The Five Heartbeats (1991)
- Starring:
- Robert Townsend, Michael Wright, (more)
- Director(s):
- Robert Townsend
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- R
- Category:
- Drama
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Loosely based on the life and times of several R&B artists (The Dells, The Temptations, Frankie Lymon, Sam Cooke and others) The Five Heartbeats traces the rise and fall of a popular African-American 1950s singing aggregation. The story is told from the point of view of one of the "Heartbeats," played by Robert Townsend (who also co-produced, directed and co-wrote the script with Keenan Ivory Waynans). The film is an amalgam of anecdotes drawn from real-life experiences: the long struggle upward, the first rush of success, the dishonest record-company executives, the hard-nosed but nurturing managers, the sex, the drugs, the isolation and the precipitous downward slide. The film begins and ends in the 1990s, as the middle-aged "Duck" (Townsend) ruminates on the past and makes the best of the present. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Theatrical Feature Running Time:
- 122 mins
Complete Cast:
- Robert Townsend - Duck
- Leon - J.T.
- Tico Wells - Choirboy
- Chuck Patterson - Jimmy Potter
- Hawthorne James - Big Red
- Phyllis Applegate - Myra Stone
- Don Barnes - Lester
- Shanel Cason - J.T.'s Little Girl
- Barry Diamond - Five Horseman
- Devin C. Huff - Matthew's Kid
- Randy Harris - Big Red's Guy
- Joey Gaynor - Five Horseman
- Roy Fegan - Bird
- O.L. Duke - Monroe
- Harris Peet - Phil Shumway
- Lisa Mende - Marcia Sayles
- David McKnight - Pastor Stone
- Bob Mardis - Midnight Falcon
- Kamar Phillips White - Matthew's Kid
- Joel Weiss - St. George Hotel Doorman
- Recoe Walker - Ebony Sparks
- Tressa Thomas - Duck's Baby Sister
- Harry Stanback - Speakeasy Guy
- Frank Fontaine - Poker Player
- John Canada Terrell - Michael "Flash" Turner
- Jaki Brown-Karman
- Wayne "Crescendo" Ward - Ebony Sparks
- Christopher Bradley - Theatre Security Man
- Brandon Wright - Matthew's Kid
- John Witherspoon - Wild Rudy
- Donnie Simpson - Himself
- Griff Ruggles - Policeman
- Timmie Rogers - Buddy Lewis
- Theresa Randle - Brenda
- Kasi Lemmons - Cookie
- Arnold Johnson - Mr. Matthews
- Alexis Johnson - Little Girl
- Jimmy Jackson - Little Duck
- Mike Conn - Five Horseman
- Troy Beyer - Baby Doll
- Brian Bradley - Five Horseman
- Michael Wright - Eddie
- Harry J. Lennix - Dresser
- Diahann Carroll - Eleanor Potter
- The Nicholas Brothers - Ernest 'Sarge' Johnson
- Harold Nicholas - Sarge
- Fred Asparagus - Big Red's Guy
- Paul Benjamin - Mr. King
- Marilyn Coleman - Mrs. King
- David Drummond - Policeman
- Tommy Redmond Hicks - Pastor Blake
- Eugene Robert Glazer - David Green
- Aaron J. Galang - Theatre Security Man
- Craig Eisner - Jimmy's Doorman
- John Pittman - Hitman
- Kathleen Mitchell - Crystal
- Regina McLeod - Jackie
- Bobby McGee - Leon
- Monique Mannen - Sandra Tillman
- Jeannel Phillips White - Matthew's Kid
- Tiffanique Webb - Speakeasy Girl
- Tommy Townsend - Matthew's Kid
- Suzanne Suter - Crystal
- Carl Edwards - Five Horseman
- James Anderson - Big Red's Guy
- Virginia Watson
- Vincent J. Isaac - Hitman
- Lamont Johnson - Bobby Cassanova
- Gregory "Popeye" Alexander - Midnight Falcon
- Jimmy Woodard - Midnight Falcon
- Ron Smith - Poker Player
- Al Simon - Big Red's Guy
- Roger Rose - The Midnight Falcon
- Veronica Redd - Mrs. Matthews
- Lakisha Luke - Matthew's Kid
- Deborah Lacey - Rose
- Anne-Marie Johnson - Sydney Todd
- Ron Jaxson - Ebony Sparks
- Norma Donaldson - Mrs. Sawyer
- Shannon Chambers - Matthew's Kid
- Gigi Bolden - Crystal
- Carla Brothers - Tanya Sawyer
- Director(s):
- Robert Townsend
- Writer(s):
- Keenen Ivory Wayans, Robert Townsend
- Producer(s):
- Kokayi Ampah, Loretha C. Jones, Robert Townsend
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- R(Profanity, Adult Language, Mild Violence, Questionable for Children, Violence, Adult Situations)
- Categories:
- Drama
- Closed Captioning:
- Check All Versions
- Subtitles:
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