Shaft (1971 Film) - Production

Production

According to Melvin Van Peebles, the original production was of a white detective story, but following the success of Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, the original script was scrapped in favor of an adaptation of Ernest Tidyman's 1970 novel Shaft, which focused on a black detective. However, production of Shaft had begun in January 1971, well before the release of Van Peebles's film, with Roundtree's casting in the title role widely reported. As early as January 5, 1971, The New York Times had reported that the film's 10-week shooting schedule was about to begin, that Roundtree would play the title role, and that Tidyman's book formed the basis for the film.

Tidyman, who is white, was an editor at The New York Times prior to becoming a novelist. He sold the movie rights to Shaft by showing the galley proofs to the studio (the novel had not yet been published). Tidyman was honored by the NAACP for his work on the Shaft movies and books.