''A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich'' is a 1977 film directed by

Ralph Nelson Ralph Nelson (August 12, 1916 – December 21, 1987) was an American film and television director, producer, writer, and actor. He was best known for directing '' Lilies of the Field'' (1963), '' Father Goose'' (1964), and '' Charly'' (1968 ...

about a black junior high school student who becomes a

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a morphinan opioid substance synthesized from the Opium, dried latex of the Papaver somniferum, opium poppy; it is mainly used as a recreational drug for its eupho ...

addict. The screenplay was written by Alice Childress, based on her novel of the same name. It was shot on location in

South Central Los Angeles South Los Angeles, also known as South Central Los Angeles or simply South Central, is a region in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, lying mostly within the city limits of Los Angeles, south of Downtown Los Angeles, downtown. It is de ...

. It was Nelson's last film before his death.

Synopsis

Thirteen-year-old Benjie ( Larry B. Scott) lives in a historic but declining neighborhood with his mother Raylene (Sweets) (

Cicely Tyson Cecily Louise "Cicely" Tyson (; December 19, 1924January 28, 2021) was an American actress. In a career that spanned more than seven decades, she is known for her portrayals of complex and strong-willed African American women. She received sev ...

), his grandmother Mrs. Peggy Bell (

Helen Martin Helen Dorothy Martin (July 23, 1909 – March 25, 2000) was an American actress of stage and television. Martin's career spanned over 60 years, appearing first on stage and later in film and television. Martin is best known for her roles as Wanda ...

), and his mother's boyfriend Butler (

Paul Winfield Paul Edward Winfield (May 22, 1939 – March 7, 2004) was an American actor. He was known for his portrayal of a Louisiana sharecropper who struggles to support his family during the Great Depression in the landmark film '' Sounder'' (1972), whi ...

), a maintenance worker and former musician. Benjie appears to be well adjusted, living in a decent house with a loving family, getting good grades in school, and spending time with his friends Jimmy Lee and Carwell. However, internally he struggles with the pain of being abandoned by his biological father, his mixed feelings about Sweets and Butler, and a growing awareness of racism in society. At Sweets' urging, Butler tries to forge a fatherly relationship with Benjie, who rejects his overtures. When Benjie tries

marijuana Cannabis (), commonly known as marijuana (), weed, pot, and ganja, List of slang names for cannabis, among other names, is a non-chemically uniform psychoactive drug from the ''Cannabis'' plant. Native to Central or South Asia, cannabis has ...

with his friends, he enjoys the high, and soon moves on to injecting heroin provided by local drug dealer Tiger. Benjie is attracted by Tiger's flattery and glamorous lifestyle, and the heroin initially helps him cope with his feelings. He soon becomes addicted, and must support his habit by stealing from his family and delivering drugs for Tiger. After a violent confrontation with Butler over his behavior, Benjie nods out at school and is sent to a

drug rehabilitation Drug rehabilitation is the process of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and street drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, heroin, and amphetamines. The general int ...

hospital, where he undergoes therapy to learn to honestly express his suppressed thoughts and feelings. He is finally released from the hospital, only to learn that Carwell has died at age 12 from a lethal shot of heroin. As Benjie struggles to stay clean, he and his family also struggle to communicate more honestly with each other, which often leads to family arguments. Unable to deal with Benjie, Butler moves out, but he and Sweets love each other too much to stay apart, and they reconcile. After Butler saves Benjie from a near-fatal accident, Benjie finally begins to trust and accept Butler as his father.

Cast

as "Sweets" *

as Butler * Larry B. Scott as Benjie *

as Mrs. Bell *

Glynn Turman Glynn Turman (born January 31, 1947) is an American actor. First coming to attention as a child actor in the original 1959 Broadway production of ''A Raisin in the Sun'', Turman is known for his roles as Lew Miles on the prime-time soap opera '' ...

as "Nigeria" *

David Groh David Lawrence Groh (May 21, 1939 – February 12, 2008)Noland, Claire (14 February 2008)"David Groh, 68; Husband on 'Rhoda'". ''Los Angeles Times''. was an American actor best known for his portrayal of Joe Gerard in the 1970s television series ...

as Mr. Cohen *

Harold Sylvester Harold Sylvester (born February 10, 1949) is an American film and television actor. Early life and education Sylvester was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is a graduate of New Orleans' St. Augustine High School and Tulane University. Turnin ...

as Doctor *

Bill Cobbs Wilbert Alexander Cobbs (June 16, 1934 – June 25, 2024) was an American actor, known for such film roles as Louisiana Slim in '' The Hitter'' (1979), Walter in '' The Brother from Another Planet'' (1984), Reginald in ''Night at the Museum' ...

as The Bartender * Erin Blunt as Carwell * Joey Green as Jimmy Lee

Critical reception

Janet Maslin Janet R. Maslin (born August 12, 1949) is an American journalist, who served as a film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1977 to 1999, serving as chief critic for the last six years, and then a literary critic from 2000 to 2015. In 2000, M ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' thought that the film was poorly executed but praised some of the acting: Jaqueline Trescott of ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' felt similarly saying: ""Sandwich," now playing at several area theaters, becomes a prime social statement film of the restless high school assembly but not the riveting exploration of contemporary life its outline suggests for the mass audience. It is superficial and predictable but, worse, detached - and detachment from a monumental social problem like drugs is a disgrace...Participating in the unwieldy "Sandwich" is a fine roster of talent."

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hero Ain't Nothin' But A Sandwich, A 1977 films African-American films 1970s English-language films Films based on American novels Films set in Los Angeles Films shot in Los Angeles New World Pictures films Films directed by Ralph Nelson American drama films 1970s American films