Three the Hard Way

Three the Hard Way is a 1974 action blaxploitation film starring Fred Williamson, Jim Brown, and Jim Kelly, written by Eric Bercovici and Jerrold L. Ludwig and directed by Gordon Parks, Jr. The film features the three biggest black action stars of the 1970s in their first movie together. According to The New York Times, the theatrical version ran 93 minutes. A PG version distributed to television (and released on Xenon VHS tape) runs 105 minutes. The Warner DVD ("4 Film Favorites: Urban Action") runs 89 minutes and is missing a song (cut from the theatrical version) and some footage of boats, cars, etc.(cut from the TV version) but includes the language and nudity. The theatrical version contains scenes of three topless women, but these scenes were re-shot with them clothed for the TV version.