Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Petey Wheatstraw Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf July 18, 2016

After rocking the world with blaxsploitation hits “Dolemite” and “The Human Tornado,” star Rudy Ray Moore was in the mood to switch up his formula of sluggish martial arts and tentative sex play, embracing his comedic potential with 1977’s “Petey Wheatstraw,” which replaces scowling with mugging. The film intentionally inches Moore away from his aggressive ways, transforming the brightly decorated star into more of a ringmaster role, overseeing the wacky antics director Cliff Roquemore tries to secure, paying tribute to industry legends and personal heroes. “Petey Wheatstraw” is a ridiculous movie, but intentionally so, satirizing Moore’s still-forming screen persona while working to strengthen storytelling ambition, with the screenplay reaching out to fantasy and religion to help secure a fresh adventure for the star, who’s ready and rhyming to get right back into the action.

Born during a ferocious Miami hurricane, Petey Wheatstraw (Rudy Ray Moore) was destined for greatness, only in need of discipline to prepare the boy for the world. Finding martial arts guidance from Bantu (Brian Breye), Petey grows up to become a lethal weapon with an interest in public performance. Maturing into a popular nightclub comedian, Petey is ready to storm Los Angeles, booking dates at a local club. Terrified by the thought of Petey performing close to the opening of their new establishment, financed by Mr. White (George Mireless), partners Leroy (Leroy Daniels) and Skillet (Ernest Mayhand) are prepared to take out the competition, gunning down Petey with help from Scarface Willie (Marvin Jones). Sent to Hell, Petey makes a deal with Lucifer (G. Tito Shaw) to return to the land of the living in exchange for marrying Satan’s ugly daughter. Agreeing to the deal to help him exact revenge, Petey immediately attempts to squeeze out of his obligations, unearthing a magical cane to help manage his Good Samaritan ways.

It’s important to note that “Petey Wheatstraw” is a comedy. We know this because Moore introduces the feature in Screamin’ Jay Hawkins mode, taking viewers to the day of the titular character’s birth, where he emerged from his mother’s womb as a grown boy, already ticked off at the world. Thankfully, Roquemore doesn’t rest after such a vivid scene (which also samples the first of many watermelon jokes, which is something of an obsession for the filmmaker), laboring to keep the picture on the move, tracking Petey’s growth into a man of action, and soon a stage icon. “Petey Wheatstraw” surveys satanic happenings, but the production isn’t about to go fully macabre here, as Roquemore is happy to share his silent comedy influences, using undercranked footage to emphasize silliness as Petey settles into town, while Skillet and Leroy are portrayed as total boobs with a big dream of theater ownership, observing the two bumble their way around the frame, sucking up to their primary investor, Mr. White.

In keeping with the feature’s unsteady tone, laughs are briefly set aside to take care of motivation, using the murder of a pre-teen boy to inspire a revenge subplot, with the victim’s older sibling, and Petey’s business partner, Ted (Ted Clemmons), out to find the child’s killer, Scarface Willie. Violence leads to more violence, and the story eventually ends up in Hell, where a dead Petey, freshly mowed down during a funeral massacre, is handed an opportunity to return to life if he agrees to marry Lucifer’s daughter, who remains veiled for much of the movie. It’s the deal of the century for the comedian, who’s ready to clean up Los Angeles, newly armed with a magical cane capable of fantastic things. Getting ugliness quickly out of the way, the effort returns to broad antics, including a sequence where Petey tests out the cane’s power and implements his influence, helping kids comb their hair and turning a fat woman thin. He’s an urban Superman, which invites big laughs as the picture embraces its ridiculousness, allowing Moore to dominate with his natural charm and iffy way with screen acting.

“Petey Wheatstraw” gets mighty strange is it unfolds, soon involving the use of a rubber mask on a homeless person to help the comedian thwart Lucifer’s plan of retrieval, and there’s a special bachelor party gift from the future father-in-law, who offers Petey an orgy with horned women to help relax any hesitations he holds about life in Hell. Parts of the film are just stupid (a bomb disposal sequence involving exploding watermelons doesn’t connect), but most of “Petey Wheatstraw” maintains endearing outrageousness, while minor beats, including a graveyard visit that brings out an Abbott & Costello vibe, inspiring genuine laughs, mostly because it feels like everyone onscreen is having a ball making the feature.

Petey Wheatstraw Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation opens on a rough note, with main titles looking weathered, hit with scratches and speckling, while softness is employed to indicate flashbacks. Once into the film, the viewing experience is terrific, respecting the inherent flatness of the original cinematography, which runs into focus issues. Detail is strong when allowed clarity, picking up on fibrous costumes and broad reactions, and environmental textures remain available for inspection. Colors are tastefully refreshed, finding bright and powerful primaries, leading with hearty reds. Extreme period hues are also secure. Delineation reaches as far as it can. Again, the source encounters its share of scratches and mild damage, but nothing's distracting. Grain is filmic.

Petey Wheatstraw Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 1.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix is challenged by age and care, but the essentials of the listening event are sustained to satisfaction. Dialogue exchanges are adequate, rarely losing intelligibility to mumbled line readings and limited technical achievements. Scoring is supportive, and while it lacks definition, it secures mood and emphasis when necessary. Atmospherics are blunt, and sound effects are comfortable.

Petey Wheatstraw Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features Rudy Ray Moore biographer Mark Jason Murray, co-star and set designer Jimmy Lynch, and "closing comments" from Cliff Roquemore.

• "I, Dolemite: Part III" (18:08, HD) continues the Rudy Ray Moore discussion, bringing in cast, crew, and family to provide an understating of "Petey Wheatstraw," which generated a creative detour for the star after finding success with "Dolemite." BTS anecdotes are amusing and interesting, including the belief that a hotel filming location was haunted. The featurette has the right mix of emotion and memory, providing an efficient summary of production achievements.

• "Shooting Locations Revisited" (8:53, SD) joins Moore as he visits famous sights from his filmography, sharing stories about his career, and even taking time to pick up his mail along the way.

• Still Gallery collects images from various theatrical and home video releases, along with publicity pictures.

• Soundtrack offers 11 tracks for your listening pleasure.

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included.

Petey Wheatstraw Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Those expecting another exaggerated bruiser like "Dolemite" should be warned: "Petey Wheatstraw" doesn't walk with the same swagger. It's more complex, visiting Hell and beyond, trying to braid Moore's attitude with different genres, coming up with a messy picture, but one that's wonderfully entertaining. Granted, Roquemore doesn't have much in the way of a budget to reach all his visual goals, but there's storytelling maturation here that's interesting, while Moore takes command of the film with his rhyme-fu, slow-mo action, and distinct sense of humor.