You know that feeling when you're flipping through channels or scrolling through a streaming library and you stumble upon a movie that feels like a time capsule but also somehow explains exactly what’s happening in your living room right now? That is Five on the Black Hand Side. Released in 1973, it’s a film that often gets unfairly lumped into the "blaxploitation" era, but if you actually sit down and watch it, you realize it’s something entirely different. It’s a domestic comedy with teeth. It's a protest movie disguised as a family sit-com. Mostly, though, the five on the black hand side cast is what makes the whole thing breathe. Without that specific group of actors, this would have just been another stage play adaptation that gathered dust.
The movie centers on the Brooks family. It’s led by a patriarch who is, frankly, a lot to handle. He's obsessed with "African pride" but runs his household like a drill sergeant. If you’ve ever had a relative who was deep into "the movement" but forgot to be kind to the people under their own roof, you know John Henry Brooks.
The Powerhouse Performance of Leonard Jackson
Leonard Jackson. That’s the name you need to remember. He played John Henry Brooks with this terrifying, hilarious, and deeply frustrating intensity. Jackson wasn't just some guy reading lines; he was a veteran of the stage, specifically the Negro Ensemble Company. You can see that training in the way he carries himself. He’s stiff. He’s formal. He’s demanding "respect" while giving none.
Jackson’s career is fascinating because he became a go-to for these types of roles. You might recognize him later as the "Pa" in The Color Purple. He had this way of making patriarchal stubbornness feel both like a joke and a genuine threat. In Five on the Black Hand Side, his character insists on everyone being on a strict schedule. He’s basically a middle-manager who thinks he’s a king. It’s a brilliant performance because Jackson allows you to see the insecurity underneath the bravado. He's a Black man trying to exert control in a world that gives him none, even if that means making his wife miserable.
Clarice Taylor: The Heart and the Revolution
If Jackson is the immovable object, Clarice Taylor is the irresistible force. Playing Gladys Brooks, she starts the movie as the "docile" wife. She’s the one making the breakfast and taking the orders. But the arc of this film—and the reason people still look up the five on the black hand side cast—is Gladys’s liberation.
Clarice Taylor is an icon. Most people from the 80s and 90s know her as Anna Huxtable from The Cosby Show, but her work here is much more radical. She portrays a woman who realizes that her husband’s version of "Black Power" doesn't actually include her. When she finally stands up for herself—demanding her "dues"—it’s one of the most satisfying moments in 70s cinema. She doesn't just leave; she negotiates. She uses the language of the revolution to liberate her own kitchen.
It’s honestly refreshing.
Too often, 70s films relegated women to the background or made them purely decorative. Taylor makes Gladys the most important person on the screen. She represents a specific generation of Black women who were the backbone of the community but were tired of being stepped on.
The Supporting Players: More Than Just Background
The kids in the Brooks family aren't just there to fill out the dinner table. They represent the different factions of the Black community in the early 70s.
- Glynn Turman as Gideon: Turman is a legend. Period. Even back then, he had this cool, intellectual energy. His character is the one pushing the family toward a more progressive, militant stance, but he’s doing it from a place of love. Turman’s career after this—Cooley High, A Different World, even The Wire—just proves how much talent was packed into this one cast.
- D’Urville Martin as Booker T.: Martin was a staple of 70s Black cinema. He’s often remembered for Dolemite, but here he plays the son who is trying to find his way between his father’s traditionalism and the new world.
- Bonnie Banfield as Stephanie: Her character’s upcoming wedding is the ticking clock of the movie. She’s caught in the middle of her father’s ego and her own desire for a modern life.
Then there is Godfrey Cambridge. He shows up as himself in a cameo, but his influence on the tone of the film is massive. Cambridge was a pioneer of "crossover" comedy that didn't strip away Black identity, and his presence adds a layer of meta-commentary to the whole production.
Why This Cast Worked When Others Didn't
A lot of movies from 1973 feel dated. The clothes are loud, the music is funky, but the stories feel thin. Five on the Black Hand Side avoids this because the cast treats it like Chekhov. They aren't playing caricatures.
They’re playing people.
The film was based on a play by Charlie L. Russell, and it keeps that theatrical intimacy. Most of it takes place in the house. When you’re stuck in one location, the acting has to be top-tier, or the audience gets bored. This cast keeps the energy high because the stakes feel real. When John Henry yells about his "Black Hand Side" (the "dap" or handshake), it’s funny, yeah, but Jackson plays it with such sincerity that you understand why it matters to him. It’s his identity.
👉 See also: The 100 Season 6: Why Everything Changed Once They Landed on Alpha
The chemistry between Clarice Taylor and Leonard Jackson is the engine. They feel like a couple that has been married for twenty years. They know exactly how to push each other's buttons. That kind of lived-in performance is rare in "genre" films of that era.
The Cultural Impact and the "Dap"
We have to talk about the title. "Give me five on the black hand side." It’s a reference to the complex handshakes that became a symbol of Black solidarity and defiance in the 60s and 70s. The cast had to embody that spirit. It wasn't just a gimmick; it was a lifestyle.
The movie deals with themes that are still screamingly relevant:
- The role of women in revolutionary spaces.
- The generational gap between "Old Guard" and "New Guard" activists.
- The performative nature of some types of militancy.
- The struggle to maintain a "respectable" image while fighting for freedom.
Honestly, if you watch the scenes where the neighborhood women come together to support Gladys, it feels like a precursor to the "Black Girl Magic" movement. It’s about community. It’s about not letting the men have all the fun—or all the power.
Misconceptions About the Film
People often think this is just a "funny movie." It is funny. But it’s also a critique.
A big misconception is that the film is anti-man. It’s not. It’s anti-ego. By the end, the five on the black hand side cast shows us a family that has found a new equilibrium. It’s not about tearing the father down; it’s about bringing everyone else up to his level.
Another mistake people make is thinking these actors were "undiscovered." Many of them were stalwarts of the New York theater scene. They brought a level of craft to the screen that often went unrecognized by mainstream white critics at the time. To those critics, it was just a "small movie." To Black audiences, it was a mirror.
How to Appreciate the Cast Today
If you want to dive deeper into the work of this cast, don't stop at this movie.
Go look at Glynn Turman in Cooley High. It’s a masterpiece.
Watch Clarice Taylor’s later work and see how she carried that "Gladys" strength into every role.
Look for Leonard Jackson in his character roles throughout the 80s—he was a master of the "grumpy but complicated" archetype.
The film is currently available on various digital platforms and occasionally pops up on TCM or Criterion Channel. It’s worth the rental fee.
Actionable Takeaways for Film Lovers
- Watch the transition: Pay close attention to the scene where Gladys finally confronts John Henry. Observe Clarice Taylor’s body language; she literally grows taller as the scene progresses.
- Analyze the "Dap": Research the history of the handshake used in the film. It was a language of its own during the Vietnam era and the Civil Rights movement.
- Compare and Contrast: Watch this alongside a modern family dramedy like Black-ish. You’ll see the DNA of Five on the Black Hand Side all over it.
- Support the Legacy: Seek out other films from the Negro Ensemble Company actors. They represent a pivotal moment in American acting history that bridged the gap between the stage and the screen.
The five on the black hand side cast didn't just make a movie; they captured a specific vibration of Black American life that was moving away from the 60s and into a more complicated, self-reflective 70s. It’s a riot. It’s a lesson. It’s a classic.