the police, and Priest finds himself forced to deal with corrupt narcotics officers while trying to complete the sale and walk away from the business for good. Sheila Frazier, Charles McGregor, Julius Harris and Polly Niles appear in supporting roles, among a credited cast of thirty-six.

The film was produced by Sig Shore for Warner Bros. Pictures with Superfly Ltd. and Sig Shore Productions. It was released on 4 August 1972 and runs 91 minutes, mixing action, crime, drama and thriller elements against a Harlem setting. Made early in Gordon Parks Jr.'s directing career, it became a substantial commercial success, with a worldwide box office of around 30 million dollars. On IMDb it holds a rating of 6.4 from roughly 9,300 votes, and on TMDB 6.3 from 166 votes. A critics' rating of 7.3 from 27 reviews places it somewhat above those audience scores.