Les Nuits de Harlem

In the late 80's to early 90's, black entertainers were not only making an impact in front of the cameras but behind. Directors like Spike Lee and Robert Townsend were trail blazers in the black film movement. Eddie Murphy, the decades biggest star, faced heavy criticism for not breaking ground for black filmmakers and actors until he included a predominantly black cast in 1988's Coming to America. And now with the "Black Film Renaissance" in full swing, Murphy wanted to direct. 1989's Harlem Nights was Murphy's first and last foray into film-making. Harlem Nights is a period piece set in 1938 Harlem. Sugar Ray (Richard Pryor) and Quick (Murphy) are owners of an illegal casino and they're being chased out of business by rival gangsters and corrupt police. The cast, which included the likes of Murphy along with Pryor, Redd Foxx, Robin Harris, Della Reese and a then unknown Charlie Murphy, is stellar. With all this comedic talent in one film, you'd expect a lot more laughter. The film is hilarious but Pryor's role is limited, as far as comedy goes. With all these comedy legends you'd expect to be bleeding internally from laughter. That is probably the only flaw in this film. Aside from the comedy, the films set decoration and wardrobe puts you in the prohibition era, and led to its Academy Award nomination. Harlem Nights also spawned one of the most memorable square offs in film history between Murphy and Reese. Watch that scene and you won't argue with anyone when they tell you that this film is a classic.

Harlem Nights - *** out of ****

A lot of people have commented on the violence and profanities in this movie. I guess it could have gotten by without so many foul words. But this movie is still funny! The most hilarious scenes are Eddie Murphy's fistfight with Della Reese, and his shootout with Arsenio Hall. Say what you will about Eddie Murphy, but he can still crack you up!

Yeah, yeah this movie is full of profanity and I see other users saying that Eddie couldnt decide if it was a comedy, drama, etc. I personally thought the movie was hilarious and quite clever. I never really thought it was anything other than a comedy. Tell me how a movie this good gets a rating of 4.8, when an awful movie like The Thomas Crown Affair (the remake) gets a 7.0!!! Try this everyone, sit down, relax and don't try to "read" anything into this movie......just enjoy it...

After about nearly 25 years of mostly hearing negative comments about this movie, I finally watched Harlem Nights on Netflix Streaming. My verdict: I thought it was funny enough even with all the killings, bombings, and other things considered too ugly for a comedy. Executive producer, director, writer, and star Eddie Murphy has made a pretty good period piece taking place in '30s Harlem and assembled what must have been a dream cast for him starting with his idol Richard Pryor, and then adding other legends like Redd Foxx and Della Reese. Together they run Club Sugar Ray with Pryor playing that club's owner, Murphy as adopted son Quick, Foxx as nearly blind Bennie Wilson, and Reese as madam Vera. Their enemies are such white figures like officer Phil Cantone (Danny Aiello) and gangster Bugsy Calhoune (Michael Lerner). In addition to them, other supporting players include Belinda Tolbert-best known as Jenny Willis Jefferson on "The Jeffersons"-as Sugar Ray's mistress Annie, Stan Shaw-like me, a Chicago native-as boxer Jack Jenkins (who has an amusing stutter), Jasmine Guy-who was playing Whitley Gilbert on "A Different World" at the time-as creole lady Dominque La Rue (whose character is from the state I now live in-Louisiana), Vic Polizos as Richie Vento, Lela Rochon-years before appearing in the blockbuster Waiting to Exhale-as Sunshine, Thomas Mikal Ford as Tommy Smalls, and Arsenio Hall as his brother though he's credited as Crying Man (and he's quite hilarious doing so!). Like I said, I thought the lines were funny enough and the profanities weren't as frequent as I thought but since I'm so used to these performers using them, I really didn't feel offended by them. So on that note, Harlem Nights gets a recommendation from me. P.S. Aiello's son Rick-who I found out also appeared with his father in Do the Right Thing as one of New York's finest-plays someone credited as only Man # 1 here. And how awesome to hear many Duke Ellington songs including the credit-ending "Drop Me Off in Harlem" with New Orleans' own Louis Armstrong.

The most common thing critics said to trash Harlem Nights was that it was too profane to be set in 1938. Well, this statement here was completely without logic. Two points to back myself up:

1. In almost every 1930's/40's/50's gangster movie, the characters

are very profane. Look at any movie directed by Martin Scorcese and starring Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci for evidence of this

2. What do you expect from a movie starring Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy and Redd Foxx? If you expect these three men to watch their language, you are truly a stranger in the ways of their material

As for the movie's sexist feel, I cannot dispute this. However, I can defend it. I am not a sexist young man despite being only

twenty-one years of age. I feel that women should have the same rights as men. However, I think Eddie Murphy was young and dumb and only felt the way he did because he was not mature enough to understand women. Now he is happily married and expecting his fifth child, so I think he is a little wiser today.

As for one review I read that said every white man was a bigot in this movie. Guys, come on, it's Harlem in 1938!

Despite all of this, the movie is a well-made, well-characterized, entertaining film. It was taken too seriously when it was first released, and I'm glad many people here seem to agree with me.

The plot concerns Sugar Ray (Pryor, who was sadly the only disappointing performer here) and his adopted son Vernest Brown, a.k.a. Quick (Murphy) owners of the hottest nightclub in Harlem. It becomes the target of gangster Bugsy Calhoune (an impressive performance by Michael Learner) and his buddy Sgt. Phil Cantone (A terrific Danny Aiello). They plot with their employees to scam him out of his money by placing a fake bet on a boxing match and leave Harlem.

The movie is not without plot holes and the occasional bad line of dialogue, but other than that, it's funny and entertaining. A particular highlight are Foxx's nearsighted Bennie Wilson and Reese's Vera Walker, who exchange profane banter throughout the film, which is hilarious. A cameo by longtime Murphy friend Arsenio Hall (whom I usually dislike) as a crybaby mobster is also very funny. Don't listen to the critics, this movie is funny as hell!