That Man Bolt

{{Short description|1973 film by David Lowell Rich, Henry Levin}}

{{Infobox film

| name = That Man Bolt

| image = Tmbpos.jpg

| caption = Original film poster

| director = David Lowell Rich
Henry Levin

| producer = Bernard Schwartz

| screenplay = Ranald MacDougall
Charles Eric Johnson

| story = Charles Eric Johnson

| starring = Fred Williamson

| music = Charles Bernstein

| cinematography = Gerald Perry Finnerman

| editing = Carl Pingitore
Robert F. Shugrue

| studio = Universal Pictures

| distributor = Universal Pictures

| released = {{Film date|1973|12|21|New York City}}

| runtime = 103 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget =

| gross =

}}

That Man Bolt is a 1973 American action film directed by David Lowell Rich and Henry Levin. It stars Fred Williamson in the title role of a courier and Byron Webster.{{cite web|url=http://allmovie.com/work/that-man-bolt-113104 |title=That Man Bolt (1973) - Trailers, Reviews, Synopsis, Showtimes and Cast |publisher=AllMovie |access-date=2013-10-21}} The film combined several genres: blaxploitation, the martial arts film, and James Bond superspy films (with some posters featuring the tagline "He's Bonded"{{cite web|url=https://mediahistoryproject.org/reader.php?id=pressbook-that-man-bolt|title=Media History Digitial Library|access-date=2023-06-23}}). It was filmed in Hong Kong, Macau and the United States and featured several martial arts experts in action: Mike Stone, World Professional Light Heavyweight Karate Champion,{{cite web|url=http://www.karatekidzonline.com/masters/mikestone/ |title=Grandmaster Mike Stone |publisher=Karatekidzonline.com |access-date=2013-10-21}} Kenji Kazama Japan Kickboxing Champion, Emil Farkas, European Black Belt Karate Champion,{{cite web|url=http://themartialartsreporter.com/emil-farkas-sensei-to-the-stars-and-a-lot-more/ |title=Emil Farkas, "Sensei To The Stars" And A Lot More |publisher=TheMartialArtsReporter.com |date=2010-01-28 |access-date=2013-10-21}} and David Chow,{{cite web|url=http://www.usadojo.com/career-opportunities/master-david-chow.htm |title=Master David Chow |publisher=Usadojo.com |access-date=2013-10-21}} Former California State Judo Champion.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070787/taglines|title=That Man Bolt : Taglines|publisher=IMDb.com|access-date=2013-10-21}} It was titled Operation Hong Kong outside the United States. Peter Crowcroft wrote the novelization of the screenplay.

Plot

Courier Jefferson Bolt is asked to take a briefcase from Hong Kong to Mexico City, but he is not told what is in it or the identity of the man who asks him, a man named Griffiths. Convinced he will get good pay and see a few good places, Bolt takes on the job, while looking out for anything suspicious. Soon he does find exotic places, beautiful women, and ruthless gunmen interested in the briefcase.

Production

Fred Williamson recalled that Universal Pictures signed him for three films featuring the Bolt character as a black James Bond, but avoiding the urban locations of blaxploitation films. One director was replaced to make the film look more like a globetrotting secret agent film rather than a made for television movie. Williamson felt that Universal was not prepared to launch a film series featuring a black star. Though no other Bolt films were made, Williamson was paid for two films.p. 286 Paul, Louis Fred Williamson Interview in Tales from the Cult Film Trenches: Interviews with 36 Actors from Horror, Science Fiction and Exploitation Cinema McFarland, 6 Sep 2007

Cast

Fred Williamson as Jefferson Bolt
Byron Webster as Griffiths
Miko Mayama as Dominique Kuan
Teresa Graves as Samantha Nightingale
Masatoshi Nakamura as Kumada
John Orchard as Carter
Jack Ging as Connie Mellis
Ken Kazama as "Spider"
Vassili Lambrinos as Raoul De Vargas
Paul Mantee as Mickey

Filming locations

Hong Kong, UK (today China)
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles, California, USA
Los Angeles, California, USA
Macau, Portugal (today China){{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070787/locations|title=That Man Bolt : Locations|publisher=IMDb.com|access-date=2013-10-21}}