“The mob wanted Harlem back. They got Shaft...up to here.”
Cool Black private eye John Shaft is hired by a crime lord to find and retrieve his kidnapped daughter.
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Part of Shaft Collection
5 films
Cast
43 people
Richard Roundtree
John Shaft
Known for
Se7en
George of the Jungle
Moses Gunn
Bumpy Jonas
Known for
The NeverEnding Story
Heartbreak Ridge
Charles Cioffi
Vic Androzzi
Known for
Days of Our Lives
Klute
Christopher St. John
Ben Buford
Also in
The Atlanta Child Murders
Top of the Heap
Gwenn Mitchell
Ellie Moore
Also in
Chosen Survivors
Brother on the Run
Lawrence Pressman
Sergeant Tom Hannon
Known for
Doogie Howser, M.D.
American Pie
Victor Arnold
Charlie
Known for
The Protector
The Seven-Ups
Sherri Brewer
Marcy
Also in
Brave New World
The Baron
Rex Robbins
Rollie
Known for
The Secret of My Success
Camille Yarbrough
Dina Greene
Also in
The Next Man
Caught in the Middle
Margaret Warncke
Linda
No other roles listed
Joseph Leon
Byron Leibowitz
Known for
Sophie's Choice
He Knows You're Alone
Gordon Parks Director · Ernest Tidyman Screenplay John D.F. Black Screenplay
Worldwide gross $12M · Budget $1.1M · United States release June 25, 1971
Box office
Budget
$1,125,000
Worldwide gross
$12,121,618
Gross vs. budget
10.8×
Production
Shaft Productions
Production
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production · Studio
United States
Produced in
Languages
Original language
English
Spoken on screen
English
Release dates
United States · June 23, 1971
Premiere · Detroit, Michigan
United States · June 25, 1971
Limited theatrical · Los Angeles, California
United States
July 2, 1971 · Theatrical
November 6, 2014 · Premiere · Virginia Film Festival
April 17, 2015 · Premiere · RiverRun International Film Festival
Brazil
June 25, 1971 · Theatrical
March 5, 2001 · Physical · DVD
November 25, 2025 · Limited theatrical · IMS Paulista (Especial Novembro Negro — Gordon Parks: A América Sou Eu)
Germany
August 9, 1972 · Theatrical · West Germany
Ireland
January 14, 1972 · Theatrical
Japan
April 1, 1972 · Theatrical
Sweden
November 15, 1971 · Theatrical
United Kingdom
November 19, 1971 · Theatrical
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Some details come from TheTVDB.