When I saw "Cutter" I thought that this failed TV pilot certainly was timely back in 1972. After all, Blaxploitation films were packing theaters and the movies in the genre were generally cheaply made and made tidy profits. Unfortunately, whoever was responsible for okaying new shows didn't see the potential of having a black private eye on TV each week.
This pilot movie stars Peter De Anda, a good actor but a guy whose name very few would recognize today. If the show had been approved, perhaps De Anda would have become a household name.
Cutter has a new case. A famous pro football quarterback has gone missing. So he hits the streets of Chicago to investigate...and the nice location shooting (including scenes in Soldier Field) were excellent touches.
Generally, the film is more a private detective film than a traditional blaxploitation film. This means it tended to be more realistic and less offensive in its portrayal of a strong, confident black man. Well made and while not great, enjoyable and you wonder how a series would have been. Worth your time.
By the way, there were a couple bit roles in the film that were very interesting. Archie Moore, an ex- light heavyweight champ plays Ray Brown and Stepin Fetchit plays a shoe shine man. Of the two, Fetchit surprised me most, as by the 1970s he was generally seen as an extremely embarrassing actor...one who played the most demeaning and thankless roles of the 1930s. I am actually surprised he was able to still find work in films....his reputation and prior work was THAT controversial!
If you are interested, I found this one on YouTube and although very watchable, the print is pretty rough and some portions have yellowed badly.
