Bill Cosby Movies
African-American entertainer Bill Cosby, in his own words, "started out as a child," the son of an eight-dollars-a-day maid and an absentee father. A product of grinding poverty, Cosby escaped his rundown Philadelphia neighborhood by dropping out of high school and joining the navy. He earned his diploma via correspondence course, then earned a football scholarship to Temple University. Working nights as a bartender, Cosby discovered he had the ability to make people laugh, so he temporarily shelved his plans to become an athletics teacher and set out to become a nightclub comedian. Most black comics of the era used the race issue in their act; this didn't quite work for Cosby, but relating humorous reminiscences about himself and his childhood buddies worked beautifully. After numerous TV guest shots and several top-selling, Grammy Award-winning record albums, Cosby was signed by producer Sheldon Leonard to co-star with Robert Culp in a weekly TV espionage series, I Spy. This was an era of acute racial tension; many NBC executives were wary about a black leading man, and quite a few Southern affiliates threatened not to run the show, but Leonard, a street scrapper from way back, refused to back down. I Spy was a hit, earning Cosby an Emmy. As the series progressed, the camaraderie between Cosby and Culp deepened, and by the end of the series, Culp was talking and ad-libbing in the same low-key, offbeat cadence that Cosby had adopted for his club appearances! After I Spy, Cosby signed a sweetheart deal with NBC, which guaranteed him a two-year run on his next program, whether the ratings were good or not. The Bill Cosby Show cast the star as high school coach Chet Kincaid, and was unusual for the time in that it was a sitcom minus a laughtrack. At times it was a sitcom minus laughs as well, but NBC had made its promise, and Cosby did his best. In the '70s he teamed with actor/director Sidney Poitier to make a trio of popular crime/comedy features: Uptown Saturday Night, Let's Do It Again, and A Piece of the Action. Viewers who think of Cosby in terms of one success after another have forgotten such failed 1970s TV projects as The New Bill Cosby Show and Cos. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there was The Cosby Show, the eight-season wonder that single-handedly rescued the sitcom format from oblivion in 1984 and enabled the woebegone NBC network to crack the Number One slot in the ratings week after week. And there were guest spots on the award-winning children's show The Electric Company and Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1969-84) a superlative Saturday morning cartoon show supervised by Cosby that managed to be what is now called "prosocial" without losing any of the fun. He has also been the long-time commercial spokesman for Jell-O. In the fall of 1996 Cosby returned to prime time TV with yet another The Cosby Show sitcom, again set in New York City and co-starring Phylicia Rashad. Although he has been unable to build a successful movie career, Cosby's TV success has made him one of the wealthiest entertainers in the history of the business. Cosby's success is not limited to the entertainment industry, as he returned to school in the '70s and earned a Ph.D. degree in education and has since become a staunch advocate and supporter of education in the Black community, donating time and money to the cause. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1987
To impress her father Cliff (Bill Cosby, crossing over from his own TV series), Denise (Lisa Bonet) goes out for the Hillman College track team. Alas, our heroine can't keep up the pace, and considers giving up the team. . .until the star runner, a good-looking guy named Virgil (Guy Killum), makes a startling confession. Meanwhile, Maggie (Marisa Tomei) is convinced that she'll mess up her Economics term paper unless she is able to track down a specific--and very elusive--textbook. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
With this episode, Marisa Tomei makes her first appearance as Maggie Lauten, one of the few white students at predominantly black Hillman College. As the new roommate of Denise (Lisa Bonet) and Jaleesa (Dawnn Lewis), Maggie quickly drives both girls crazy with her nonstop talking. Also puttng Denise on edge is the fact that she has completely run out of money, and must come up some cash in a hurry or she'll be forced to move out of Gilbert Hall. Will daddy Cliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby, making a crossover appearance from The Cosby Show along with costar Keshia Knight Pulliam) come to the rescue? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
While visiting her big sister Denise (Lisa Bonet) at Hillman, little Rudy Huxtable (Keshia Knight Pulliam) unexpectedly forms a strong bond with the imperious Whitley (Jasmine Guy). This in itself is enough to drive Denise crazy, but it gets worse: Rudy now regards Whitley as her role model. Elsewhere, Denise's roommate Jaleesa (Dawnn Lewis) faces a crisis of her own when her ex-husband goes on a date with her own sister. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Season one of A Different World focuses primarily on former Cosby Show regular Lisa Bonet in her familiar role as Denise Huxtable, 19-year-old daughter of Cleveland obstetrician Cliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby). Having enrolled in Hillman College, the alma mater of both her father and grandfather, Denise is now in her sophomore year, living in the Gilbert Hall dorm with her two roommates: Maggie Lawton (Marisa Tomei), a dreamy and naïve white girl; and Jaleesa Vinson (Dawnn Lewis) a worldly 26-year-old who'd decided to enroll in college after getting a divorce. Much of the fun arises from level-headed Denise's tiltings with her neighbor across the hall, the wealthy, spoiled, and arrogant Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy). In the earliest episodes, Gilbert Hall's dorm director is Stevie Rollins (Loretta Devine), who lives with her son J.T. (Amir Williams). Also showing up on occasion are self-styled campus Casanova Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison), who works as a DJ at the campus radio station; and Dwayne's lazy, irresponsible buddy Ron Johnson (Darryl M. Bell). Midway through the season, Loretta Devine leaves to get married, presumably to handsome Professor Walcott (David Alan Grier). Enter Lettie Bostic (Mary Alice), a globetrotting adventuress who has "seen it all" (and probably done it all), who has shown up on campus to give a lecture about the famous persons of her acquaintance. Enchanted by Lettie, Denise and Jaleesa persuade her to remain at Hillman as Loretta's replacement. Also joining the cast at this juncture is athletic coach Walter Oakes (Sinbad), who runs a local community center. Although Different World posted excellent ratings its first season on the air, many critics attributed this to the series' enviable Thursday night time slot, hammocked between The Cosby Show and Cheers. Of the series itself, few except its most loyal fans felt that it had any value past its theme song, performed by Phoebe Snow. Clearly, a major shakeup would have to occur if Different World were to survive past its next season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lisa Bonet, Jasmine Guy, (more)
- 1988
Season two of A Different World finds the overall quality of the series improving immensely, which many insiders attributed to the fact that the multi-talented Debbie Allen had taken over as producer-director. Originally intended as a vehicle for former Cosby Show co-star Lisa Bonet in her familiar role as college student Denise Huxtable, the series would be forced to undergo a major format change when Bonet dropped out of the series due to her real-life pregnancy. Also gone from the cast is Marisa Tomei, who had played Denise's naïve white college roommate Maggie Lawton. With Bonet and Tomei gone, the emphasis shifts to Denise's former dorm-mates at Hillman College's Gilbert Hall: streetwise 27-year-old divorcée Jaleesa (Dawnn Lewis) and spoiled, haughty Whitley (Jasmine Guy). Likewise carried over from the first season are Gilbert Hall's worldly dorm director Lettie (Mary Alice), self-styled campus Romeo Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison), Dwayne's irresponsible roomie Ron (Darryl M. Bell), and local community-center leader Walter Oakes (Sinbad). New to the series are Whitley's new roommate, the iron-willed, slightly promiscuous pre-med student Kim Reese (Charnele Brown); fashion-challenged but cute and artistically gifted student Freddie Brooks (Cree Summer); and tough-as-nails calculus professor Col. Clayton "Dr. War" Taylor (played by Glynn Turnan, the husband of Aretha Franklin, who this year takes over from Phoebe Snow as the singer of the series' catchy theme tune). Major season two plot developments include the growing attraction between Whitley and Dwayne, although both continue dating others; the budding romance between Walter and Jaleesa; and the many benighted business schemes cooked up by Ron and Dwayne. Also, the characters begin spending more and more of their spare time at a local eatery called The Pit, presided over by philosophical chef Vernon Gaynes (Lou Myers). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jasmine Guy, Sinbad, (more)
- 1989
As the third season of A Different World rolls around, Hillman College's venerable Gilbert Hall is now a coed dorm. Lettie Bostic has quit her job as dorm director, succeeded by local community-center leader Walter Oakes (Sinbad), with whom divorced, 28-year-old college senior Jaleesa (Dawnn Lewis) had fallen in love (Jaleesa is also now assistant resident advisor at the dorm). Spoiled, self-centered student Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy) is surprised at how much her friend and fellow student Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison) has matured over the summer, but she still isn't ready to go beyond the platonic stage of their relationship. As for Whitley's tough-minded roommate Kim (Charnele Brown), she has made the first steps toward mending the fences between herself and her overprotective policeman father (played by none other than Mr. Shaft himself, Richard Roundtree). Making his first appearance this season is Julian (Dominic Hoffman), a South African exchange student who begins stirring up political consciousness at staid old Hillman -- and also begins to stir up something quite different within Whitley Gilbert. Although Whitley's romance with Julian is over virtually before it begins, he has succeeded in instilling a sense of responsibility and social awareness in the rich and pampered coed, who isn't quite as "me-oriented" at the end of the season as she was at the beginning. Season three ends with the graduation of Whitley and Jaleesa -- not to mention the two-part escapade "Getaway," in which all the leading characters become innocently involved with dangerous drug leaders who are searching for their ill-gotten loot! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jasmine Guy, Dawnn Lewis, (more)
- 1990
It's official -- the formerly self-centered Hillman College graduate Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy) is definitely in love with her fellow collegiate Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison) as A Different World begins its fourth season. Unfortunately, during the summer, Dwayne has met and fallen for someone else: a Japanese-American girl named Kinu. So disconsolate that she forgets to pay her room rent on time, Whitley temporarily moves in with another of her Hillman College confrères, the worldly Jaleesa (Dawnn Lewis) -- in an apartment right across the hall from Dwayne's! Hoping to make Dwayne jealous, Whitley finally agrees to go out with Dwayne's dweebish roommate Ron (Darryl M. Bell), but the scheme doesn't work. Incidentally, Ron is far more interested in the artistically inclined coed Freddie (Cree Summer), who isn't quite as waif-like as in previous seasons, and is beginning to emerge as something of a social activist thanks to the influence of her Black History professor. Meanwhile, the romance between Jaleesa and local community-center leader Walter (Sinbad) has gone south, with Jaleesa now hitching her star to hard-driving calculus teacher Colonel Clayton Taylor (Glynn Turnan), whose son Terrence (Cory Tyler) is currently driving everyone crazy as a new Hillman freshman. As the season progresses, Whitley lands a marketing job and later becomes assistant to an art gallery curator; Dwayne and Kina split, with Dwayne finally realizing he is as much in love with Whitley as she is with him; Ron is invited to join his dad's car business, but he opts instead to become a drummer in a band ; and Whitley's former roommate Kim is temporarily working at a mortuary. Season four ends with the possibility of Ron failing to graduate from Hillman, Walter accepting a job in Philadelphia; and Whitley laboring under the misapprehension that Dwayne wants to break off their relationship. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jasmine Guy, Dawnn Lewis, (more)
- 1991
Season five of A Different World finds sweethearts (and recent college grads) Whitley (Jasmine Guy) and Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) resuming their romance; Whitley's pal Jaleesa (Dawnn Lewis) surprising one and all by eloping with hard-nosed calculus professor Col. Clayton Taylor (Glynn Turnan); and the off-and-on relationship between Ron (Darryl M. Bell) and Freddie (Cree Summer) back in "on" mode, with Ron actually evincing signs of growing up and accepting responsibility by heading a band called X-Pression. New to the cast is Jada Pinkett as streetwise freshman Lena James, who, thanks to a computer glitch, ends up staying in Whitley's extra bedroom. Lena later gets in trouble for her flagrant disregard of dorm rules; after setting fire to her room in an effort to cook dinner, Lena is forced to pay damages by the new dorm director -- none other than Whitley. This enables Lou Myers to make several amusing appearances as Vernon Gaines, chef at the local hamburger joint where Lena has landed a job in order to make money in a hurry. Ultimately, Lena is reinstated at the dorm, with fellow freshman Gina Devereaux (Ajai Sanders) as her roommate. Meanwhile, grad student Dwayne is teaching classes at Hillman college, with Whitley's former roomie Kim as his assistant. Feeling emboldened by his new status and a regular paycheck, Dwayne finally proposes to Whitley, and she accepts -- only to take back her "yes" when it appears that Dwayne has been unfaithful to her. It is at this point that Joe Morton joins the cast as Hillside alumnus Senator Byron Douglas III, who launches his own crusade to make Whitley his wife. Season five ends as Whitley prepares to march down the altar with Byron -- whereupon Dwayne appears, setting the stage for a gentle revision of the finale of the 1967 film The Graduate. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jasmine Guy, Dawnn Lewis, (more)
- 1992
As the sixth and final season of A Different World gets under way, newlyweds Whitley (Jasmine Guy) and Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) are returning from their honeymoon in Los Angeles -- which unfortunately coincided with the Rodney King riots! Nor is life a bed of roses for the couple upon settling into their new home. Whitley loses her position at the art gallery, forcing Dwayne to hold down three different jobs to make ends meet. Things look temporarily brighter when Dwayne is offered a lucrative job in Japan, but alas, this opportunity also comes a-cropper. And on top of everything, Whitley learns she is pregnant! Meanwhile, Dwayne's formerly footloose roommate Ron (Darryl M. Bell) has matured sufficiently to assume the management of a trendy nightclub. As for Ron's erstwhile girlfriend Freddie (Cree Summer), she has apparently forsaken her tacky Annie Hall wardrobe and her artistic inclinations for a stylish business suit and a career in law, leading the increasingly militant Lena (Jada Pinkett) to label Freddie a sellout -- at least until she realizes that Freddie intends to improve the system from within, rather than as the perennial outsider. As for Whitley's no-nonsense former roommate Kim (Charnele Brown), she has finally settled upon a boyfriend who is truly marriage material (it's taken her long enough). Newcomers to the cast includes Gary Dourdan as Shazza Zulu, whom Freddie briefly dates before returning to Ron; Karen Malina White as the garrulous and somewhat pushy college freshman Charmaine Brown, a character carried over from A Different World's "parent" series The Cosby Show; Patrick Malone as Terrell, a student who may look and act like a thug but isn't...and may be a potential boyfriend for Charmaine. When near the end of the series' run Lena, Charmaine, Terrell, and Gina Devereaux (Ajai Sanders) decide to rent a house together, the casual viewer might assume that the producers had a spin-off series in mind, but this never came to fruition. Before leaving A Different World, let us give an affectionate nod to actor Lou Myers, who has woven in an out of the proceedings as Vernon Gaines, chef at the campus hangout The Pit. The series' resident philosopher, Vernon is known far and wide for occasionally bending the truth to serve his needs -- but in the season six episode "A Rock, A River, A Lena," we are offered proof incarnate that Vernon did indeed make the acquaintance of guest star Lena Horne during WWII. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jasmine Guy, Kadeem Hardison, (more)
Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier, co-stars of the comic capers Uptown Saturday Night and Let's Do It Again, team up again for this socially conscious comedy-adventure. This time out, Poitier and Cosby play Manny Durrell and Dave Anderson, Windy City con artists with a long history of cheating crooks who rip off the poor. They are blackmailed by retired cop Joshua Burke (James Earl Jones) into "giving back to the community." Manny and Dave soon find themselves posing as career counselors for a group of surly inner-city youths at a local community center. Despite the efforts of such unruly kids as class clown Gerald (Eric Laneuville) and bitter Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph), Manny actually begins to take pride in the help he's giving to his students. Soon, though, he's forced to deal with two additional obstacles: the arrival of his girlfriend's obnoxious parents (Gammy Burdett and Wonderful Smith) and the attentions of a local mobster (Titos Vandis) upset that he's been had. As with his previous Cosby collaborations, Poitier directed A Piece of the Action, whose cast also includes Denise Nicholas as a community center leader, Tracy Reed as Manny's girlfriend, Nikki, and Ja'net DuBois as Nikki's tipsy aunt, Nellie. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hope Clarke, Bill Cosby, (more)
- 1984
Taped at the Troubadour nightclub in Hollywood, California, this video features Bill Cosby, Steve Allen and others in tribute to late comic Lenny Bruce. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- 1971
Approximately one year before the debut of Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, comedian Bill Cosby, the CBS network and the Filmation cartoon firm collaborated on this 30-minute TV special. Cosby appears in the live-action wraparounds as Greek storyspinner Aesop, who talk-sings a brace of songs and narrates animated versions of two fables. In the "Tortoise and the Hare" segment, funnymen John Byner and Larry Storch provide the voices for the title characters, with Byner returning in "The Tortoise Who Wanted to Fly". And in an extended sequence combining live and cartoon action, two youngsters, Joey (Keith Hamilton) and Marta (Jerelyn Fields), lost in an enchanted forest, are guided to safety by the all-wise Aesop. The special was written by Earl Hamner Jr., of The Waltons fame. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Cosby, Keith Hamilton, (more)
- 2004
- Add American Drummers Achievement Awards Honoring Steve Gadd to QueueAdd American Drummers Achievement Awards Honoring Steve Gadd to top of Queue
After first hitting the skins at the ripe old age of three, drummer Steve Gadd was already sitting in with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie by age 11. Decades (and a rich career) later, Gadd was honored with an American Drummers Achievement Award. Hosted by the one and only Bill Cosby, American Drummers Achievement Awards Honoring Steve Gadd features Gadd joined onstage by the likes of Will Lee, Tom Scott, and James Taylor for an all-star evening of jazz performances. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Jonathan Winters and Bill Cosby host this captivating collection of internationally produced cartoons. Many of the subjects offered in Animation Wonderland have won major industry and festival awards. Others have been selected purely for their entertainment value (as good a reason as any). The titles include "Early Birds", "The Tinder Box", "Petroushka", "The Chocolate Princess"and "King Midas." At 62 minutes, Animation Wonderland is over all too quickly. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Bill Cosby helps young children learn about animals in this video with two activity books included. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Bill Cosby teaches young children about basic direction and thought processes in this video. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Bill Cosby teaches young children--via fun and games--all about numbers in these episodes. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- 1985
This educational series, designed for children from 3-6 is hosted by Bill Cosby. Show your children how much fun reading can be and learn the skills needed to prepare for reading. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1985
Bill Cosby educates young children about colors and shapes in this fun video with two activity books included. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Bill Cosby teaches preschool-aged children about the world around them with methods that are fun and easy in this video which includes two activity books. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Young children learn the basics of language from Bill Cosby. Recommended by the National Education Association, this fun video includes a workbook. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
Some critics carped that the star of Bill Cosby, Himself delivered his nearly two-hour monologue while sitting down. "Look how lazy Cos has gotten!" went the complaint. Well, we can tell you that Cosby exudes more energy and charisma from a seated position than most younger comics do while jumping around the room. As an appreciative audience roars with laughter, Cosby holds court on any number of subjects, ranging from childbirth, to his views on substance abuse. Bill Cosby, Himself isn't really a movie, but fans of Cosby (both casual and fervent) will be thoroughly satisfied. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Cosby
- 1987
Life is the fodder for a comedian, and Bill Cosby examines his as he approaches his fiftieth year. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1968
In this program, host Bill Cosby shares several accomplishments that have not always been fully or properly covered in the history books. The achievements of important historical figures are discussed, including the medical advances made by black doctors, the dedication of the black soldiers who fought in the Civil War, and the contributions made by Admiral Perry's navigator. Though the film was made in the late '60s and doesn't include the many new discoveries and accomplishments made since then, it does present important information that encourages young people to meet their academic goals and follow their dreams. Children in grades six and up are the primary audience for this film. ~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide
Playwright Neil Simon turned to the hotel setting he used so successfully in his stage-play (later a movie) Plaza Suite to explore four more human dramas in his play California Suite, which was adapted into this quite successful movie. In the first episode, the divorced couple of Bill and Hannah Warren (Alan Alda and Jane Fonda) have rented a suite in a posh Beverly Hills hotel in order to have a discussion about who will get the custody of their child. In the next episode, Sidney Cochran and Diana Barrie (Michael Caine and Maggie Smith) are a hilarious pair of Hollywood stars who have rented the suite to await their appearance at the Academy Awards: it is a "date of convenience" which enables the sexually adventurous duo to conduct their other, more unconventional alliances out of the public eye. Drs. Willis Panama and Chauncy Gump (Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor) have brought their families to Beverly Hills for a vacation which takes on nightmarish tone. Finally, Marvin Michaels (Walter Matthau) tries frantically and unsuccessfully to explain the situation to his wife (Elaine May) when she catches him in flagrante delicto with a hooker. Actress Maggie Smith won an Academy Award as "Best Supporting Actress" for her role in this film, in which she plays the actress waiting to win . . . an Academy Award. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alan Alda, Michael Caine, (more)
