BLACK BETTY

Sexy and soft. That's how a youthful Ezekial Rawlins thought of Elizabeth Eady. Years later in 1961 a mysterious lawyer hires Detective Easy Rawlins to locate a missing person, Black Betty. The time frame of the Civil Rights Movement presumably adds dimension to the novel, however, it's exactly the kind of element sacrificed in abridgment. Character development is another casualty. Nevertheless, Oscar-nominee Paul Winfield delivers flawlessly. Frequently interspersed strains of mellow jazz enhance his performance. Thus, the production equalizes the abridgment problems. D.W.K. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: NOV 94]