Robert Townsend Movies
After seriously pursuing a baseball career, African American actor/writer/director Robert Townsend decided upon a life in show business. An alumnus of Illinois State University and Hunter College, Townsend worked as a stand-up comic, and with such organizations as Second City, the Negro Ensemble Theater and the Experimental Black Actor's Guild. In films from 1975, Townsend satirically encapsulated his frustrating experiences as a black performer in a white-dominated Hollywood with his first directorial effort, Hollywood Shuffle (1987), a labor of love which was largely financed with credit cards and chutzpah. He went on to direct the popular concert film Eddie Murphy Raw (1987), then tripled as actor, director and writer on The Five Heartbeats (1991) and Meteor Man (1993). Attempting to transfer his style and personality to the small screen, Townsend came up with the 1993 Fox Network variety weekly Townsend Television, which despite laudatory reviews folded after three months. Robert Townsend had better luck as star and co-executive producer of the WB network's The Parent 'Hood, a distressingly conventional 1995 sitcom which somehow caught on with its target audience. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In the 1920s, the rights of American workers to join a labor union was still considered an open question, and African-Americans were routinely denied their civil and economic rights. So in 1925, when journalist and political activist Asa Philip Randolph and railway car porter Ashley Totten formed the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, it was a bold gesture which proved to have a major impact in both labor and race relations in America. 10,000 Black Men Named George is a made-for-cable feature which dramatizes the struggle of Randolph (played by Andre Braugher) and Totten (Mario Van Peebles) to organize railway porters -- a demanding and sometimes dangerous job which was held almost exclusively by black men, who were paid low wages for demanding hours -- against the staunch opposition of Barton Davis (Kenneth McGreggor), head of the Pullman railway company and a fierce opponent of both unionization and civil rights initiatives. 10,000 Black Men Named George (the title refers to the fact Pullman porters were often called "George" by white passengers, which was considered a racial slur) also features Charles S. Dutton as Milton Webster, a veteran porter who joined the fight to organize; Carla Brothers as Lucille Randolph, Asa's wife who would play a major role in the early years of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters; and Brock Peters as Leon Frey, an early member of the who would in time betray their cause. Directed by Robert Townsend, the film was produced for the Showtime premium cable network, where it first aired on February 24, 2002. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andre Braugher, Charles S. Dutton, (more)
Inspired by the Herman Melville novel Billy Budd, writer Charles Fuller created the Pulitzer Prize-winning A Soldier's Play, which he then adapted into this film drama in 1984, for socially conscious, liberal director Norman Jewison. In the racially-divided 1940s, Fort Neal, Louisiana, is a military base where black soldiers are sent not to fight in WWII but to play baseball against other armed forces teams. The murder of a black sergeant, Waters (Adolph Caesar) brings an investigator, Captain Davenport (Howard E. Rollins, Jr.) to the base. Davenport, the first black officer that most of the men have ever met, suspects that a pair of white men were responsible for Waters' death, but his probe reveals that nearly everyone, regardless of skin color, had ample reason to kill the loathsome but pitiable Waters. The cast of A Soldier's Story features early supporting performances from several African-American actors who would go on to greater prominence, including Denzel Washington, David Alan Grier, and Robert Townsend. The film was nominated for three Oscars: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Caesar) and Best Adapted Screenplay. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Howard E. Rollins, Jr., Adolph Caesar, (more)
It takes a fierce three-day bicycle race up in the mountains to reunite two formerly feuding brothers in this film written by Steve Tesich, the creator of another cycle movie, 1979's Breaking Away. This film will please the cycling lovers out there, as it includes actual footage taken from the famous Coors International Bicycle Classic, held in the Colorado Rockies. The plot revolves around the suspicion that one of the two brothers -- either the pragmatic sports doctor Marcus (Kevin Costner) or the impudent, driven David (David Marshall Grant) -- is likely afflicted with an inherited tendency toward cerebral aneurysms. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Costner, David Marshall Grant, (more)
In this broad fish-out-of-water comedy, Nisi (Halle Berry) and Mickey (Natalie Desselle) are African-American women with two ambitions -- marry rich men who will give them lots of money, and open the world's first combination hair salon and soul food restaurant. However, eligible bachelors and business opportunities are in short supply in Decatur, Georgia, so when Nisi hears rapper Heavy D is auditioning dancers in Los Angeles for an upcoming video and concert tour, the pair hit the road for California. They fail the audition but are approached by a man named Antonio (Luigi Amodeo) with a business proposition. Antonio is the chauffeur for Mr. Blakemore (Martin Landau), a millionaire in poor health. As a young man, Mr. Blakemore was in love with a black maid who worked in his household; Antonio and Blakemore's nephew Isaac (Jonathan Fried) think Nisi bears a resemblance to the girl Blakemore once loved, so they offer her a hefty payment plus room and board to pose as the granddaughter of Blakemore's lost love. Nisi and Mickey believe that this ruse is intended to make Blakemore feel better, but in fact Isaac wants to get his hands on his uncle's fortune, and he hopes that Nisi's presence will make him easier to manipulate. Meanwhile, Nisi and Mickey look like a hurricane that hit a cut-rate clothing store, so manservant Manley (Ian Richardson) teaches them social graces and gives them advice on how to dress. In time, Manley and Mr. Blakemore become friends with Nisi and Mickey; the men learn to be less stuffy and enjoy life, while the ladies become more respectable. B.A.P.S. stands for "Black American Princesses." ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Halle Berry, Martin Landau, (more)
Robert Townsend directs, writes, and stars in the thriller Black Listed. He plays a lawyer who becomes enraged at the number of dangerous criminals who have managed to utilize legal loopholes in order to beat the system and escape prison time. He convinces some friends to join him on a quest to clean up the streets, but their vigilante ways soon earn them unexpected enemies -- and cause them to question their own motives. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Townsend
Subtitled "The Definitive Reason Why Men Are Dogs", Book of Love is a mockumentary following the lives of three L.A. bachelors (Eric K. George, Anthony "Treach" Criss, and (Richard T. Jones) as they recover from a series of unhealthy relationships. The team of average Joes are no match for their manipulative girlfriends (Robin Givens, Mari Morrow, and Salli Richardson) , however, and the over eager men are taken for all they're worth. It's this manipulative, self-serving treatment that drives the young bachelors into behaving like "dogs" themselves. Directed by Jeff Byrd, Book of Love was produced by both BET Studios and 5th Gear Entertainment, and eventually released by Strange Fruit Films. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eric K. George, Salli Richardson, (more)
Previously, and brilliantly, adapted as an opera by Georges Bizet, the Prosper Merimee novel Carmen served as the inspiration for this updated made-for-cable movie. Set in contemporary Los Angeles, the film stars Beynoce Knowles of Destiny's Child as the seductive Carmen, no longer an employee in a cigarette factory but instead an aspiring actress. The "Don Jose" character has become a cop named Sgt. Derek Hill (Mekhi Phifer), who after being ordered by his corrupt superior officer Frank Miller (played by rapper Mos Def) to arrest Carmen for her involvement in a bar fight, falls hopelessly--and tragically--in love with her. After leading Hill down the path to perdition, Carmen deserts him, not out of love for bullfighter Escamillo but for a top-40 rap star named Blaze (Casey Lee). Although the familiar Bizet melodies are heard as linking music, the main musical score is a complete original, composed by Kip Collins. MTV's Hip Hopera: Carmen first aired over the titular cable network on May 9, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Beyoncé Knowles, Mekhi Phifer, (more)
Michael Schultz directed this deeply felt recollection of adolescent life on Chicago's near North Side in 1964. Like American Graffiti, Cooley High deals with girl, school, and police troubles as a group of high-school seniors prepare for post-high-school life. The chums are Glynn Turman as "Preach," who loves to read poetry and history and wants to become a Hollywood screenwriter, but who has the worst grades in the school; and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs as Cochise, the high-school basketball star and suave lady-killer. Preach has to contend with love problems in the form of Brenda (Cynthia Davis), school problems with emphatic teacher Mr. Mason (Garrett Morris), and law problems with street toughs Stone (Shermann Smith) and Robert (Norman Gibson). ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glynn E. Turman, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, (more)
Filmed in front of a packed New York City crowd, the concert film Eddie Murphy: Raw presents the comedian (near the height of his popularity) performing his standup material. The energetic and often extremely raunchy set begins with a series of impressions, most involving some celebrity becoming upset at Murphy for unflattering jokes: a squeaky-voiced Michael Jackson threatens to pummel Murphy into the ground; an enraged Mr. T is confused by Murphy's verbal sleight of hand; and even paragon of calm Bill Cosby loses his cool while chastising the comic for his dirty mouth. After some digressions finding humor in racial differences and other matters, Murphy proceeds into the centerpiece of his act, a series of routines about contemporary relationships between men and women, including an extended bit about what life would be like were he to become married -- jokes that some have criticized as heavily misogynist. Finally, Murphy concludes his set with an extended, comedic but sympathetic, reminiscence about his childhood and family life, a tone that matches that of the film's prologue -- a fictional re-creation of Murphy, in his childhood, entertaining a family gathering with what turns out to be an inappropriately off-color joke. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
In this drama with comic touches directed by Robert Townsend, a middle-aged drag queen (Ving Rhames) still dealing with the loss of his longtime lover meets a 12-year-old girl (Jessika Reynolds) who has no home. Touched by her plight, the drag queen takes in the girl and her mother (Alfre Woodard), a talented writer who has fallen into a cycle of drug abuse. With his help, the woman and her daughter try to rebuild their lives, but they have trouble breaking their ties with the drug dealer (Mykelti Williamson) who been the mother's supplier and confidante. Holiday Heart is based on the play of the same name by Cheryl West. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ving Rhames, Alfre Woodard, (more)
This satirical look at the ambivalent relationship between Hollywood power brokers and African-American performers marked the writing, producing, and directing debut of Robert Townsend. The filmmaker also stars as Bobby Taylor, a struggling actor looking for his big break despite his family's and co-workers' reservations about his chosen career path. While working a day job flipping burgers, Bobby heads out to insulting cattle calls where white casting agents pass judgement on whether he seems "black enough." Meanwhile, he imagines himself playing Sam Spade, Rambo, and other movie heroes rather than the stereotypical roles actually available to him. When Bobby actually does win one such pimp-daddy part, however, he is forced to choose between accepting work that opens doors, but ultimately demeans him and returning to obscurity with his principles intact. Hollywood Shuffle's enormous supporting cast includes a wealth of black actors, from then-unknowns such as Damon Wayans to veterans such as 227 star Helen Martin. Self-financed and filmed on scraps of hand-me-down celluloid, the film helped establish actor Townsend as a director of note and also kick-started the career of co-screenwriter and co-star Keenen Ivory Wayans, who would cast Townsend in his own directorial debut the following year. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Townsend, Anne-Marie Johnson, (more)
A high-schooler sells his soul to the devil in this made-for-cable comedy from writer/director Thom Eberhardt (Captain Ron). Josh Zuckerman plays the kid in question, a teen who can't catch a break in the rouch-and-tumble world of adolescence. So when a minion of the "man downstairs" appears offering to solve all of his problems for him, it seems too good to be true. Unfortunately, it is. Originally shown on Showtime, I Was a Teenage Faust also stars Robert Townsend and Morgan Fairchild. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- 1982
Jack Bender directed this made-for-TV romance about an attorney (John Ritter) who falls for his firm's latest hire, a woman 15 years older than he. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
Soul diva Jackie Washington is determined to hit the comeback trail but seems to be having trouble finding the on-ramp in the mock-documentary comedy Jackie's Back. Jackie (played by Jenifer Lewis) was a Rhythm and Blues singer who had a few late '60's and early 70's hits, including "Yield" and the memorable "Look At Me (My Love For You Has Only Made Me Love Me More)," but she's spent much of the 80's and 90's playing the "Where Are They Now?" circuit. However, Jackie has organized what she hopes will be a gala comeback concert, and filmmaker Edward Whatsett St. John (Tim Curry) is on hand to film the event, and discusses the high and (frequent) low points of Jackie's career with such friends and well-wishers as Bette Midler, Liza Minnelli, Penny Marshall, Jackie Collins and Dolomite himself, Rudy Ray Moore. Meanwhile, Jackie's big gig is not going quite the way she planned. Directed by Robert Townsend, Jackie's Back was produced for the Lifetime Cable Network and originally aired June 14, 1999. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jenifer Lewis, Tim Curry, (more)
Philippe Mora's drama Joseph's Gift, adapted from the biblical story of Joseph, stars Freddy Rodriguez as Joseph Kellar. Joseph has long been the apple of his father's eye, making his brothers seethe with jealousy for years. When the father gives Joseph a gift of an expensive coat, the brothers decide to finally act on their base impulses. During a visit to New York City, the brothers strand Joseph and convince their father that Joseph is dead. Cut off from his family, Joseph is forced to start his life over again. Decades later, Joseph confronts his family, and must decide if he will sink to their level, or take the high road. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Robert Townsend directs this biopic on the life of one of the great early rock & roll entertainers -- Little Richard (played by Leon). The film charts Richard's rise from his humble origins in Macon, Georgia, to his chart-topping success to his much-reported return to the Church. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leon, Jenifer Lewis, (more)
- 2000
Vocal artist Natalie Cole comments on her own life, beginning with her acclaimed father's singing career and descending into the depths of her heroin addiction. Her story of finally defeating the drug addiction is inspired by the legacy of her father Nat King Cole; through her memory of him, she is able to overcome her own problems. The creation of the album that serves as a tribute to her parental inspiration is also featured in Livin' for Love: The Natalie Cole Story. ~ Sarah Sloboda, All Movie Guide
Louis Gossett Jr. and Robert Townsend take turns directing each other in this multi-part film about the many facets of love and passion. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Townsend, Andre Braugher, (more)
- 1982
Charles (David Ogden Stiers) and Hawkeye (Alan Alda) are out to prove the old adage that one can never go broke underestimating the intelligence of the average person. To that end, the two doctors spread a rumor that Hollywood sex symbol Marilyn Monroe will soon be paying a visit to the 4077th. The only person left unexcited by this "news" is B.J. (Mike Farrell), who is conducting a desperate search for a wounded soldier that he was forced to leave in the battlefield--and who was indirectly responsible for B.J. earning a Purple Heart. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
- R
Robert Townsend stars as a businessman in this soldier-for-hire story. Look for lots of bad guys, racist thugs, and femme fatales. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
When a quintet of college classmates take summer jobs, their adventures lead to comic consequences. Max (Paul Reiser) gets a job working for the Cabrizzi Brothers moving company. Dwight (Robert Townsend) and Byron (Paul Provenza) become caddies, while Woody (Scott McGinnis) waits tables and Roy (Rick Overton) sells vacuum cleaners door-to-door. When all five get fired from their jobs, they combine forces to form a moving company in direct competition with the Cabrizzi Brothers. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Reiser, Robert Townsend, (more)
- 2008
- R
Cinematic heavyweight Ving Rhames steps into the boxing ring as controversial pugilist Sonny Liston in this sports biopic that begins as Liston realizes his talent for boxing as an inmate at a Missouri State Penitentiary, and follows his career to the moment it was effectively ended due to a devastating blow by powerful opponent Cassius Clay. Born into poverty, Liston was imprisoned as a teen for taking part in a gas station robbery, his skill for boxing uncovered by a Roman Catholic priest and helping the emerging athlete to secure an early release. Recurring bouts with racism, the mob, and the law ensured that Liston was never able to rest easy during his rise to become World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, with the notorious "phantom punch" delivered by Clay offering a painful capper to a turbulent career. Nicholas Turtutto, Bridgette Wilson-Sampras, and David Proval co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ving Rhames, Nicholas Turturro, (more)
- 1986
- PG13
This drama follows an unlikely "ratboy" (S.L. Baird) after he is discovered living in a makeshift shelter in a garbage dump. Along comes Nikki Morrison (Sondra Locke, also the director) who meets the half-rodent, half-human creature and takes him over. She talks to a Hollywood producer and holds forth about him on a television talk show but when she brings ratboy to a press conference, he bolts for freedom -- enough is enough. The garbage dump was better. From that point onward, Nikki begins to change her mind about her treatment of the misbegotten creature and he develops an ambivalent feeling for her. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sondra Locke, Robert Townsend, (more)
- 1991
- Add Robert Townsend: Partners in Crime, Vol. 1 to QueueAdd Robert Townsend: Partners in Crime, Vol. 1 to top of Queue
From comedian and filmmaker Robert Townsend (Hollywood Shuffle) comes this collection of comedy sketches starring some of the biggest names in show business. Featuring Keenan Ivory Wayans, Damon Wayans, and Paul Mooney among others Robert Townsend: Partners in Crime, Vol. 1 sends up such pop-culture staples as Dynasty and Michael Jackson. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
