Bullet Points: Lady Cocoa
I love action movies that feature actors who are not known for being film actors. It can either be because it is a pleasant surprise with actors giving an inspired performance or it can because it is a complete train wreck. I recently watched the 1975 film Lady Cocoa because not only does it have two NFL stars, Gene Washington and ‘Mean’ Joe Greene, but also the Queen of Las Vegas, Lola Falana. Does a film with two football players and a Vegas performer work? I think it does, although if you are using Lady Cocoa to judge the acting skills of ‘Mean’ Joe Greene, you will get more words out of him in his Coca-Cola commercial. Luckily for you, I happen to have some Bullet Points for Lady Cocoa to help in your decision.
- Coco (Lola Falana) is a prisoner in the Nevada State Penitentiary doing time to protect her racketeering boyfriend Eddie… and yes Coco is spelled in the credits different then the title of the movie. Coco has decided to turn state’s evidence on Eddie to get out of prison. The Attorney General sends Ramsey (Alex Drier) and local police officer Doug (Gene Washington) to escort and protect the witness. Being near Lake Tahoe, the trio go to a hotel and casino to spend the night before meeting with the grand jury. Coco is a tough chick and not a fan of her protection, but listening to her give it to Ramsey and Doug is a big part of the fun of Lady Cocoa. As a surprise to no one, there are two of Eddie’s hitmen, ‘Mean’ Joe Greene as the silent Big Joe and director Matt Cimber as Arthur, who are following the trio and end up at the casino.
- Coco threatens to go back to prison and not testify if she cannot enjoy her freedom. Instead of protecting the witness from a certain hit, Ramsey makes Doug acquiesce to her wishes. I am thankful because it leads to one of the best blackjack scenes on film. There are some strange newlyweds, Marie and Artie, that seem very interested in Doug and Coco which starts a very interesting night of dancing. The dancing is interrupted when Coco spots Big Joe and eventually Eddie. There is some serious tension in Lady Cocoa now as Coco is fearful for her life but she still has love for Eddie.
- Turns out that the reason the newlywed couple was so strange is because they were not who they were pretending to be. Again I am thankful because it leads to the best action in Lady Cocoa with a scuffle and a car chase. Actually, a car chase is short selling it because the car ends up driving through the casino floor with Doug chasing on foot. If a car driving through a casino doesn’t get your heart pumping enough, try this on for size. The car ends up in the pool! What a strange and unnecessary twist for Marie though.
- With Coco being in prison for a couple of years, she eventually gets interested in Doug romantically. Doug is a true professional… until he isn’t and succumbs to her wishes again. This romantic action coincides with the final action scene of Lady Cocoa that happens at, around, and on Lake Tahoe. Lola may have had love for Eddie, but she has a new love interest, and Eddie can’t take the chance of her testifying. The end comes quick and fast and I don’t want to spoil but all I will say is that the newlywed couple wasn’t the only twist.
The story and action of Lady Cocoa has nothing that will separate it from the other 70s exploitation fare, except for the cast. Lola Falana is the star, and she brings the charisma it takes to sell out Las Vegas to Lady Cocoa. Gene Washington had a short acting career in the early to mid 70s to augment his NFL career and it was fun to see him as the straight laced hero. ‘Mean’ Joe Greene had an even smaller acting career (except more people remember him as an actor due to his Coke commercial) but although he has plenty of screen time he doesn’t utter a single word. Very similar to watching him being a menacing but voiceless defensive tackle on television. All three help make Lady Cocoa a fun little watch and I am glad to see they were able to branch out from their more established careers. I am also glad to see these Lady Cocoa Bullet Points are going to end with some Lady Cocoa Bonus Bullet Points.
- Familiar Drunk Face – George ‘Buck’ Flower plays a drunk gambler in one of his several acting credits as a drunk.
- Best Insult – Coco uses the very juvenile derogatory term poo-poos to describe Ramsey and Doug.
- Best Quote that Describes the Main Character – “Coco is always ready.”
- If You Ever… – Wanted to see ‘Mean’ Joe Greene play rock, paper, scissors while driving then Lady Cocoa is for you.
- Filming Hotbed – In what I can only assume was a ploy to play off the success of 1974’s The Godfather Part II use of Lake Tahoe, 1975’s Lady Cocoa double downed and was shot entirely on location at Lake Tahoe and Lady Cocoa made sure to let you know at the beginning of the movie.
- Pop Goes the Weasel – Lady Cocoa features a great theme song, sung by Lola Falana, that is an updated version of “Pop Goes the Weasel” and was also the original name of the film.
