Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold (1975)

Cast: Tamara Dobson, Stella Stevens, Tanny, Norman Fell, Albert Popwell

Director: Chuck Bail

Rating: R

Running Time: 96 min.

Synopsis: This sequel to the blaxploitation hit Cleopatra Jones mixes in elements of the kung-fu genre and James Bond-styled spy adventures as it sends its colorful heroine to a high-flying adventure in an exotic locale. When fellow operatives (and childhood friends) Matthew Johnson (Albert Popwell) and Melvin Johnson (Caro Kenyatta) disappear during an undercover mission in Hong Kong, Cleopatra Jones (Tamara Dobson) travels there to find them. With the help of local detective Mi Ling (Tanny), Cleopatra discovers that her friends' disappearance has to do with The Dragon Lady (Stella Stevens), a much-feared woman who runs a Macao casino and controls a major chunk of the local drug trade. The finale finds Cleopatra and Mi Ling squaring off against the Dragon Lady and her minions in an explosive casino battle that involves kung-fu, gunplay, and roaring motorcycles. Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold didn't reach the same heights of success of its predecessor, but its colorful barrage of action has made it an enduring favorite amongst blaxploitation aficionados. Director Chuck Bail would go on to bigger success next year with the car-chase hit The Gumball Rally and star Dobson continued to play tough heroines in films like Chained Heat.