Across 110th Street is a 1972 film. Not a blaxploitation movie at all, this film is a smart, sharp, tough black crime drama that pulls no punches. Made in 1972, it features an early performance by Yaphet Kotto as a by the book black police lieutenant who has to work with a crude, unruly white captain — Anthony Quinn in a very strong performance.
They're after some black hoods who slaughtered five men—three whites and two blacks—in a holdup that netted 300 grand. The getaway driver is played by Starsky and Hutch's Antonio Fargas.
Another is turned in by Tony Franciosa playing a Mafia lieutenant who finds out about the hit and, with his henchmen, goes after the hoods. In one of many violent scenes, he finds Fargas' character and slices and dices him in a Harlem whorehouse.
The dialogue here is much more intelligent than in many similar films, with an attempt made to sound natural and uncontrived. The mix of this down to the bone talk and '70s dress and behavior makes this an entertaining film. The inclusion of violence is not gratuitous; it's an integral part of what happens—and what has to happen, given the circumstances.