NBC MOVIE OF THE WEEK: THE SOPHISTICATED GENTS {PART 3 OF 3} (TV)

Summary

The third and final installment in this four-hour miniseries, based on the book "The Junior Bachelor Society" by John A. Williams, about nine estranged friends' reunion to honor their childhood mentor and coach. In this program, Shurl, Bubbles and Cudjo prepare for the banquet dinner, while elsewhere Moon is further delayed by a flat tire. The dinner gets underway as Swoop lurks nearby, and Bubbles, as the gents' "president," gets up to speak, commenting on Chappie's positive influence on their lives, and he introduces all of the other men, saluting Mrs. Porter in Moon's place. Mayor Farrington presents Chappie with an Outstanding Citizenship Award, and in his acceptance speech, Chappie declares that he is "richer than any parent." Moon finally arrives just as Bubbles gives Chappie the commemorative plaque made by Buontiglio, and everyone retires to Bubbles' house for an after-party. Mrs. Porter happily tells her son that she is pleased to see him even if he is "bad," and Cudjo is forced to cover with the pretend story about the jealous husband. Bubbles and Cudjo pull Moon away from a very intoxicated Dart to question him in the basement, and he admits that he is in "super-bad" trouble because of his profession. They inform him that Swoop has been determinedly seeking him for days, frustrated that he would join them when he is a wanted man, and he apologizes for bringing trouble to their doorstep.

Swoop then bursts in and announces that Moon has committed murder, though the other gents, suspicious that Swoop is acting on his own, defend Moon and attempt to stay by his side. Swoop instructs all of them except for "his buddy" Shurl to leave and then demands a $25,000 bribe from Moon, though Moon haggles him down to ten. Shurl offers to hold the money and give it to Swoop in the morning, giving Moon several hours to get away, though Moon wonders if he can truly trust his former friend. Chappie intervenes and attempts to calm the situation, and he soon ushers all of the other guests out, stating that they have "gent business" to attend to. Snake takes Mrs. Porter home as the other attempt to cajole a very drunk Dart into the car, and Chops and Christine's argument flares again in front of everyone. The gents soon return to Bubbles' home for a "meeting," and Chappie tells Swoop that he could have helped to "make him better" if he had been old enough to be one of them, stating that "no black person should be alone" in the world. Dart fights back when Swoop insults his sexuality, and Chappie agrees to go with Moon to retrieve the $10,000 from his car.

The digitized asset ends at this point, but the program concludes on the tape: Shurl urges Moon not to pay the money and threatens to expose Swoop's corruption with the audio tapes made at the bar, revealing that he actually owns the place himself and that Mr. Papadopolis is merely a front because of his race. However, Moon points out that most of the cops, not just Swoop, are crooked, and that they are risking "all of their necks" by letting Swoop go. He pulls a gun and hints that he will take Swoop with him and kill him later, though the others beg him to reconsider. Moon then departs on his own, getting his agreed-upon head start, and Swoop waits in anger for morning. At precisely 7:00 AM, he demands the $10,000 from Shurl and threatens the remaining gents that he will "see" them all soon before leaving. Moon, who spent the night waiting outside of Bubbles' house rather than escaping, follows Swoop in his car and then shoots him dead, while the other gents, unaware of his actions, idly notice the sound of sirens as they settle in for a relaxing breakfast. Includes commercials and programs.

Details

• NETWORK: NBC
• DATE: October 1, 1981 Thursday 10:00 PM
• RUNNING TIME: 0:43:20
• COLOR/B&W: Color
• CATALOG ID: T81:1353
• GENRE: Drama
• SUBJECT HEADING: African-American Collection - Drama; Drama; Friendship
• SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1981
• COMMERCIALS:
  • TV - Commercials - 9 Lives cat food
  • TV - Commercials - Anacin painkillers
  • TV - Commercials - Close-up toothpaste
  • TV - Commercials - Colombian coffee
  • TV - Commercials - Energizer batteries
  • TV - Commercials - Liquid Drano drain cleaner
  • TV - Commercials - Mink Difference hair spray
  • TV - Commercials - Riunite wine
  • TV - Commercials - Tab soft drinks
  • TV - Commercials - Windex glass cleaner
  • TV - Commercials - Yes liquid detergent
  • TV - Promos - "Another World"
  • TV - Promos - "Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters"
  • TV - Promos - "CHiPs"
  • TV - Promos - "Grambling's White Tiger"
  • TV - Promos - "Jet Pilot"
  • TV - Promos - "Little House on the Prairie"
  • TV - Promos - "NBC Magazine"
  • TV - Promos - "Only When I Laugh"
  • TV - Promos - "Saturday Night Live"
  • TV - Promos - "Sidney Shorr"
  • TV - Promos - "Tilt"

CREDITS

• Daniel Wilson … Executive Producer
• Fran Sears … Producer
• Harry Falk … Director
• Linda Feitelson … Associate Producer
• Melvin Van Peebles … Associate Producer, Writer
• John A. Williams … Based on the book by
• Benny Golson … Music by
• Bibi Besch … Cast, Simone Parks
• Bernie Casey … Cast, Shurley Walker
• Rosalind Cash … Cast, Christine Jackson
• Ja'net DuBois … Cast, Onetha Wiggins
• Sonny Jim Gaines … Cast, Coach Charles 'Chappie' Davis
• Rosey Grier … Cast, Cudjo Evers
• Albert Hall … Cast, Detective Swoop Ferguson
• Robert Hooks … Cast, Ezra 'Chops' Jackson
• Janet MacLachlan … Cast, Diane Walker
• Joanna Miles … Cast, Sandra
• Denise Nicholas … Cast, Pat Henderson
• Ron O'Neal … Cast, Clarence 'Claire' Henderson
• Thalmus Rasulala … Cast, Kenneth 'Snake' Dobson
• Beah Richards … Cast, Miz Porter
• Raymond St. Jacques … Cast, D'Artagnan 'Dart' Parks
• Melvin Van Peebles … Cast, Walter 'Moon' Porter / Silky
• Marlene Warfield … Cast, Lil Joplin
• Dick Anthony Williams … Cast, Ralph Joplin
• Paul Winfield … Cast, Richard 'Bubbles' Wiggins
• Alfre Woodard … Cast, Evelyn Evers
• Robert Earl Jones … Cast, Big Ralph
• John Zaremba … Cast, Mayor Farrington