Gregory Hines Movies
Involved in show business since toddlerhood, Gregory Hines has grown up to be a highly acclaimed tap dancer, choreographer, dramatic and comic actor, singer, and director. Hines is the brother of actor/dancer Maurice Hines. When Hines was two, his father employed him in a dance act with his older brothers. The child honed his dancing skills with master tap dancer Henry Le Tang. He was five when his father teamed him with his big brother, Jake, to form the Hines Kids. The brothers spent much of their early careers dancing at the Apollo Theater and learned much from such famed fellow performers as the Nicholas Brothers and Sandman Sims. At age eight, he debuted on Broadway in the musical The Girl in Pink Tights (1954). When the boys reached adolescence, they were called the Hines Brothers. In 1963, they became Hines, Hines and Dad, and started a ten-year stint on the nightclub circuit and on television. They also went abroad. In 1973, he left his brother and father's act to form a jazz-rock group called Severance. He eventually came back to New York, where in 1973, he launched a distinguished Broadway career that garnered him a Tony (for playing Jelly Roll Morton in George C. Wolfe's musical tribute Jelly's Last Jam in 1992), three additional Tony nominations, and a Theater World Award.Hines made his feature-film debut in Mel Brooks' all-star farce The History of the World, Pt. I, replacing an ailing Richard Pryor in the role of Josephus. It was actress Madeline Kahn who suggested Hines for the role. In film, Hines has proven himself a versatile actor and he has starred in everything from musical dramas in which he showed off his dancing ability (The Cotton Club and White Nights, in which he starred opposite ballet superstar Mikhail Baryshnikov), to straight dramas (The Preacher's Wife), comedy (Renaissance Man), sci-fi/horror (Wolfen), and action films (Running Scared). In 1994, Hines made his directorial bow with Bleeding Hearts. He released an album, simply titled Gregory Hines, in 1987. In 1997, he starred in the CBS family comedy The Gregory Hines Show as a single father who has trouble reentering the dating scene. Though that particular series was shortlived, appearances on such popular small screen staples as Will and Grace proved that the years had certainly not dulled Hines comic abilities. In addition, the prepetual entertainer also provided voice work for the Blues Clues adventure Big Blue's Threasure Hunt and the popular children's series Little Bill. Moving into the new millennium Hines appeared in such features as Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her (2000) and the made-for-television biopic Bojangles (2001), in which he portrayed the title role of legendary dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. Following a supporting role in the television series Lost at Home, Hines made his final film appearance in the 2003 feature The Root.
On August 9, 2003, Gregory Hines died of cancer in Los Angeles. He was 57, and the lights of Broadway were dimmed in his honor three days after his untimely death. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Bill Duke directs this quirky film adaptation of Chester Himes' crime novel -- a heavily plotted gangster tale with a sweet love story hidden underneath. The film begins in Natchez, Mississippi in 1956. During a police shoot-out with the mob leader Slim's (Badja Djola) gang, Slim's moll Imabelle (Robin Givens) takes off with a cadre of stolen gold. As a result, Imabelle is chased by Slim's mob from Mississippi to New York. By the time she reaches Harlem, she is broke and has to figure out a way to ditch the trunk full of gold. She finds herself at the annual Undertaker's Ball, where she sees the big and dumb Jackson (Forest Whitaker), a bumbling undertaker's assistant. She spots Jackson as a mark that she can use as a cover and latches onto him immediately. She moves in with him to hide out, but Imabelle becomes taken with his innocence. For his part, Jackson falls head over heels in love with her. But the Mississippi mob catches up with her and takes her away. Jackson calls in his street-wise brother Goldy (Gregory Hines) to help him rescue Imabelle. Jackson fears that Imabelle has been kidnapped. But Goldy knows better -- he still agrees to help him but Goldy wants the gold for himself. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Forest Whitaker, Gregory Hines, (more)
A desperate mother looking to escape her past is faced with a harrowing decision in this made for television thriller starring Jean Smart and Gregory Hines. All Kay (Smart) wants is to live in peace and care for her sickly nine-month-old son. Upon arriving in a small Southern town where no one knows her name or history, it appears as if Kay may have finally gotten her wish. Kay's newfound tranquility is shattered, however, when the menacing Barnes (Hines) appears at her front door claiming to hold the key to her questionable past. Now held as a hostage in her own home, Kay must choose whether to keep running, or risk her own life as well as the life of her child to fight back in hopes of a brighter future. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean Smart, Gregory Hines, (more)
A doomed interracial relationship provides the focus of this tragedy. White paralegal Lonny, wants to write a political novel that rails against the system, but he can't seem to start it. His writer's block has cost him emotionally, and he is bored with his job, his conversations with his father, and with his girlfriend. He looks for something different. He finds it with black teenager, Denise as she prepares for her SATs. He is attracted by her intelligence and the eagerness with which she learns and offers to tutor her. She accepts and soon they have transcended the teacher student relationship and become closer. They face resistance at every turn, but they do not heed the warnings. Tragedy ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Jacobs, Karen Kirkland, (more)
Actor and dancer Gregory Hines served as both executive producer and star for this biographical drama that chronicles the life of legendary entertainer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. In 1916, Robinson was a successful vaudeville performer and considered the finest tap dancer of his generation when he met Fannie (Kimberly Elise), a college student nearly two decades his junior. Even though Robinson was already married, he quickly fell in love with Fannie, and in time she was swept off her feet by the charismatic dancer and became his second wife. Fannie was one of the first people to encourage Robinson to stop performing in blackface (common for African-American vaudeville performers of the time), and in the 1930s, she and manager Marty Forkins (Peter Riegert) persuaded Bill to move to Hollywood and find work in the movies. While roles for black actors in Hollywood were severely limited at the time, Robinson managed to become a recognized film star, headlining the musical Stormy Weather and appearing in a number of pictures with child star Shirley Temple. But while Robinson's film work helped make him the best-known black performer in America, his frequent roles as domestic servants did little to earn him respect among his own people, and he was often seen as an "Uncle Tom" for his aggressively cheerful on-stage demeanor. And while Robinson was confronted with the less fortunate consequences of fame, he and Fannie had to deal with his growing addiction to gambling, which threatened to leave the highest-paid black man in America flat broke. Bojangles also features Savion Glover and Maria Ricossa; the film was produced for the Showtime premium cable network, where it first aired on February 4, 2001. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gregory Hines, Peter Riegert, (more)
Armed with a piano and his distinct voice, pop rocker Bruce Hornsby became a Grammy winner and double-platinum selling artist with songs like "The Way It Is." In this 1995 concert film, Hornsby is joined on stage by such all-star pals as Bonnie Raitt, Pat Metheny, Bob Weir, and Don Henley. Among the songs on the set list are "Walk in the Sun," "Mandolin Rain," and "The End of the Innocence," a Hornsby-penned tune that bacame a hit for Henley. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Hornsby
- 1994
- PG13
A radio dee-jay gets targeted by a crazed killer in this made-for-television thriller. Gregory Hines stars as Mark Jannek, a late-night disc-jockey who is being harassed by an anonymous killer on the telephone. The killer thinks that Shepard knows too much and decides to threaten both the dee-jay and an innocent college student (Debrah Farentino) into silence. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gregory Hines, Debrah Farentino, (more)
The humor in this Chevy Chase comedy lies solely in the eyes of the beholder. The comic plays Eddie Muntz, an arms dealer looking to make a big sale of war planes to a South American dictator. In order to do so, his girlfriend (Sigourney Weaver) has to sleep with the dictator and his friend (Gregory Hines) has to be convinced to do one more killing. Eddie's archenemy is Stryker (Vince Edwards) who wants to make that deal himself and will stop at nothing to obtain his ends. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chevy Chase, Sigourney Weaver, (more)
Between 1979 and 1981, 29 African-American children were murdered in Atlanta, GA, leading to a statewide manhunt to find the killer and a considerable outcry from a frightened public. Authorities eventually pinned the child killings on one Wayne Williams, who had been charged with two related murders of adult males. However, several years after Williams had been convicted of the killings of the two men and the case on the child murders had been closed, a pair of investigative reporters began looking into the matter, and discovered clear evidence that the investigation of the Atlanta child killings had been grossly mismanaged, and that in all likelihood Williams had nothing to do with the crimes. Who Killed Atlanta's Children? is a made-for-cable dramatization of the investigation by Pat Laughlin (James Belushi) and Ron Larson (Gregory Hines) as they attempt to find out how Williams (Cle Bennett) came to be railroaded for the child slayings and who the real killer might be. Produced for the Showtime premium cable network, Who Killed Atlanta's Children? also stars Bill Duke, Lynda Gravatt, and Sean McCann. Rudy Langlais, who as editor of Spin Magazine helped to publish Laughlin and Larson's findings, served as producer on this project. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Belushi, Gregory Hines, (more)
- 1982
Eubie! began life as a Broadway musical, celebrating the life and work of legendary black entertainer/composer Eubie Blake. This taped version was specially prepared for cable TV in 1981, then released on videocassette a few years later. Gregory and Maurice Hines head the exuberant, toe-tapping cast. Among the highlights are such Blake standards as "I'm Just Wild About Harry". The race issue is brought into play every once in a while, but never in such an omniprescent fashion as to dampen the spirits of this sparkling example of Broadway at its best. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this off-beat sci-fi adventure, a female scientist creates a sexy android version of herself and equips it with both the passionate emotions she lacks and a nuclear bomb. The trouble begins when the android is taken out for a test run and it ends up in the midst of a bank robbery where its internal bomb is accidentally activated. Things get worse, when the robot comes emotionally unglued and launches into a destructive rampage while enacting out its repressed creator's darkest desires. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gregory Hines, Renée Soutendijk, (more)
- 1984
Ben Vereen stars as the clever title character in this delightful episode of Shelley Duvall's made for cable series Faerie Tale Theatre. A quick-witted talking cat dons boots, a cloak, and a hat in order to carry out his plan to turn his master -- a poor peasant played by Gregory Hines -- into a nobleman. In the process, the cat and his master must defeat an angry ogre and win the heart of a beautiful princess Alfre Woodard. ~ Carrie Downes, All Movie Guide
Aside from the fact of his disability and the possession of a nickname, what does Tony "Ole" Olezniak (Vincent D'Onofrio), a bitter, blinded, football player have in common with wheelchair-bound Bernard "Bern" Lemley (Gregory Hines)? Absolutely nothing until Bern enthusiastically convinces Ole to join him in a whitewater rafting adventure as part of the first step in Bern's plan to offer this and other extreme sporting adventures to other disabled people. During their arduous journey, the disparate duo learn more about themselves and each other, and in so doing, become real friends. This film features appearances by sports-greats Joe Theismann and Roy Firestone as themselves. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vincent D'Onofrio, Gregory Hines, (more)
- 1995
Happily Ever After always presents a non-traditional look at classic fairy tales. Children learn to look beneath the surface in the African-American version of Beauty and the Beast. An all-star cast populates this story, with Vanessa Williams playing Beauty, Gregory Hines as the Beast, and Paul Winfield playing the father. When Beauty must keep company with the Beast to save her father's life, she is surprised by her change of heart. She soon learns that true goodness can lie beneath a rough exterior. The video features "Could She, Would She, Will She" and "Wave Goodbye." This family friendly program is recommended for ages four to nine. ~ Sarah Ing, All Movie Guide
- 1981
- R
- Add History of the World -- Part I to QueueAdd History of the World -- Part I to top of Queue
Mel Brooks produced, directed, wrote, and starred in this episodic comedy in the spirit of Monty Python and the 1957 studio travesty The Story of Mankind. The film is divided into five sequences that play like blue-toned Eddie Cantor vaudeville sketches -- "The Dawn of Man," "The Stone Age," The Spanish Inquisition," "The Bible," and "The Future." Also included is a Brooksian depiction of The Last Supper and a long-winded sequence about the French Revolution. The film starts with a 2001: A Space Odyssey parody, narrated by Orson Welles, in which a collection of ape-men learn to stand erect (in more ways than one). The Stone Age reveals the origins of both the first homo sapien and homosexual marriages. Brooks then appears in an Old Testament sequence as Moses, descending from Mount Sinai with three heavy stone tablets bearing the 15 Commandments; after he drops one of these tablets, the laws of God become 10 Commandments. The Roman period picks up with Brooks as Comicus, attempting to get a gig as a "stand-up philosopher" at Caesar's Palace. The Spanish Inquisition is a musical production number with monks torturing Jews to lively Broadway musical strains. The final French revolution section is a broad parody of The Man in the Iron Mask story. The film closes with coming attractions of "History of the World, Part II" that features a rousing Star Wars parody (anticipating Space Balls) called "Jews in Space" that includes a jaunty theme song. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mel Brooks, Dom DeLuise, (more)
- 2003
The detectives go after the person who apparently shot down a cop in cold blood. Upon arrest, the suspect, a black teenager, claims to have committed murder out of vengeance stemming from a botched police investigation. Handling the defense is flamboyant celebrity attorney Carl Halpert (Gregory Hines), who in his media-savvy efforts to transform the trial into a racial issue, also manages to unearth a number of disturbing truths about the New York justice system. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Mitch Rouse starred in this seriocomic ABC series as Michael Davis, a brilliant ad man who was so dedicated to his work that little if any time was left over for his wife, Rachel (Connie Britton), and their three kids. It was Rachel who put the brakes on Michael by informing him one morning that she intended to divorce him if he did not begin creating "quality time" for his family. Some of Michael's efforts to bond with his children were, to put it mildly, ill-advised, but at least he had the moral support of his boss and best friend, Jordan King (Gregory Hines), a battle-scarred veteran of numerous failed marriages who wished that someone had given him a second chance to become a human being. Created by Michael Jacobs of Boy Meets World fame, Lost at Home debuted April 1, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A group of mobsters fight for control in this satirical comedy-drama. Vic (Richard Dreyfuss) is a not-especially-stable crime boss who -- following a spell in a mental hospital after being diagnosed with schizophrenia -- is sent home and is ready to resume his place as supreme leader of the mob. Mickey Holliday (Jeff Goldblum), Vic's enforcer and right hand man, is trying to get everything squared away for Vic's return, which may complicate his personal life, since he's been having an affair with Vic's girlfriend Grace (Diane Lane), as well as her sister Rita (Ellen Barkin). While Vic has been away, a number of other gangsters have been squabbling over who will take control of his territories, including Jake Parker (Kyle MacLachlan), Jules Flamingo (Gregory Hines), and Jacky Johnson (Burt Reynolds). However, it's the seriously eccentric Ben London (Gabriel Byrne) who turns out to be Mickey's and Vic's most potent rival as the various gangsters shoot it out over who gets what piece of the pie. Inspired in part by the "Rat Pack" crime flicks of the 1960s -- such as Ocean's Eleven and Robin and the Seven Hoods -- Mad Dog Time (also released under the title Trigger Happy) was written and directed by former actor Larry Bishop, son of Rat Packer Joey Bishop, who pops up in a small role. Larry's co-star from Wild in the Streets, Christopher Jones, appears in a supporting role as a gunman; it was his first film appearance since Ryan's Daughter in 1970. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ellen Barkin, Gabriel Byrne, (more)
Buck McGriff (Willem Dafoe) and Albaby Perkins (Gregory Hines) are military police from the army's Criminal Investigation Department assigned to find a serial killer in 1968 war-torn Saigon. Hookers have been ritualistically murdered, and the two cops spend their final days of active duty in the sleazy back alleys of Saigon tracking down the killer in this military mystery. One by one, possible witnesses who can shed light on the case are systematically murdered. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Willem Dafoe, Gregory Hines, (more)
Actor Laurence Fishburne makes his debut as a director in this urban drama adapted from his one-act stage play Riff Raff. 20/20 Mike (Fishburne) and his half-brother Torch (Titus Welliver) bump into each other under less than ideal circumstances -- both are in jail, Mike on parole violation and Torch for theft. Torch is a heroin addict who has trouble financing his habit, so when Mike says he has a plan to make some quick money, Torch is more than eager to help. Mike and Torch try to swindle Hector (Andres "Dres" Titus), who works with his uncle Freddie Nine Lives (Dominic Chianese Jr.) as a bagman for drug kingpin Manny Rivera (Paul Calderon). While Mike and Torch are able to grab a large cache of heroin that Hector is carrying for Manny, the plan soon goes haywire and Hector and his men suffer heavy casualties. Mike and Torch go on the lam, while Manny's henchmen find Freddie and beat a confession out of him -- in which he names Mike and Torch as the thieves. Manny wants his money back and hires an enforcer named Tony (Eamonn Walker) to find Mike and Torch and get the cash. To insure that Tony doesn't waste time, Manny holds Tony's wife (Annabella Sciorra) captive until the money is returned. Noted jazz artist Branford Marsalis composed the film's original music score. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laurence Fishburne, Titus Welliver, (more)
- 1996
An exploration of music is the focus of this Reading Rainbow episode, as host LeVar Burton visits the prestigious Juilliard School of Music in New York City. The members of the Chamber Orchestra, who are between 8 and 18 years old, offer commentary on what it takes to be a musician in an orchestra. The featured book, Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin, written by Lloyd Moss, describes ten instruments and their sounds in a lively verse form. The program also looks at the performers behind the musical hit Stomp, a percussive celebration that utilizes garbage can lids, pipes, and sticks to get across a rhythmic message. ~ Alice Day, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- LeVar Burton
Actor and dancer Gregory Hines directed this fantasy fable, in which he cast himself in a supporting role. Reggie Reynolds (Dempsey Pappion) is a 17-year-old high school student who earns good grades, gets along well with his friends and family, and is the manager of his school's basketball team. Reggie would rather play on the team than sit on the sidelines, but unfortunately Reggie has no knack for the game, which is especially frustrating since two of his best friends, Khalil (Cabral Richards) and Roscoe (Chris Collins), can shoot hoop like nobody's business. One day, a frustrated Reggie meets Zeke (Gregory Hines), a friendly junk dealer who gives Reggie a pair of ancient red high-top basketball shoes, which he says once belonged to Willie Slokum, a star of the Negro basketball leagues in the 1930s. Reggie doesn't think much of Zeke's story until he tries on the shoes -- and discovers he's suddenly playing like a champ. Reggie soon becomes the star player on the school's basketball team, and earns the respect of his fellow players (as well as the attention of some of the prettiest girls in school). But Reggie is also pursued by Mercado (Vincent D'onofrio), a promotions man for a major athletic shoe company; he's willing to offer Reggie a lot of money to switch shoes, but Reggie doesn't want anyone to know that without the magic sneakers, he'll be back to riding the bench. The Red Sneakers also features Vanessa Bell Calloway, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, and Linda Carter. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dempsey Pappion, Vanessa Bell Calloway, (more)
