With the latest incarnation of "Shaft" about to hit theaters starring Samuel L. Jackson and the original star of the franchise, Richard Roundtree, the Hollywood Reporter's Bill Higgins looks back on how the 1971 release of the original film revolutionized the film industry and brought in the first major era for African-American action heroes. The film also established Gordon Parks as a bankable director. His first film, "The Learning Tree", released in 1969, won critical acclaim but it was "Shaft" that really broke the glass ceiling for black movie directors, though it would take many years before the opportunity was extended to other talented filmmakers. Click here to read.