History Film / Shaft

->''"They say this cat Shaft is a bad mother--\\
(SHUT YOUR MOUTH!)\\
But I'm talkin' 'bout Shaft.\\
(THEN WE CAN DIG IT!)"''

It tells the story of John Shaft (Creator/RichardRoundtree), a tough African-American private detective who travels through Harlem and infiltrates TheMafia in order to find the missing daughter of a black mobster. Also in the cast are Creator/MosesGunn as Bumpy Jonas, Charles Cioffi as Lt. Vic Androzzi, and Christopher St. John as Ben Buford, along with Gwenn Mitchell and Creator/LawrencePressman. Music/IsaacHayes did the [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic theme song]] quoted above, which has reached MemeticMutation to the point where it may actually be better known than the movie. It also earned Hayes the UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestOriginalSong, the first ever awarded to a black musician.

* AdaptationalNiceGuy: Shat was a bit of a [[PoliticallyIncorrectHero homophobe]] in the original novel, a trait that's dropped for the movie.

It tells the story of John Shaft (Creator/RichardRoundtree), a tough African-American private detective who travels through Harlem and infiltrates TheMafia in order to find the missing daughter of a black mobster. Also in the cast are Creator/MosesGunn as Bumpy Jonas, Charles Cioffi as Lt. Vic Androzzi, and Christopher St. John as Ben Buford, along with Gwenn Mitchell and Creator/LawrencePressman. Music/IsaacHayes did the [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic theme song]] quoted above, which has reached MemeticMutation to the point where it may actually be better known than the movie. It also earned Hayes the UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestOriginalSong, the first ever awarded to a Black musician.

Two {{spinoff}} / {{sequel}} / {{revival}} films followed, focusing on other members of Shaft's family, in [[Film/Shaft2000 2000]] and [[Film/Shaft2019 2019]]. Roundtree reprised his role in both as a supporting character.

* KickTheDog: Shaft grabs one of Lee's Mooks and uses him as a HumanShield to try and escape. The villain shoots and kills his own henchman. He lets Shaft live only because he has to report back to Bumpy that Lee hasn't killed Bumpy's daughter, that he has taken her hostage.

SHUT YOUR MOUTH!\\

THEN WE CAN DIG IT!"''

* {{Badbutt}}: In the series of TV movies, Shaft got downgraded to a [[{{Bowdlerise}} Bad Melon Farmer]] in order to avoid [[MoralGuardians offending TV audiences]].

* GuileHero: Shaft's cunning is one of his greatest assets.

* PrivateDetective: Who's the black private dick, that's a sex machine to all the chicks?

* ReallyGetsAround: Shaft. [[WaxingLyrical He's a sex machine with all the chicks]].

* SoulBrotha: Shaft. He's black, he's funky, he's kickass, he's a bad motherf-- ''Shut your mouth!''

->''"They say this cat Shaft is a bad [[CurseCutShort mother--]]\\

It tells the story of John Shaft (Creator/RichardRoundtree), a tough African-American private detective who travels through Harlem and infiltrates TheMafia in order to find the missing daughter of a black mobster. Also in the cast are Creator/MosesGunn as Bumpy Jonas, Charles Cioffi as Lt. Vic Androzzi, and Christopher St. John as Ben Buford, along with Gwenn Mitchell and Creator/LawrencePressman. Music/IsaacHayes did the [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic theme song]] quoted above, which has reached MemeticMutation to the point where it may actually be better known than the movie. It also earned Hayes the "Best Original Song" [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscar]], the first ever awarded to a Black musician.

* RatedMForManly: Shaft became one of the most iconic macho characters on film for a reason. As his theme tune says, he's "black private dick that's a sex machine to all the chicks?" "won't cop out when there's danger all about" and course, "he's a bad motherf--" ''Shut your mouth!''

Two {{spinoff}} / {{sequel}} / {{revival}} films followed, focusing on other members of Shaft's family, in 2000 and 2019. Roundtree reprised his role in both as a supporting character.

It tells the story of John Shaft (Creator/RichardRoundtree), a tough African-American private detective who travels through Harlem and infiltrates TheMafia in order to find the missing daughter of a black mobster. Also in the cast are Creator/MosesGunn as Bumpy Jonas, Charles Cioffi as Lt. Vic Androzzi, and Christopher St. John as Ben Buford, along with Gwenn Mitchell and Lawrence Pressman. Music/IsaacHayes did the [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic theme song]] quoted above, which has reached MemeticMutation to the point where it may actually be better known than the movie. It also earned Hayes the "Best Original Song" [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscar]], the first ever awarded to a Black musician.

''Shaft'' is a 1971 {{Blaxploitation}} film directed by Gordon Parks and written by Ernest Tidyman, based on Tidyman's novel of the same name.

It tells the story of John Shaft (Creator/RichardRoundtree), a tough African-American private detective who travels through Harlem and infiltrates TheMafia in order to find the missing daughter of a black mobster. Also in the cast are Moses Gunn as Bumpy Jonas, Charles Cioffi as Lt. Vic Androzzi, and Christopher St. John as Ben Buford, along with Gwenn Mitchell and Lawrence Pressman. Music/IsaacHayes did the [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic theme song]] quoted above, which has reached MemeticMutation to the point where it may actually be better known than the movie. It also earned Hayes the "Best Original Song" [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscar]], the first ever awarded to a Black musician.

%%* WeaponOfChoice: Shaft's weapon of choice is a Smith & Wesson Model 36, Beretta 92FS or an M1911 pistol.

* RareGuns: The shotgun used by John Shaft in the last part of ''Shaft's Big Score!'' is the High Standard HS-10B designed circa 1970, originally a law enforcement only firearm.

* AwesomeMcCoolName: There's something about a name like "John ''Shaft''" that tells you already that he's a bad motherf-- ''[[BigShutUp Shut your mouth]]!''

* AngryBlackMan: The film is basically all about taking this character and portraying him as the most badass motha you can imagine, allowing him to successfully stick it to The Man.

* {{Badbutt}}: In the series of TV movies, Shaft got downgraded to a [[{{Bowdlerize}} Bad Melon Farmer]] in order to avoid [[MoralGuardians offending TV audiences]].

-->'''Isaac Hayes:''' They say this cat Shaft is a bad mother--” \\

* TheChosenZero: One of the taglines was something along the lines of "The mob wanted Harlem back. They got Shaft".

* CultSoundtrack: Isaac Hayes' legendary "Theme From Shaft", which is so memetic that it was inducted into the UsefulNotes/NationalRecordingRegistry!
* CurseCutShort: [[http://youtu.be/CHbYLjWEEQA The title theme:]]

* RatedMForManly: Shaft became one of the most iconic macho characters on film for a reason. As his theme tune says, he's "black private dick that's a sex machine to all the chicks?", "won't cop out when there's danger all about", and course, "he's a bad motherf--" ''Shut your mouth!''
* ReallyGetsAround: Shaft. He's a sex machine with all the chicks.

-->'''Shaft''': Got any idea who grabbed her?
-->'''Bumpy''': A lot of cats hate my guts.
-->'''Shaft''': A sweet, loving dude like you? Sweet-talking a man's lady as you beat her man out of his paycheck in the back room of a horse parlor? Feeding his kid shit to shoot in his arm? Who could hate ''you'', Bumpy?

-->'''Shaft''': Vic, your case just busted wide open.
-->'''Androzzi''': So close it for me.
-->'''Shaft''': Cut the crap man, this is Shaft. Looks like you gonna have to close it yo'self, ''shitty''! ''(cackles and hangs up, walks away, theme song music plays)''

* AngryBlackMan: The film is basically all about taking this character and portraying him as the most badass motha you can imagine, allowing him to successfully stick it to TheMan.

It tells the story of John Shaft (Creator/RichardRoundtree), a tough African-American private detective who travels through Harlem and infiltrates TheMafia in order to find the missing daughter of a black mobster. Also in the cast are Moses Gunn as Bumpy Jonas, Charles Cioffi as Lt. Vic Androzzi, and Christopher St. John as Ben Buford, along with Gwenn Mitchell and Lawrence Pressman. Music/IsaacHayes did the [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic theme song]] quoted above, which has reached MemeticMutation to the point where it may actually be better known than the movie. It also earned Hayes a "Best Original Song" [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscar]], the first ever awarded to a Black musician.