| caption = Film poster
| caption = Film poster
| director = [[Matt Cimber]]
| director = [[Matt Cimber]]
| producer =
| producer =
| writer = George Theakos (credited as Mikel Angel)
| writer = Mikel Angel
| narrator =
| narrator =
| starring = [[Lola Falana]]<br>[[Gene Washington (American football, born 1947)|Gene Washington]]<br>[[Millie Perkins]]<br>[[Alex Dreier]]<br>[[Joe Greene]]<br>James A. Watson Jr.
| starring = [[Lola Falana]]
| music = Luchi De Jesus
| music = Luchi De Jesus
| cinematography = Ken Gibb
| cinematography = Ken Gibb
| editing = Bud Warner
| editing = Bud Warner
| distributor = [[Dimension Pictures (1970s company)|Dimension Pictures]]
| distributor = [[Dimension Pictures (1970s company)|Dimension Pictures]]
| country = United States
| country = United States
| language = English
| language = English
| budget =
| budget =
}}
}}
””’Lady Cocoa””’ (also known as ””’Pop Goes the Weasel””’) is a 1975 low-budget American [[blaxploitation]] crime drama that was directed by [[Matt Cimber]].<ref name=svmg04/> With [[Lola Falana]] in the title role,<ref name=berry2007/> the film also featured [[Millie Perkins]], [[Alex Dreier]], [[Gene Washington (wide receiver, born 1947)|Gene Washington]] and [[Joe Greene]]. It was released by Moonstone Entertainment,<ref name=lawrence2008/> and written by George Theakos.
””’Lady Cocoa””’ (also known as ””’Pop Goes the Weasel””’) is a 1975 low-budget American [[blaxploitation]] crime drama that was directed by [[Matt Cimber]].<ref name=svmg04/> With [[Lola Falana]] in the title role,<ref name=berry2007/> the film also featured [[Millie Perkins]], [[Alex Dreier]], [[Gene Washington (wide receiver, born 1947)|Gene Washington]] and [[Joe Greene]]. It was released by Moonstone Entertainment,<ref name=lawrence2008/> and written by George Theakos.
==Premise==
==Premise==
The film tells the story of a woman ([[Lola Falana]]) who is released from jail for 24 hours prior to testifying against her ex-boyfriend (James A. Watson Jr.) and is placed in police protection for that timeframe.<ref name=craddock2005/> The film mimics the plot-line in theoretically the first [[blaxploitation]] movie, [[Carmen Jones (film)|Carmen Jones]]. Adjustments are made to that traditional story so that the protecting officer does not meet a pathetic end nor that our heroine nastily lose her life to him.
The film tells the story of who is released from jail for 24 hours prior to testifying against her ex-boyfriend and is placed in police protection for that timeframe.<ref name=craddock2005/>
==Cast==
==Cast==
* [[Alex Dreier]] as Ramsey
* [[Alex Dreier]] as Ramsey
* [[Millie Perkins]] as Marie
* [[Millie Perkins]] as Marie
* [[Joe Greene]] as Joe “Big Joe“ (credited as ‘Mean’ Joe Greene)
* [[Joe Greene]] as “Big” Joe
* James A. Watson Jr. as Eddie
* James A. Watson Jr. as Eddie
* [[Matt Cimber]] as Arthur (credited as Gary Harper
* [[Matt Cimber]] as Arthur
* James R. Sweeney as Desk Sergeant
* James R. Sweeney as Desk Sergeant
* [[George Buck Flower]] as Drunk Gambler (credited as Buck Flower)
* [[George Buck Flower]] as Drunk Gambler
as
* John F. Goff as The Sicilian (credited as John Goff)
* La Verne Watson as Eddie’s Girl
* La Verne Watson as Eddie’s Girl
==Reception==
==Reception==
Linda Gross of the ”[[Los Angeles Times]]” called ”Lady Cocoa” “a slick, predictable, but well-made blaxploitation film.”<ref>{{cite news|last=Gross|first=Linda|date=October 24, 1975|title=Movie Reviews: Double Bill Blaxploitation|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/83314384/the-los-angeles-times/|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|location=Los Angeles, California|access-date=August 12, 2021}}</ref> Joe Baltake, writing for the ”[[Philadelphia Daily News]]”, complimented Falana’s performance but called the film “a flimsy, boring situation comedy,” concluding: “It’s dumb, but Lola makes it palatable.”<ref>{{cite news|last=Baltake|first=Joe|date=August 28, 1975|title=Lola’s ‘Cocoa’ Is Palatable|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/83314701/philadelphia-daily-news/|work=[[Philadelphia Daily News]]|location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|access-date=August 12, 2021}}</ref>
Linda Gross of the ”[[Los Angeles Times]]” called ”Lady Cocoa” “a slick, predictable, but well-made blaxploitation film.”<ref>{{cite news|last=Gross|first=Linda|date=October 24, 1975|title=Movie Reviews: Double Bill Blaxploitation|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/83314384/the-los-angeles-times/|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|location=Los Angeles, California|access-date=August 12, 2021}}</ref> Joe Baltake, writing for the ”[[Philadelphia Daily News]]”, complimented Falana’s performance but called the film “a flimsy, boring situation comedy,” concluding: “It’s dumb, but Lola makes it palatable.”<ref>{{cite news|last=Baltake|first=Joe|date=August 28, 1975|title=Lola’s ‘Cocoa’ Is Palatable|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/83314701/philadelphia-daily-news/|work=[[Philadelphia Daily News]]|location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|access-date=August 12, 2021}}</ref>
==See also==
==See also==
1975 film by Matt Cimber
Lady Cocoa (also known as Pop Goes the Weasel) is a 1975 low-budget American blaxploitation crime drama that was directed by Matt Cimber.[1] With Lola Falana in the title role,[2] the film also featured Millie Perkins, Alex Dreier, Gene Washington and Joe Greene. It was released by Moonstone Entertainment,[3] and written by George Theakos.
The film tells the story of Coco who is released from jail for 24 hours prior to testifying against her ex-boyfriend Eddie and is placed in police protection for that timeframe.[4]
Linda Gross of the Los Angeles Times called Lady Cocoa “a slick, predictable, but well-made blaxploitation film.”[5] Joe Baltake, writing for the Philadelphia Daily News, complimented Lola Falana‘s performance but called the film “a flimsy, boring situation comedy,” concluding: “It’s dumb, but Lola makes it palatable.”[6]
- ^ Staff (2004). The Scarecrow Video Movie Guide. Seattle: Sasquatch Books. p. 391. ISBN 1-57061-415-6.
- ^ Berry, Torriano; Berry, Venise T. (2007). Historical dictionary of African American cinema. Historical dictionaries of literature and the arts. Vol. 12. Scarecrow Press. p. 112. ISBN 978-0-8108-5545-8.
- ^ Lawrence, Novotny (2008). Blaxploitation films of the 1970s: Blackness and genre. Studies in African American history and culture. Psychology Press. p. 108. ISBN 978-0-415-96097-7.
- ^ Craddock, Jim (2005). Videohound’s Golden Movie Retriever. Thomson/Gale. p. 460. ISBN 0-7876-7470-2.
- ^ Gross, Linda (October 24, 1975). “Movie Reviews: Double Bill Blaxploitation”. Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
- ^ Baltake, Joe (August 28, 1975). “Lola’s ‘Cocoa’ Is Palatable”. Philadelphia Daily News. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
