River Niger, The / To All My Friends On Shore (Double Feature) (1971) Rating: Starring: Bill Cosby, Lou Gossett Jr., James Earl Jones, Cicely Tyson Director: Category: Special Interest, Special Interest Studio: Catcom Home Video Subtitles: Length: 176 mins     Like Being At The Movies, Just Add The Popcorn! The River Niger A housepainter and poet played by James Earl Jones awaits his son's return from the jungles of Viet Nam. On his arrival back to the USA, the son soon realizes that once you've left, you can never really return, especially after seeing the horrors of combat. His old street gang that he left behind for the military, now want him to re-up and join the revolution! The River Niger was a Tony Award winning play and translates well to the silver screen with its in depth look at the soul of the black experience. Lou Gossett Jr. and Cicely Tyson give great support to James Earl Jones' raw and powerful performance. To All My Friends On Shore Evander Blue Jr., played by Bill Cosby, is a man trying to make the world a better place for his wife and son. He'll take any job, as long as it's legit, to raise the money to buy his dream house, located just outside of the ghetto. When his son is diagnosed with sickle cell anemia, his focus changes to keeping his boy healthy and alive. This inspiring and well-told story was a pet project of Cosby's from beginning to end. Not only does he star in the title role, but Cosby also produced the film, wrote the script, and scored the music track as well.