Eartha Kitt Movies
Born in the South and raised in Harlem, sultry black actress/singer Eartha Kitt attended New York's High School of Performing Arts. After touring with Katherine Dunham's dance troupe, Kitt headlined at choice nightclubs in both Paris and the U.S. She made her acting debut as Helen of Troy in Orson Welles' 1951 staging of Faust. The following year, she came to Broadway in the musical revue New Faces of 1952 in which she stopped the show on a nightly basis with her sensuous rendition of "C'est Si Bon." It was the first of many top-ten hits for Kitt, who was one of a handful of black performers of the 1950s to receive regular air play on "white" radio stations. Subsequent Broadway appearances included the role of Mehitabel the alley cat in the 1958 musical Shinbone Alley.Though considered a "crossover" performer, Kitt's movie appearances were often confined to films with predominantly African American casts, e.g. Anna Lucasta (1958) and St. Louis Blues (1958). She made several well-received TV guest appearances in the 1950s and 1960s, unexpectedly gaining a flock of preteen fans for her portrayal of The Catwoman on a 1967 installment of Batman. Never one to shy away from controversy, Kitt was banned from the White House for several years after making a series of anti-Vietnam statements within earshot of Lady Bird Johnson. Nor has she been a controversial figure only to the white mainstream: she was once booed off the stage of Harlem's Apollo Theatre, reportedly because the audience didn't care for her condescending onstage demeanor. After several years in England, Kitt returned to the U.S. to co-star in the 1975 Pam Grier vehicle Friday Foster. Back on Broadway in 1978, Kitt starred in the musical Timbuktu, an all-black reworking of the old stage chestnut Kismet. Her sporadic film appearances from 1980 onward included her manic (and all too brief) portrayal of a centuries-old witch in Ernest Scared Stupid (1991). Eartha Kitt authored several books of memoirs, and in 1982 was the subject of the documentary film All By Myself. She died on Christmas Day in 2008 after a battle with colon cancer. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
By conceiving a child via artificial insemination, hip, modern and thoroughly independent magazine writer Julie Davidson (Vanessa Williams) managed to trim the messy nuptial relationship strings so often attached to starting a family. Imagine her shock, then, when her now-six-year-old son, Jason, demonstrates his growing need for a paternal role model by misbehaving in school. Thus begins Richard Schenkman's gentle romantic comedy And Then Came Love. Julie soon sets out on a quest to find the original sperm donor - youngish, self-effacing actor Paul (Kevin Daniels) - hoping he will take some responsibility for Jason's awry behavior. Father and son do indeed forge a strong relationship; but in Julie's wildest imagination, she never expected to fall in love with this new acquaintance. And Then Came Love reached theaters (in extremely limited release) circa mid-June 2007, and received video distribution almost immediately after. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- Vanessa Williams, Kevin Daniels, (more)
- 2006
The weekly, half-hour cartoon series The Emperor's New School was a spin-off of two Disney animated features, The Emperor's New Groove (2000) and the direct-to-video Kronk's New Groove (2005). Set in pre-Columbian South America, the series, like its predecessors, chronicled the misadventures of spoiled young Incan emperor Kuzco, who was forever learning valuable life lessons en route to the throne. In the TV series, Kuzco was obliged to graduate from school before he could claim the crown. Thwarting the protagonist every step of the way was his power-hungry former administrator Yzma, who had disguised himself as the school's principal, and Yzma's principal stooge Kronk, who posed as a fellow student. Eartha Kitt, Patrick Warburton, Wendie Malick and Bob Bergen, who had provided voices for the original films, repeated their roles on the TV spin-off. In typical Disney "super-saturation" fashion, The Emperor's New School debuted on The Disney Channel, ABC and Toon Disney over a three-day period, from January 27 through 29, 2006. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Wendie Malick, Jessica Di Cicco, (more)
James Dean: Sense Memories documents the short but brilliant career of the iconic James Dean. Combining interviews given by some of those who worked with him and archival footage, this American Masters film attempts to explain how Dean's talent and acting style helped make him a superstar and helped maintain his legend in death. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
The voice cast of Disney's 2000 animated hit The Emperor's New Groove returns in this sequel in which newly established restaurateur Kronk attempts to whip his diner into shape before the arrival of his visiting father. Business at his newly opened restaurant just isn't as good as Kronk had hoped, and upon receiving a llama-gram stating that his father is currently en route, the stressed chef and his enchanting partner Yzma begin cooking up a scheme that will give the restaurant the distinct smell of success. When the plan backfires and an enormous cheese explosion leaves Kronk and company scrambling to get back on their feet, it's up to his friends to convince him that the only way he'll ever achieve true happiness is by remaining true to his groove no matter how heavy the odds are stacked against him. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
A pair of estranged twins driven apart by the death of their parents find reconciliation and redemption after following radically different paths in life in director Charles Randolph-Wright's righteous tale of sibling rivalry and divine intervention. Upon losing their parents, twin brothers Teshawn (Billöah Greene) and Wesley Tucker (Darien Sills-Evans) each attempt to deal with the devastating blow in their own personal ways. While Wesley falls back on his faith by becoming a respected Harlem minister, Teshawn breaks into the music business by transforming himself into thuggish gangsta rapper Zulu. With his star on the rise and the future looking bright, Teshawn is suddenly forced to flee his West Coast home for the safety of Harlem when vengeful record producer Bull Sharky (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) vows to put an end to more than just his recording career. As Teshawn seeks sanctuary in the open arms of his forgiving brother and the gospel church, his work with the failing church choir offers fulfilling sense of community that soon leads him into the arms of attractive churchgoer Kia (Janine Green) -- a no-nonsense woman of God who holds Harlem's rich history near and dear to her heart. Now, as Bull Sharky and violent his crew begin knocking down doors in a desperate attempt to locate the exiled hip-hop star, Teshawn and Wesley are compelled to confront the past in order to clear the path for a brighter future. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Billöah Greene, Darien Sills-Evans, (more)
A boy being punished for a crime he didn't commit learns there's more going on at a juvenile correctional facility than meets the eye in this comedy drama. Stanley Yelnats IV (Shia LaBeouf) is a teenager who has been told all his life that the men in the Yelnats family are cursed, thanks to a false promise his great, great grandfather made to a fortune teller. Given his frequent bad luck, and that which follows his father (Henry Winkler), Stanley has no trouble believing this. Stanley's bad luck hits a new low when a pair of sneakers literally falls out of the sky on him -- and turn out to be stolen. A judge sentences Stanley to a stay at Camp Green Lake, a juvenile correctional facility stuck in the middle of the desert, where he finds himself sharing a tent with a gang of misfits, including ringleader X-Ray (Brenden Jefferson), pushy Squid (Jake M. Smith), small but wiry Zero (Khleo Thomas), tough and stinky Armpit (Byron Cotton), paranoid ZigZag (Max Kasch), and thief-in-training Magnet (Miguel Castro). The Warden of Camp Green Lake (Sigourney Weaver) has her own ideas about rehabilitation, which consist of having the boys spend their days digging holes five feet deep under the desert sun. While well-mannered counselor Pendanski (Tim Blake Nelson) tries to help the boys however he can, Mr. Sir (Jon Voight), The Warden's right hand man, is a heartless creep who enjoys making Stanley and his friends suffer. Before long, Stanley wonders if there's a good reason why the Warden seems so curious about what (if anything) the boys find during their digging, and in time he suspects there's something they haven't been told which might be connected to the Yelnats family curse. Holes was based on the award-winning book for young people by Louis Sachar, who also wrote the film's screenplay. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sigourney Weaver, Jon Voight, (more)
A woman is forced to decide which of her dreams she'd like to come true in this musical-comedy drama. Billie Golden (Isabel Rose) is a young woman who dreams of being a successful cabaret singer and often imagines herself performing in a swank lounge or starring in a classic movie musical of the 1940s. At the moment, however, Billie is singing in a dingy cocktail lounge near an airport and lives in a ramshackle row house in Queens with her hard-drinking mother (Alix Korey). One day, Billie bumps into an old friend from high school, Greg Ellenbogen (Cameron Bancroft); as it happens, Greg is now a very successful lawyer, and he still carries a torch for Billie. While Greg loves Billie and can easily give her all the creature comforts of life, she's also infatuated with Elliot (Andrew McCarthy), a hipster piano player who believes in her abilities as a singer. When Greg asks Billie for her hand in marriage, she's forced to decide between love and security or the career in music for which she's always longed. Also screened under the title Standard Time, Anything but Love includes an appearance by legendary entertainer Eartha Kitt; leading lady Rose also wrote the film's screenplay. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Isabel Rose, Andrew McCarthy, (more)
Based on a story by Anne Rice, this made-for-cable miniseries explores the little-known phenomenon of the "Gens de Couleur Libres," or "Free People of Color," who lived in Louisiana at a time when slavery still held a stranglehold on much of the South. In 1822, it was not at all uncommon for attractive women of color to be retained as a "placage," a sort of "kept woman" who served the wishes of wealthy landowners, and after Philippe Ferronnaire (Peter Gallagher) enters into a loveless arranged marriage with Aglae (Jenny Levine) in order to curry the favor of her elderly (and very well-to-do) father Magloire Dazincourt (John Gilbert), he soon finds himself the father of two families -- one raised by Aglae, and another raised by his "placage" Cecile Ste. Marie (Gloria Reuben), a lovely bi-racial woman from Haiti. Philippe's son with Cecile, Marcel Ste. Marie (Robert Richard), is raised with the promise that, even though Philippe cannot officially acknowledge his parenthood, he will receive a first-class education in Europe, and Marcel finds himself travelling between the worlds of wealthy whites and economically disadvantaged Creoles in New Orleans. In time, Marcel falls in love with a girl of similar circumstances, Anna Bella (Bianca Lawson), but as fate would have it, her guardian, Elsie Claviere (Ruby Dee), has already arranged for the girl to enter into a "placage" with Vincent Dazincourt (Alec McClure), who happens to be Philippe's brother-in-law. Directed by Peter Medak, Feast of All Saints also features Ben Vereen and Ossie Davis. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gloria Reuben, Peter Gallagher, (more)
A ruler learns how the other half lives -- the animal half, that is -- in this animated comedy-adventure from the Walt Disney Studios. Kuzco (voice of David Spade) is the young emperor of an Inca nation who takes a self-centered joy in the troubles of others. Not surprisingly, Kuzco's attitudes have earned the enmity of many of his subjects, including Yzma (voice of Eartha Kitt), a sorceress who wants to seize power away from the emperor after he relieved her of her royal duties, declaring she was too old and unattractive to do the job. Yzma and her musclebound assistant Kronk (voice of Patrick Warburton) hatch a plan to poison Kuzco and take the throne, but thanks to a mistake on Kronk's part, Kuzco isn't killed -- he's instead turned into a talking llama. Kronk can't bring himself to kill the llama, and instead sends the former emperor into the jungle to fend for himself. Kuzco doesn't do too well as a llama until he runs into Pacha (voice of John Goodman), a poor farmer whose property Kuzco once planned to take over for a vacation home. Soft-hearted Pacha agrees to help the emperor-turned-llama find his way back home where, hopefully, another sorcerer can reverse the spell, but once they hit the road, they discover Yzma and Kronk are looking for them, with Yzma determined to finish the assassination she started. Pop star Sting composed several original songs for The Emperor's New Groove, which during its long and troubled production had previously been announced as Kingdom in the Sun and Kingdom of the Sun. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Spade, John Goodman, (more)
A kidnapped African fights for his life rather than allowing himself to be sold into slavery in this historical drama. In 1869, slavery is outlawed in America as well as most of the world, but that doesn't stop certain unscrupulous traders from trafficking in human beings to an underground market in the U.S. As the ship Argon Miss begins to enter British waters, 24 kidnapped African natives are held in chains below the decks, with another 60 soon to be delivered. As the captives ponder their fate, they are visited by an ancient spirit (voice of Eartha Kitt) that has been trapped within the planks used to build the ship. The spirit urges the slaves to escape to freedom while the African coastline is still within reach. One of the slaves, Fyah (Djimon Hounsou), is so moved that he breaks free from his shackles and leads his fellow captives in an effort to take over the ship and sail home. Blending an accurate historical recreation of period slave ships with dialogue that incorporates modern-day slang, Ill-Gotten Gains was shot on the same ship used in Steven Spielberg's drama about a slave uprising, Amistad, and features the same leading actor, Djimon Hounsou, though Ill-Gotten Gains was filmed several months before Spielberg's picture. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Djimon Hounsou, Akosua Busia, (more)
- 1998
Aris Iliopulos directed this campy comedy utilizing schlock filmmaker Ed Wood's last unproduced screenplay. Stock footage and old hygiene films are intercut with this near-silent story following a cross-dresser (Billy Zane), who escapes from the Casa de la Loco Sanitarium, manages to acquire some money, and then loses it at a funeral attended by eccentric mourners. He then seeks them out, killing them one by one. Some script instructions appear as titles. Bud Cort makes an uncredited appearance, and Wood aficionados can spot Kathy Wood (the filmmaker's daughter) in a walk-on, while Maila Nurmi re-creates her famed Vampira characterization. Larry Groupe's punk score alternates with standards by Nat "King" Cole and others. Shown at the Toronto Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Billy Zane, Sandra Bernhard, (more)
The first feature film from the Nickelodeon cable channel, Harriet the Spy is an updated version of Louise Fitzhugh's best-selling 1964 children's novel. Sixth grade outcast Harriet (Michelle Trachtenberg) is an only child who has mostly been raised by her nanny, Golly (Rosie O'Donnell), rather than her materialistic parents. Harriet wants to be a writer when she grows up, and only Golly encourages her creative pursuits. Meanwhile, Harriet dons a yellow raincoat and a belt full of gadgets to spy on everyone around her, including her eccentric neighbor with a lot of cats and the other kids at school. Carefully taking notes in her private notebook, Harriet makes clever and cruel observations about her subjects, including her best friends, would-be scientist Janie (Vanessa Lee Chester) and overburdened Sport (Gregory Smith). Harriet's world begins to change when Golly leaves, signaling that it is time for her to grow up. Then a snobby girl a school, Marion, gets her hands on Harriet's special notebook and makes its contents known to the whole school. Soon everyone is against Harriet, and she must concoct a plan to get even. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michelle Trachtenberg, Rosie O'Donnell, (more)
This documentary takes a lighthearted inside look at the fashion industry follows New York designer Isaac Mizrahi as he prepares to stage a fashion show. While the film avoids criticism and in-depth probing into Mizrahi, it does provide insight into the man's creativity as he deftly deals with the chaos. Mizrahi narrates the film and frequently quotes famous lines from the old movies he dearly loves. Film clips from the movies are included. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
Fatal Instinct is an Airplane-style spoof of the late-'80s, early-'90s cycle of erotic crime thrillers. Setting the plot in motion is a kinky murder. Armand Assante plays the cop assigned to the case; he's also the prosecuting attorney; the "Sharon Stone" part is essayed by Sean Young. A dash of Body Heat is thrown in the pot as Assante's wife Kate Nelligan plots her hubby's demise. Tony Randall has a bit as a judge, while the film's semi-mocking jazz score is provided by Clarence Clemmons -- who shows up on screen to toot his sax at various crucial plot junctures. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Armand Assante, Sherilyn Fenn, (more)
- 1993
Two guest stars appear on Reading Rainbow: Is This a House for Hermit Crab?: Eartha Kitt, who reads the featured book, and Robin Leach, who narrates for a segment about animal habitats. As host LeVar Burton discusses animal shelters, he shows viewers how to construct a bird house. There is a segment featuring the phenomena of birds of prey who have discovered that tall buildings provide suitable nesting sites. Among the books reviewed by the young critics are Urban Roosts, Spider's Web, and Busy, Busy Squirrels. ~ Alice Day, Rovi
- Starring:
- LeVar Burton
Eddie Murphy plays Marcus Graham, a hotshot ad exec who's also an insatiable womanizer. He is thus hardly prepared for his new boss, Jacqueline, played by Robin Givens. In terms of things romantic, Jacqueline is nothing more or less than a female version of Marcus -- and now, for the first time, he's getting the runaround. Boomerang boasts supporting-cast contributions from Halle Berry, David Alan Grier, Martin Lawrence, Grace Jones, Eartha Kitt, Geoffrey Holder, and Melvin Van Peebles. Watch closely and you'll see director Reginald Hudlin in a bit role. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Eddie Murphy, Halle Berry, (more)
Ernest (Jim Varney) gets into deep trouble when he decides to build a treehouse for the neighborhood kid and accidentally digs up an ugly, evil-tempered troll who hates all children and shows it by promptly turning the five kids helping Ernest into wooden sculptures. This is the fourth entry in the Ernest series and is filled with the goofy humor that has made the films popular with preadolescent kids. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jim Varney, Austin Nagler, (more)
For some reason, the medical student working at the city morgue is really, really attracted to the corpse of a florist he had admired while she was still living. So much so, that he steals the corpse and takes it home with him. Despite its steady progression from being a moderately fresh corpse to a decaying and stinking one, he still has the hots for it. Eventually, it begins to communicate with him, urging him to revenge her death, caused by the carelessness of her boyfriend. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mark Jax
An unusually principled young Viking becomes increasing uncomfortable with all the killing and plundering that goes with the job, and sets out on a magical journey in order to bring about world peace. Former Monty Python member Terry Jones attempts to have his story of Erik's seemingly hopeless quest operate as both witty, lunatic satire and sincere children's fantasy. However, despite a good cast and some interesting design elements, the film fails to completely succeed at either of its goals. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tim Robbins, Gary Cady, (more)
- 1989
- R
In this swashbuckler a despotic colonial governor has made it legal to punish people with the terrifying and excruciatingly painful split-tongue whip, called the Dragonard. Fortunately, a handsome hero appears and stops him. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Oliver Reed, Eartha Kitt, (more)
- 1987
- R
A group of slaves rise up against their oppressive owners in this costume drama starring Eartha Kitt and Oliver Reed. Richard Abdee (Patrick Warburton) is exiled from Britain for treason and falls in love with Honore (Annabelle Schofield), the sister of the sadistic plantation owner Pierre (Drummond Marias). When Richard is flogged, the slaves revolt. Eartha Kitt plays the brothel owner Naomi, with Oliver Reed as the captain sent to quell the uprising. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Oliver Reed, Eartha Kitt, (more)
This sci-fi spoof stars Frank Stallone (Sly's brother) as Tony Mareda, Jr., a hot-shot private detective. Mareda leaves the funeral of his father, and while on the road and chased by two gunmen, he picks up a winsome hitchhiker and they end up at a drive in movie. While a "Zombie Beach Party 3" film flickers across the screen, a local weatherman and his date start talking about life in outer space, and lo-and-behold, a pink meteorite lands not far from the drive-in. It turns out that this "pink Mamma" transforms innocent, nubile maidens into pink chiquitas whose lust for men is a prelude to enslaving them and taking over the world. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Frank Stallone, John Hemphill, (more)
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