When a black student is murdered by a white supremacist biker gang in a vile hate crime, they don’t realize the hornet’s nest they’ve stirred up: when the young man’s older brother learns what has happened, he returns with his own biker crew – six displaced black Vietnam veterans who traded the horrors of war for the roar of motorcycle engines.

The Black Six roam nomadically, taking work where they find it. It’s a humble lifestyle but their reward is the freedom of the open road and a funky theme song. They’re bad dudes – but not bad dudes. We learn in our introduction to the gang that their modus operandi is to repay in kind: for a sweet-natured widow who provides them with a home-cooked meal and a place to stay the night, they not only perform the work she hired them for, but quietly repair her dilapidated barn as well. Conversely when a roadside watering hole treats them with hostility, they show they can bring the house down.

Returning home, Bubba Daniels (Gene Washington) begins investigating his brother’s death, only to find a tight-lipped town that’s unwilling or unable to tell the truth of what happened the night his brother was murdered. It’s only after reconnecting with his old girlfriend that he starts to uncover the truth.

The film’s protagonists, as the film’s marketing and intertitles prominently inform the audience, are portrayed by a lineup of pro football stars: the Six’s other five are played by Mean Joe Greene, Willie Lanier, Lem Barney, Carl Eller, and Mercury Morris.

The 70s were a period which saw many black NFL stars parlay their experience into acting: notable examples include Fred Williamson, Jim Brown, Bubba Smith, Rosey Grier, Bernie Casey, and OJ Simpson. Besides the bankability of their star power, I’ve always suspected the casting of black athletes was viewed as more palatable to ease white audiences into acceptance (not that they were watching The Black Six) – Joe Redneck might not be interested in Sidney Poitier, but be more willing to root for his home team’s running back.

As Don Stradley explains in the Blu-ray liner notes, another reason for this influx of athletes in movies was the NFL’s shaky labor relations with players at the time. The looming threat of strikes and lockouts encouraged players to diversify their income. He also points out the film’s white biker gang features NFL players as well, including Ben Davidson (who would go on to play one of the heavies in Conan the Barbarian) as their leader, Thor.

The film is enjoyable overall, mainly because of the charm and camaraderie of the Six, and the clear stakes of good vs evil in the battle against racist murderers, especially in a climate where it’s clear the police have little interest in seeing justice served.

The script has some tropes (which were criticized by its stars) and hamfisted social commentary, but also some genuine moments of poignancy, like Bubba seeing his family for the first time in several years – it’s here we realize that, like Odysseus of Homer’s Odyssey or Ethan Edwards in The Searchers, he just never came home. He’s been running away since the war.

Perhaps the aspect that has aged the least gracefully is Bubba discovering his old girlfriend has turned to prostitution as a way to make ends meet. It’s an idea that introduces a lot of sympathy for her plight, but also robs her of any agency – the suggestion seems to be that Bubba’s departure is responsible for her situation and only he can rescue her from it. Ultimately it just seems like a way to introduce some exploitation elements to the mostly clean storytelling. (Despite loving the film, I have similar reservations about George Bailey’s visions of Mary in It’s a Wonderful Life – she becomes an “old maid” in his theoretical absence. I understand the romanticism of the idea of a soulmate, but it’s naive to presume that such a wonderful and zealously-courted woman could not find love because her male savior was never born).

The story culminates in a nighttime biker battle, but it’s something of a letdown. The finale is shot so darkly that it’s hard to really see much of what’s happening, and it exits on an abrupt and ambiguous note, ending in a fiery blaze but promising that the Black Six might one day return. (As explained in the accompanying booklet, the film’s original downbeat ending as written was excised the protest of some cast members).

The Package

The Black Six is new on Blu-ray from Film Masters, in a Limited Edition featuring a slipcover, booklet, and commentary track.

The film has been on Blu-ray once previously, as part of a double feature from AGFA & Vinegar Syndrome. I don’t own that edition, but judging by a handful of screenshots available from Vinegar Syndrome’s website, that’s a different transfer, evidently from an AGFA theatrical print, with a much more faded “pink & green” look. Here are a few direct comparisons.

The Film Masters version generally looks quite a lot better than the prior disc; while far from perfect it generally has much deeper contrast and color representation. Here’s one of the film’s most colorful shots for an idea of the palette at its best.

Unfortunately the downside of the darker image is that the nighttime scenes, including the opening and finale, are very difficult to make out.

Special Features and Extras:

• Limited Edition slipcover
• 10-page booklet (12 with covers) written by Don Stradley
• Full-length Audio Commentary – by film historian Robert Kelly and author/podcaster Daniel Budnik
  This is a really pleasant, conversational track with way more historical notes than I ever anticipated. Super listenable guys with a lot of insights.

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