Virginia Capers, born in 1925, made her mark in the world of film with a career that spanned decades. Known for her powerful performances, she appears in House of Women (1962), where she navigates the complexities of female relationships, and Trouble Man (1972), showcasing her versatility in a gritty urban setting. Capers also stars in Five on the Black Hand Side (1973) and Backfire (1988), contributing to the rich tapestry of African American cinema during a transformative era. Her work resonates within the cult film landscape, offering a glimpse into the narratives often overlooked in mainstream cinema.
Five on the Black Hand Side
During the weekend of her daughter's wedding, Mrs. Gladys Ann Brooks, a meek wife (played by Clarice Taylor) and her three children—Gideon Brooks (Glynn Turman), Booker T. Washington-Brooks (D'Urville Martin), and Gail Brooks (Bonnie Banfield)—finally decide to stand up to their overbearing husband and father Mr. John Henry Brooks Jr. (Leonard Jackson) who displays retrogressive behavior. Mrs. Brooks is tired of everybody treating her "like an old couch" and decides to leave her husband if he does not change his abusive behavior. Mr. Brooks controls every moment of his wife's life. Unlike his children, he considers himself "American" not "African". He does not agree with the fact that his daughter Gail is having an African themed wedding. His younger son Gideon does not talk to him and refuses to stay in the same room with his father. Gideon camps on the roof, instead, where he practices martial arts (by that time an important element of the Black Power movement). Mrs. Brooks joins her son on the roof in a civil rights movement after invading her husband's barbershop, where women are not allowed, where she hands Mr. Brooks a list of demands. She, for example, requires him to call her by her first name "Gladys", while Mr. Brooks insists on calling her Mrs. Brooks. Mr. Brooks finally changes his behavior and all the family members gather at Gail's and her new husband Marvin's "African" wedding.
