A Piece of the Action (1977)

Director: Sidney Poitier
Cast: Bill Cosby, Denise Nicholas, Hope Clarke, Ja'net DuBois, James Earl Jones, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Sidney Poitier, Tracy Reed

Synopsis:

How does retired cop Joshua Burke (James Earl Jones) get two career criminals, Manny Durrell (Sidney Poitier) and Dave Anderson (Bill Cosby), to follow the straight and narrow? Con them into helping juvenile delinquents turn over a new leaf. But how? Burke has never been able to nail the duo, but he uses what he knows of their seedy past to blackmail them into volunteering.