Three the Hard Way is a 1974 action blaxploitation film starring Fred Williamson, Jim Brown, and Jim Kelly, written by Eric Bercovici and Jerrold L. Ludwig and directed by Gordon Parks, Jr. Featuring the three biggest black action stars of the 1970s, in their first movie together, the film chronicled the group's adventures in foiling the plot of white supremacists plotting to kill the black population of the United States by poisoning the water supply. According to The New York Times, the theatrical version ran 93 minutes. A PG version distributed to television runs 105 minutes. The Warner DVD runs 89 minutes and is missing a song and some footage of boats, cars, etc. but includes the language and nudity. The theatrical version contains scenes of three nude women, but these scenes were re-shot with them clothed for the TV version.