Abar, the First Black Superman

Lore & Background

The film was the brainchild of James Smalley, a black pimp from Louisiana, and Frank Packard, a white actor and screenwriter. It was filmed partly in a working whorehouse. Smalley ran out of money before the film was completed and had to sell it to the owner of a film processing lab to settle his unpaid bills. The film was shot in the Baldwin Hills and Watts neighborhoods of Los Angeles without permits. At one point, actual motorcycle gang members hired to play a black motorcycle gang surrounded the cars of white police officers who had been called to shut down shooting; the officers chose to stay in their cars.

Reader's Guide

Abar, The First Black Superman holds significance as a rare blaxploitation superhero film from the 1970s, notable for its troubled production and unconventional financing. Its premise—a scientist father gives a superpower elixir to a bodyguard to fight bigotry—reflects the social tensions of its era. The film's limited release on the 'Chitlin' Circuit' of Southern drive-ins and its multiple title changes (from SuperBlack to Abar, The First Black Superman to In Your Face) underscore its marginal place in cinema history. The behind-the-scenes story, involving a pimp, a whorehouse, and a standoff with police, adds to its cult status. Though not widely seen, it remains a curiosity for fans of blaxploitation and obscure genre films.

Did You Know?

• The film was originally titled SuperBlack and completed in 1975, but not released until 1977.
• Actual motorcycle gang members hired as extras surrounded police cars when officers tried to shut down unauthorized shooting.
• The film was sold to a film processing lab owner to settle unpaid bills.

Origins & Production

The genesis of Abar, The First Black Superman traces back to an unlikely creative partnership between James Smalley, a black pimp from Louisiana, and Frank Packard, a white actor and screenwriter. Together they brought this blaxploitation superhero project to life under conditions that would have been extraordinary even for a well-funded studio picture. The production was filmed partly inside a working whorehouse, a location choice that speaks to the scrappy, resourceful nature of the shoot. As the production progressed, Smalley exhausted his available funds before the picture was finished. Unable to complete the film through his own means, he was forced to sell it to the owner of a film processing laboratory in order to settle his outstanding debts. The project, which had originally carried the working title SuperBlack, was completed in 1975 but did not reach audiences for another two years. This gap between completion and release, combined with the film's unconventional origins, set the stage for a distribution path unlike anything in mainstream Hollywood.

Premise & Ensemble Cast

At its core, the film follows a persecuted black family that has just relocated into a deeply bigoted neighborhood. In response to the hostility they face, the family's scientist father devises a superpower elixir and administers it to a tough bodyguard, transforming him into a superpowered crimefighter who takes on the forces of oppression. The narrative is carried by an ensemble cast led by J. Walter Smith in the role of Dr. Kinkade, the inventive patriarch, while Tobar Mayo portrays John Abar, the bodyguard who becomes the film's titular superhero. Roxie Young plays Mrs. Kinkade, anchoring the family unit, and the younger Kinkade children are portrayed by Gladys Lum as Debbie, Tony Rumford as Tommie, and Rupert Williams as Jim, with Tina James as Susan. Supporting roles include Art Jackson as Dudley, Allen Ogle as Peabody, Joe Alberti as Hunt, and Dee Turguand as Mabel, rounding out a cast that gives texture to both the domestic and action elements of the story.

Release, Retitling & Distribution

The journey from finished film to audience was anything but straightforward. Although the picture was completed in 1975 under the working title SuperBlack, it did not receive its theatrical release until 1977, at which point it had been renamed Abar, The First Black Superman. Even that release was extremely limited, with showings concentrated primarily on what was known as the Chitlin' Circuit, a network of Southern drive-in theaters that catered specifically to Black audiences. The film did not find a wider home until 1990, when it was issued on VHS under yet another new title, In Your Face. This sequence of three different names across three distinct release windows reflects the film's struggle to find a consistent identity in the marketplace. Each retitling likely represented a different marketing strategy aimed at a different audience, from the original blaxploitation crowd to the home-video consumers of the late 1980s.

Unpermitted Filming & the Gang Standoff

The physical production of the film took place in the Baldwin Hills and Watts neighborhoods of Los Angeles, and notably, the crew shot without obtaining the necessary permits. This lack of official authorization created a tense situation that escalated in one memorable incident. During a shoot, actual motorcycle gang members who had been hired to portray a black motorcycle gang found themselves in a confrontation with law enforcement. White police officers had been called to the location to shut down what they perceived as an unauthorized production. In a striking reversal, the hired gang members surrounded the police cars, and the officers, rather than engaging, chose to remain inside their vehicles. The standoff resolved without incident, but it underscores the precarious position the production occupied, operating outside legal frameworks in communities where tensions between Black residents and law enforcement were already high. The film's very making became a small drama of its own.