“Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show,” ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey said Tuesday.
Comedian Katt Williams appeared at a Fulton County courthouse Tuesday for a much-delayed hearing over a 2016 charge of battery.
In the courtroom, the judge presiding over the case wanted to hear from a witness not in court at that time. The case has been postponed for the witness to appear.
Williams — whose real name is Micah Sierra Williams — was arrested on an outstanding warrant after he turned himself in for a different warrant in September 2016.
He was charged with second-degree criminal damage to property, jail records show, stemming from a man who accused Williams of throwing his cellphone earlier that year in February.
Police in East Point discovered the warrant from the alleged incident after Williams turned himself in after he failed to appear in court on charges concerning a confrontation at an East Point restaurant, police said. In that confrontation, which happened in April 2016, Williams allegedly threw a salt shaker at a restaurant manager, bloodying the employee’s lip.
The new court date for Williams has not been set.
The Associated Press and FOX 5 Atlanta contributed to this report.
Regina Hall will join Issa Rae and Black-ish star Marsai Martin in the Universal comedy Little.
Hall was previously attached as an executive producer, but now also will star in the movie that centers on a woman who gets the chance to relive the carefree life as her younger self (Martin), when the pressures of adulthood become too much.
Drumline scripter Tina Gordon is attached to direct. Tracy Oliver penned the first draft of the screenplay, based on Martin’s idea, with Camilla Blackett (Fresh Off the Boat, New Girl) working on a rewrite of the latest draft from Gordon.
Will Packer and James Lopez, who worked with Hall on the box-office hit Girls Trip, are set to produce via the Uni-based Will Packer Productions, alongside Black-ish creator Kenya Barris. Martin will exec produce, with Hall and Josh Martin.
Erik Baiers and Mika Pryce are overseeing the project for the studio.
Hall, who is repped by ICM, Artists First and Stone Genow, will next be seen in the upcoming YA adaptation The Hate U Give and is set for the Shaft sequel.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Roseanne is down another behind-the-scenes comedian.
Wanda Sykes, who is a consulting producer on the ABC revival, tweeted Tuesday that she won’t be returning to the sitcom for Season 11.
The announcement comes after star and series creator Roseanne Barr’s racist tweet Tuesday, which described the African-American former Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett as a combination of the Muslim Brotherhood and Planet of the Apes.
Barr later apologized for her tweet, calling it a “bad joke.”
Sykes is Roseanne‘s second big departure; Whitney Cummings, who served as co-showrunner for Season 10, recently stepped down. She cited “work commitments and my tour schedule” as the reasons for her departure.
Source: TV Line
Mike Epps has been added to the cast of Amazon Studios’ Troupe Zero, joining Viola Davis, Allison Janney, Jim Gaffigan and Mckenna Grace. Bert & Bertie are directing the film from a script by Beasts of the Southern Wild scribe Lucy Alibar.
Epps will play Dwayne Boudraux in the film, which is begin produced by Todd Black. Filming will take place in New Orleans.
Epps, who recently appeared in Acts of Violence opposite Bruce Willis and Eli Roth’s Death Wish also starring Willis, will next be seen in Lionsgate’s Uncle Drew comedy, out next month. His upcoming film slate includes The House Next Door, the sequel to the 2016 comedy, Meet The Blacks, The Cat and the Moon, and The Trap with T.I.
From nearly 700 submissions, more than 40 films were selected for the 2018 ABFF lineup, representing a varied group of filmmakers who explore thought-provoking topics affecting people from around the world. The list also includes five alumni filmmakers and four world premieres.
“ABFF attendees will experience groundbreaking works from a global selection of independent filmmakers. We are excited to showcase the films from our finalists this June in Miami Beach, Florida,” says Lamonia Deanne Brown, Director of Programming at ABFF Ventures.
In 2017,the festival drew more than 8,500 attendees, generating millions of dollars in economic activity in Miami Beach and supported numerous local businesses along Lincoln Road.
The 2018 American Black Film Festival Line Up (all categories):
NARRATIVE FEATURES (In Competition)
ANIMATOR/ U.S.A.
Director:Logan Hall and Julian Jones Cast: Levenix Riddle, McKenzie Chinn, Phillip Edward Van Lear, Anita Chandwaney and Geno Walker
An artist gains the power to draw the future. When his girlfriend commits suicide, he learns he can erase the past, with chilling consequences. World Premiere
BEFORE THE VOWS/ Ghana
Director:Nicole Amarteifio Cast:John Dumelo, Maame Adjei and Nathaniel Kweku
Nii and Afua, a happy couple based in Ghana, devise an unconventional plan to ensure a long and happy marriage.
CANAL STREET/U.S.A.
Director:Rhyan LaMarr Cast: Bryshere Y. Gray, Mykelti Williamson, Mekhi Phifer, Woody McClain and Jamie Hector
After a young man is accused of murdering his classmates, his father, who is an attorney, defends him in court and struggles to hold onto his faith. World Premiere
JINN / U.S.A.
Director: Nijla Mu’min Cast: Zoe Renne, Simone Missick, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Hisham Tawfiq,
Kelly Jenrette, Ashlei Foushee, Damien Smith and Maya Morales
A shape-shifting, pepperoni-loving black teenage Instagram celebrity, explores her identity and sexuality in the midst of her mother’s conversion to Islam.
SPRINTER/Jamaica, U.S.A.
Director: Storm Saulter Cast:Dale Elliott, Kadeem Wilson, Shantol Jackson and Bryshere Y. Gray
A Jamaican teen hopes a meteoric rise in track and field can reunite him with his mother who has lived illegally in the U.S. for over a decade. World Premiere
NARRATIVE SHOWCASE (Non-Competitive)
A BOY. A GIRL. A DREAM./ U.S.A.
Director: Qasim Basir Cast: Omari Hardwick, Meagan Good, Jay Ellis and Dijon Talton
On the night of the 2016 presidential election, Cass, an L.A. club promoter, takes a thrilling and emotional journey with Frida, a Midwestern visitor.
CHILDREN OF MUD/Nigeria
Director: Imoh Umoren Cast: Liz Benson, Matilda Obaseki and Bassey Ekpenyong
Children of Mudis a Nollywood story about love, hope and overcoming obstacles.
THE FLEA/U.S.A.
Director: Nicanson Guerrier Cast: Isaac Beverly, Sh’Kia Dennis and Kendall Mason
Set in the Miami landmark, Flea Market USA, we follow assistant manager Quentin Parker on what is supposed to be his last day at the flea market. World Premiere
HBO SHORTS
EMERGENCY /U.S.A.
Director: Carey Williams Cast: Darrell Lake, Jason Woods, Peter Pasco, Michael Segovia and Shaw Jones
A group of young Black and Latino boys come home to their worst nightmare: An unconscious White girl on the floor of their apartment. Faced with this emergency, they weigh the pros and cons of calling the police.
HAIR WOLF / U.S.A.
Director: Mariama Diallo Cast: Kara Young, Taliah Webster, Madeline Weinstein, Trae Harris and Jermaine Crawford
Set in a black hair salon in rapidly gentrifying Brooklyn, New York, the local residents fend off a strange new monster: white women intent on sucking the lifeblood from black culture.
MOTHS & BUTTERFLIES / U.S.A.
Director: Alfonso Johnson Cast: Amari Cheatom and Gillian Glasco
“Moths” follows Lenny, a socially awkward, schizoaffective man & Cherisse, a high-energy boundless soul, as they try to accept themselves in this New York tale about mental illness, love, and the longing to be understood.
DAYS AFTER YOUR DEPARTURE / Haiti, U.S.A.
Director: Sam Sneed Cast: Joekenneth Museau
After losing his mother to a years long battle with cancer, Joekenneth Museau is left to question the meaning of his own existence.
SUITABLE /U.S.A.
Director: Thembi L. Banks Cast: Kelli Jordan, Tiffany Tenille and Derick Anthony
Brandy, a high school tom boy, comes to terms with her sexuality when she decides what she’ll wear to the prom. At its core, this film tackles issues of sexuality, gender and the realities young, black women face as they come-of-age in modern society.
WEB SERIES
AVANT GUARDIANS /U.S.A.
Director: Clarence Williams, IV Cast:Alesia Etinoff and Zainab Johnson
A woke dramedy that covers a range of social justice topics such as mass incarceration, trans/homophobia, and bullying. The Guardian Angel to the 12 year-old future 3rdBlack President, Razz, is mandated to go to therapy with an ArchAngel, Dr. Hanniel.
THE YARD / U.S.A.
Director:John “Dr. Teeth” Tucker Cast:Fonzworth Bentley, Montrel Miller, Shaina Farrow, DJ Baby Yu and Korey Bryant
Set on the campus of Booker A&T, a fictional historically black university, The Yard, is an animated sitcom that follows the comical adventures of five freshmen. Together these flawed students are about to get their first taste of the real world and experience numerous missteps as they navigate college and life.
KELOID U.S.A.
Director:Huriyyah Muhammad Cast:Reynaldo Piniella and Kenna Jackson
The story revolves around know-it all teenager Keloid, who is born with super abilities he neither wants nor is able to control and his strong-willed, overprotective mother, Marielle. Together they must find a way to survive Keloid’s adolescence, while maintaining secrets that keep them safe, and hiding from mistakes in their past that haunt them.
BROOKLYNIFICATION / U.S.A.
Director: Keith Miller Cast: Karl Williams, Felecia Harrelson, Lamar Cheston and Tallie Medel
Brooklynificationis an uncomfortable comedy series about gentrification in New York’s most storied borough. This diverse cast of characters takes on the good, the bad, and the awkward as transforming neighborhoods face the unexpected encounters of Brooklyn’s rapidly changing streets.
I AM NOT CHARLOTTE/U.S.A.
Director:Jean Pierre Chapoteau Cast: Yani Simone and Darriel Violenes
Charlotte, a college student, discovers she is in love with Jake and is convinced that inviting him to dinner will seal the deal. Charlotte takes advice from a few people that she knows all too well to help her win over her crush.
DOCUMENTARIES
FANTASTIC: THE LEGACY OF SLUM VILLAGE /U.S.A.
Directors: Moe Lynch Cast: T3, Baatin, J Dilla, Q-tip, Common, Sway and Elzhi
Fantastic tells the story of how three young men from the east side of Detroit formed one of the most underrated groups in hip hop history. From hustle to success through tragedy and breakups, the legacy of Slum Village lives on. World Premiere
NOT IN MY NEIGHBOURHOOD South Africa, Brazil, U.S.A.
Director:Kurt Orderson Cast:Real life citizens
Not in my Neigbourhood gives the account of citizens on the frontline of the struggle against the intersectional nature of Gentrification from three seemingly World Class Cities: Cape Town, Sāo Paulo, and New York. It follows their daily struggles, trials and triumphant moments, as they try to shape the cities they live in, from the bottom up.
MAYNARD U.S.A.
Director: Sam Pollard Cast:President Bill Clinton, Ambassador Andrew Young, Rev. Al Sharpton,
Mayor Kasim Reed, Mayor Shirley Franklin, Mayor Bill Campbell, Mayor Sam Massel, Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rev. Joseph Lowery
He was Obama before Obama, Maynard Holbrook Jackson became first black Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia in 1973 and this film is an exploration into a man who had dreams and ambitions to be a public servant for his people seeing that it was the next logical step in the journey that had been started by Dr. King and so many others who had blazed the trail during the years of horrific segregation.
EMERGING DIRECTORS – Section #1
UP NORTH U.S.A.
Directors:Emil Pinnock, Damaine Radcliff Cast:Eugene Clark, Ian Duff, Gabriel Ellis, Kris Lofton, Emil Pinnock, Damaine Radcliff
When it comes to the prison system, it’s just as hard getting out as going in. Mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, predators and prey fight to survive on the streets of Harlem and in the prisons of New York. Up North, an Independent Original Series for TV, explores systems of incarceration, and systems of marginalization in modern day America.
SEARCHING FOR ISABELLE /U.S.A.
Director: Stephanie Jeter Cast: Charlee Marie Cotton, Stephanie Stockstill, Aida Delaz, Gage Wallace, Joshua J. Volkers
While being held captive, Isabelle discovers a mysterious ability to project herself to the outside world. When she appears to her friends in a desperate appeal for help, they work together to try and find her – but time is running out.
LALO’S HOUSE/Haiti, U.S.A.
Director: Kelley Kali Cast:Garcelle Beauvais, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Jasmin Jean-Louis, Kyra Rose
Inspired by true events, two young sisters must escape a child sex trafficking
ring disguised as a Catholic orphanage after being taken from their home in Haiti.
MOTHERS/ U.S.A.
Director:Aurora Ferlin Cast:Mickaëlle X. Bizet, Marta Cross, Mark Anthony Williams, Victor Rodriguez, Keena Ferguson
When the teenage son of Denise Matthews is murdered, she struggles not to surrender to her grief. Despite her husbands’ concerns, Denise is determined to confront the accused killer in court. The morning of the arraignment she finds support in a chance encounter with an unlikely stranger. World Premiere
EMERGING DIRECTORS – Section #2
PAS HONTEUX U.S.A.
Director:John D. Tucker Cast:Travis LaBranch, Leon Lamar, Javicia Leslie, LaToya Edwards
The story of a young African American slacker that wakes up one day speaking French. The film brings to light the fact that we not only judge people by their looks but also by the way they speak. So, what if a young urban African American suddenly speaks French? World Premiere
FRENCH FRIES U.S.A.
Director:Janine Sherman Barrois Cast: Rebecca Naomi Jones, Carl McDowellMAYNARD
A young, hip African-American foodie couple fights to resolvecommunication problems in a modern marriage of six years, four months and three and a half days. Sydney comes home to find that her husband, Jason, having an impromptuguys’ night. She winds up escaping to a hotel to work in silence, though that is not how the night unfolds. World Premiere
TRAPEZE /U.S.A.
Director:Mark Anthony Green Cast:Rance Nix, Otmara Marrero, Kitty Cash, Sinead Bovell, David Deblinger
Oren got the email of his dreams—an invitation to a meeting his company’s CEO. That is if he can actually make it to the meeting. As he navigates through New York City’s decrepit public transportation, women who are out of his league, and a right-winged pedi-cab driver, he’s faced with an even bigger obstacle: political correctness. World Premiere
JITTERS U.S.A.
Director: Otoja Abit Cast: Otoja Abit, Jason Patric, Walker Hare
Minutes before nuptials, a neurotic young man locks himself away in the back room of a church with the best man he knows.
EMERGING DIRECTORS – Section #3
A CRAFTSMAN /U.S.A.
Director:Sanford Jenkins Jr. Cast:
Overcome with grief, as his late wife’s presence permeates the space they once share, a rural woodworker builds a coffin to be his final resting place. Until a neighbor visits.
A FATHER’S LOVE / U.S.A.
Director: RonReaco Lee Cast:Terayle Hill, Adriyan Rae, Tichina Arnold, E Roger Mitchell
On the toughest day of his life, high school football stand-out Andrew is dealing with what teenagers go through and he has a difficult choice to make in regard to his girlfriend and her being pregnant. World Premiere
BODEGA! U.S.A.
Directors: Donna Augustin-Quinn & Talibah L. Newman Cast: Aleksandr Krasnopolskiy, Anna Orlova, Eric Jennings, Hadiyah Robinson, Asha Winter, Eden Marryshow, Layla Silvestre, Sawandi Wilson, William Perry
In a community facing rapid gentrification, Bodega takes an intimate, yet comedic and dramatic, look at what can happen when people are made to feel like strangers in a city they helped build. When a middle-class family moves into Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, an elder in the family says something inappropriate, causing the local African American community to take extreme measures in order to receive an apology.
FEVAH U.S.A.
Director:Randall Dottin Cast:Russell Hornsby, LaRoyce Hawkins, and Melissa Jackson
Indira holds onto her heartbreak like a lost treasure. It’s hers and no one is going to tell her what to do with it. Her one-and-only love disappeared 18 months ago leaving her alone to take care of their son. Finally back on her feet with a new place and a new man, she’s ready for the next chapter when her child’s father shows up—making her question the very nature of the treasure she’s been holding onto for so long.
PROTOTYPE /U.S.A.
Director: Christopher Ortega Cast:Adrian Snow, Milena Phillips, Preston Butler, III, Kali Raquel
An Afrofuturist, sci-fi film about a mother and daughter living in isolation on a remote science compound who work to quickly patent the most human-like artificial intelligence on Earth. As prototype after prototype fail, Sol, who conducts empathy tests on her mother’s android creations, is pressured by her mom, Annette, to deliver a passing test or continue to be confined to the limits of the property. World Premiere
WHERE THE WATER RUNS /U.S.A.
Director: DuBois Ashong Cast: Darryl Dunning II, Bria Wade, Kyra Locke, Joseph Callari
Set during the worst drought in LA history a water transporter uncovers a plot to privatize South Central’s dwindling water supply.
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Sponsors for the 2018 American Black Film Festival are HBO® (Founding and Presenting Sponsor); Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (Host and Presenting Sponsor); TV One, Cadillac, Comcast NBCUniversal (Presenting Sponsors); BET, Prudential Financial, Turner (Premier Sponsors); AMC, American Airlines, Codeblack Films, The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), Sony Pictures, Verizon (Official Sponsors); ASPiRE, Facebook, Gentleman Jack, LOL Networks, Miami Beach VCA, Netflix, OWN, Streampix, truTV (Supporting Sponsors); and Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Google, SAGIndie, Warner Bros., Walter Kaitz Foundation (Industry Partners).
On this day in comedy on May 29, 1963, the comedian known as Earthquake was born!
Actor, Voice-Over Artist, Radio Personality and stand-up comedian, Earthquake was born Nathaniel Stroman in Washington, DC and he guarded his secret identity, so it was only known to his bank and dry cleaners. Under his persona of Earthquake, Stroman shot comedy specials for HBO, appeared in the Kevin Smith film, Clerks II and the movie Longshots. On the TV front, Earthquake had a recurring role in Everybody Hates Chris and he supplied to voice of Root the Rooster in the film and video of Back at the Barnyard.
The stage moniker was coined by his mother. Seems she had tried to avoid having this child. She’d used the diaphragm and condoms, but Nathaniel came into the world anyway. So, she decided to name him after a natural disaster and he’s been wreaking house ever since. However, before he pursued his destiny, Quake was sidetracked with the more pressing business of living. His mother raised him in a poverty-stricken part of town. It wasn’t until after lunch was served at school that Quake had the strength to concentrate on his studies. Meaning he was a half-ass student because he could focus for half the day. His report card was sprinkled with “F” s.
Despite his academic failings, Earthquake showed promise as a cut-up. He was the class clown always getting laughs out of the other kids. When he thought about it later in life it upset him that none of his teachers had the vision or forethought to point him in the direction of a performer.
Without clear-cut guidance Earthquake enlisted in the Air Force right out of high school. He stayed there for eleven years, where he saw the world and got out of his mother’s house and the corruptive neighborhood where it sat. The military looked like the snug fit Earthquake had been searching for. He’d found his niche in life and was content to be a career military man. Then the Gulf War hit and the last man you would’ve ever suspected became a conscientious objector. Earthquake refused to fight in a war aimed a killing brown people and taking their oil. He was dishonorably discharged.
Prior to letting his convictions point him in his own direction, the military had given Earthquake an option he’d never considered. There was a talent show, “Tops and Blues”. He entered it and was bitten. Once out of the service he dug into comedy, gigging in dinky clubs and holes-in-the-wall, until he was good enough to ask for and receive money for his time. He also contributed to Steve Harvey’s Morning radio show. Before long he had his own spot – The Uptown Comedy Corner in the Buckhead District of Atlanta, Georgia. He as the host and the hottest talent in Black comedy came through his club. This gave him much needed exposure. He opened up two more clubs: one in Dallas the other in Atlanta.
Earthquake took advantage of the Black Comedy Boom of the early 1990s and was seen on the major stand-up shows of the day; most notably, BETs Comic View and HBO’s Def Comedy Jam. His performance on the latter was so well received that he was recruited to be on the Def Comedy Jam Tour. From there his career blossomed.
Touring was the hot ticket for comedians during the boom and Earthquake was no exception. Besides, the Def Jam Tour he also joined the Latham Entertainment Presents Comedy Tour in 2002. In 2005 he did “About Goddamn Time”, the All-Star Def Comedy Jam in 2007 and TBS’s Comedy Festival Lollapalooza in 2008. Earthquake was the main attraction on Shaq’s All-Star Comedy Jam Special in 2009 and in 2011 he popped up on TV One’s Way Black When. 2013 saw Earthquake make a high-profile appearance on ABC’s The View as a favorite of co-host, Whoopi Goldberg and also a return to radio. He was full time on station WBLS during the weekdays until his departure in 2016.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on May 28, 2004, Soul Plane was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer
Labeled as a comedy, Soul Plane became known as a disaster film and the first major casualty of the “DVD Bootleg Era”. The flick was out on the streets before the premiere. At the box office it lost money big time, but out-of-the-trunk-of-cars it was a resounding hit. Everybody saw it – liked it or not. Based on a popular comedic premise of the time about “what if there was a black airline?”, Soul Plane misses none of the stereotypes prevalent during that period.
In Kevin Hart’s first starring movie role, he plays the guy who owns the black airline. After digesting some bad stroganoff and getting the bubblies on a standard airline, Hart is stuck in a malfunctioning toilet while his dog is sucked through the jet engine. So, he sues and uses his newfound fortune to buy, what else? – his own airline. Dice hanging from the rearview mirror in the cockpit, malt liquor being served, a disco, a casino, a strip club, a hot tub, spinners, and hydraulics are welcome additions for the predominantly black patrons. The white fliers are a family of one and before the flight ends the wife (Missi Pyle) is turned on by brothers, the daughter is intent on screwing a brother, the little boy (Ryan Pinkston) goes wigger and dad (Tom Arnold) hooks up with security guard, Mo’Nique.
Hart’s airline (departing out of Malcolm X Terminal) is fine until they take off. The pilot (Snoop Dogg) is scared of heights and has to fly low. Doesn’t matter for long because he “dies” after taking some mushrooms that didn’t agree with him. Now it’s up to Hart to land his own plane and with the help of a flight attendant (Sophia Vergara) he pulls it off. Yay!
Soul Plane was directed by Jessy Terrero and written by Bo Zenga and Chuck Wilson. It co-starred D. L. Hughley, Method Man, Loni Love, K D Aubert, Sommore, Queen Latifah, John Witherspoon, Lil Jon, Ying Yang Twins, Richard T. Jones, Brian Hooks, Bernie Mac, Arielle Kebbel, Gary Anthony Williams and Godfrey. On a budget of $16 million, Soul Plane took in $14,190,750 in the US and $631,596 overseas for a worldwide box office take of $14,822,346.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on May 27, 1998, I Got the Hook-Up was released by Miramax Films
This was a pure Master P production. As No Limit Records’ first film he co-wrote it, co-produced it, did some of the music and co-stars in this tale of two merchandise-is-in-their-van hustlers who come up when a mistake is made. Thanks to dumb luck they (Master P and A J Johnson) now have a fleet of erroneously delivered cell phones in a mobile phone hungry hood. Eureka! Of course whenever there’s new money to be made, local gangsters always want their cut and whenever there’s criminals the authorities get involved and in the movies that usually means the FBI to make it seem even more important.
I Got the Hook-Up features the acting talents of Ice Cube, C-Murder, Tiny Lister, Mystikal, Mr. Serv-On, Fiend, Mia X and Snoop Dogg. Also getting their thespian on was Sheryl Underwood, Tangie Ambrose, Helen martin, Joe Estevez, Richard Keats, Gretchen Palmer, Anthony Boswell, Frantz Turner, Harrison White and John Witherspoon.
The film was directed by Michael Martin and distributed by Dimension Films. The soundtrack made it to #1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and #3 on the Billboard 200. On a budget of $3.5 million, I Got the Hook-Up grossed $10,317,779 at the box office.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on May 26, 1970, Cotton Comes to Harlem was released by United Artist
Based on the Chester Himes novel this Ossie Davis directed hit starred Godfrey Cambridge and Raymond St. Jacques. It was co-written by Davis and Arnold Perl and the theme song (which was sung by Melba Moore) was also written by . . . Ossie Davis. Oh, and by the way Cotton Comes to Harlem marks the screen debut of Calvin Lockhart, Judy Pace, Cleavon Little and Redd Foxx as a junk dealer.
The story revolves around a back-to-Africa movement and $87,000 in stolen cash. Seems the crooks stuffed their loot into a bale of cotton and dumped it on the streets during their high-speed getaway. Two Harlem detectives are assigned to find the cash, but everybody else who heard about it feels it’s their obligation and duty as well and the citywide hunt is on. There’s shootouts, more car chases, sexy women, gangsters and a whole lot of jive talking. It was considered a Blaxploitation film. What would you expect?
Cotton Comes to Harlem boasts an impressive cast of 1970s character actors: Theodore Wilson, Don “Bubba” Bexley, John Anderson, Eugene Roche, J. D. Cannon, Lou Jacobi, Emily Yancy, Dick Sabol and Mabel Robinson. Produced on a budget of $1.2 million the film grossed $5.2 million making it one of the most commercially successful films starring blacks in Hollywood history and it spawned the sequel, Come Back Charleston Blue (which was not written, directed or theme song composed by Ossie Davis).
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
Check out this clip: