Carl W. Crudup emerged in the 1970s as a notable presence in cult cinema, with significant roles in films like The Gambler (1974) and J.D.'s Revenge (1976). In The Gambler, he navigates the gritty underworld of high-stakes gambling, while in J.D.'s Revenge, he delivers a compelling performance that blends supernatural elements with urban drama. His work in these films reflects the era's exploration of complex characters and societal issues, making him a fitting figure in the SassyFlix catalog.
The Monkey Hustle
The film includes a loose plot centered on the ensemble cast of characters in which Foxx mentors "Baby D" (Calloway), "Player" (Carter), and "Tiny" (Harper) in the ways of small-time hustling. An example of a hustle is the boys apparently stealing some televisions from a truck for Foxx in sight of a local shop owner. The boys then steal the televisions from Foxx's truck and stash them in some trash. The shop owner offers the boys $55 cash for the televisions which they accept. However, when the shop owner returns with his dolly, he finds that the boys have run off with the cash as well as the televisions (which were actually empty boxes). The overarching plotline is to prevent the construction of an expressway through the neighborhood in which all the characters reside. Using facilities that are not adequately described in the film, Foxx and local numbers man "Glitterin' Goldie" (Moore) use potentially corrupt connections within the city government to prevent the construction.
