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Three of the greatest (and dirtiest) comedians ever together in this one movie. Funny, hilarious, yes at bit off color with the many uses of the f word but still a great movie with a nice sting at the end. Get over the F word! If you haven't seen this movie in a while, go back and watch it. The first time I watched it, I was lukewarm about it. Now I go back and watch it, grateful that it was made especially since the passing of Richard Pryor (and Redd Foxx).

If you haven't heard any of their stand up, go listen. It's awesome. Richard Pryor is the best.

My only complaint is that Arsenio Hall's character was stupid.

I found this movie to be very enjoyable. I do have to say there was a lot of profane language but that was probably why it was made for adults. I would recommend this movie to the comedy lovers,(that don't mind the language), and give it a solid 7. If you give the movie a chance you will probably like 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.

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...

Some might think that this effort from Eddie Murphy (who wrote, directed, executive produced and starred in) might not be up to his and the co-stars efforts. They might be a little right, but it isn't a waste to say the least. The talent is still vibrant even with a not too great script from Murphy including him, Richard Pryor (who gives his best, most recent performance to date), Redd Foxx (one of his last) and Danny Aiello. So sure it may be profane with a story that isn't too credible, but that's fine. Not great, but in truth, not to be missed either. B-

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 ****

This is one of Murphy's best works. Ignore what the critics say. They just didn't get it. I am a mid-aged white woman - and even I get it. It is a misogynistic as any stylized Western you may have seen. And the language is just what you would expect from Murphy and Pryor. This is stylized Harlem, guys.

I do not think Murphy set out to break ground plot-wise. Its meant to be a very traditional good vs. bad mobster movie. In this rare case we get to see the other side of tracks version. Why not??

This movie is a rare joining of a classic team of talents including Richard Pryor, Della Reese and Red Foxx. Della was my favorite and her rapport with Foxx is classic.

A great cast full of amazing comics, solid writing, and fun situations detailing the changing of the guard in NYC's criminal past make this movie one of my favorites. It isn't "laugh a minute" and isn't supposed to be, but it keeps a light-hearted spirit and a general good nature even in it's darkest moments.

The cast is brilliant and excellent at keeping the movie well-paced and engaging, and the characters are fleshed out just enough for the comedy to shine through.

Completely entertaining and features Eddie Murphy in his prime (although it's certainly a bit of Eddie patting himself on the back for being so damned charming and brilliant as writer, director and star, but he's honestly done a great job. The man knows funny.)

In a word: fun.

If you're an Eddie Murphy fan, you might want to check out the one movie he directed: Harlem Nights. It was obviously a pet project for him, because his co-star was Richard Pryor, whom he cited as an idol who made him want to get into show business when he was younger. So how cute is that, that they got to act in a movie together?

This period piece takes place in the 1920s, so you'll get to see a lot of great costumes and hear some great music. I happen to love that time period, but make sure you like the violence-and-gangsters aspect of the '20s before renting it. It's not about flappers and silent pictures. In the supporting cast, you'll see Danny Aiello, Michael Learned, Della Reese, and Redd Fox. I prefer watching Eddie Murphy's Disney movies, but I did get a big kick out of seeing what he came up with when he sat in the director's chair.

Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to language, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.

Harlem Nights is a great that stars the funniest three black comics to ever grace a comdey stage. Eddie Murphy knew what he was doing when he decided to cast Redd Foxx and Richard Pryor in the other two male leads. The film has great one-liners and a amusing fight scene between Eddie and Della Reese. If you've never seen this film, you're in for a treat.

Eddie Murphy co-wrote and directed Harlem Nights so this must have been a labour of love for him. A star studded cast support him including Richard Pryor, and for Due South fans like me it was a treat to see David Marciano in this. It is a good looking film which veers between comedy and drama. I found Pryor very good in his role toning down the manic comedic elements so prevalent in Superman 3. However, at times the comedy is so over the top it is toe curling. The particular offending scene is where Eddie Murphy is being chased in his car and the shootout after. The gangsters after him are way too over the top to the point of ruining the scene. Harlem Nights has a great film hidden somewhere here, but as viewers what we get on screen is merely a good film.

I have a lot of fond memories of Harlem Nights from when I was young. There are a few iconic moments that invoked nostalgia when I recently watched it again. Namely, the epic fight between Eddie Murphy and Della Reese, and Arsenio Hall weeping through a gun battle which made me laugh just as much thirty five years later. Pretty much everything that came out of Redd Foxx's mouth was hilarious too! Sadly, that is the extent of what held up. Eddie Murphy's writing isn't great, and it made Richard Pryor come across as stiff and a lesser film star than he was. He is much better in his outings with Gene Wilder and The Toy. Eddie Murphy wasn't as good in this as he was in pretty much every other movie he had done prior, which tells me his focus was too all over the place to be successful as a performer. He just plain wore too many hats on this one. Also, someone should have intervened and told him that the obnoxious laugh wasn't as charming as he thought it was. While it worked well in Beverly Hills Cop, it felt really out of place here. Overall, this Eddie Murphy vanity project doesn't live up to the potential of the star power that was assembled for it. It is a lesser version of The Sting and unfortunately, it just made me want to watch that again.

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!

I really liked this and can't understand how the critics panned it.

For Murphy never directing I thought he did a great job.

The combination of hilarious comedy and drama was good.

Wasn't perfect but not a bad movie. I really liked this and can't understand how the critics panned it.

For Murphy never directing I thought he did a great job.

The combination of hilarious comedy and drama was good.

Wasn't perfect but not a bad movie.

I really liked this and can't understand how the critics panned it.

For Murphy never directing I thought he did a great job.

The combination of hilarious comedy and drama was good.

Wasn't perfect but not a bad movie.

I expected more from this movie from Eddy Murphy. Especially with Richard Pryor and Redd Fox starring in it. There are some funny lines and dialogs and a little too much use of the F- word, but the film is not particularly funny. A Pity. The storyline is rather thin the plot very simple. A nightclub led by Sugar Ray is doing too good in the eyes of a gangster. The gangster's night club is loosing business. Spicy detail, Sugar Ray's club is only frequented by colored people. And the gangster's club only by whites. Helped by the police detective Phil Cantone( a great performance by Danny Aiello) the gangster is trying to make Sugar Ray go out of the business. Of course you feel sympathy for Sugar Ray and his nightclub gang. Especially when you see detective Phil Cantone operating. Sugar Ray's adopted son Mr. Quick wants to fight his way out and suggests to take out the gangster. But Sugar Ray being the older and the wiser has a wittier plan to ruin the gangster. However simple and predictable the plot is, there's a nice twist to it.

The setup: "Sugar" Ray is the owner of an illegal casino, who contend with the pressures of vicious gangster and corrupt policemen who want to see him go out of business. In the world of organized crime and police corruption in the 1920s, any dastardly trick is fair.

The verdict: HARLEM NIGHTS is plagued by plot holes and inane dialog. Many scenes do not feel believable, but great performances help to enhance this amazing story. All the characters struggle against a system that has perpetuated falsehoods, and there are verbal fisticuffs back and forth. I think it is still a reasonable film. This film is not as bad as they say.

One of Eddie Murphy's earliest Masterpieces. He managed to have costars of who who in African American comedy but also beloved from everyone. I can recite the lines word for word from any of the characters. For Mr. Murphy to have written and Directed he doesn't get enough credit for this jewel, especially now that Richard Pryor, Redd Foxx, Della Reese, Robin Harris and Charles Uncle Charlie Murphy are all gone now.

I agree that the movie is laced with profanity--but then again, some of the profanity does add humor and I am an adult! Enjoyed the sets and costuming, loved the poke they took at the old gangster movies, the sting made me laugh thinking the mobsters got what was coming to them. Perhaps the most colorful character for me was was Della Reese and her interactions with Eddie Murphy--had me roaring. I gave it a 6, but maybe I need to change that to a 7.

This film should have been the ultimate laugh riot. You had Eddie Murphy in the flick and though I am not his biggest fan there are times when he truly shines. Not only is he featured in this flick, but so too is Richard Pryor and I do enjoy Richard Pryor movie. To top it off you have Redd Foxx and he is an absolutely hysterical. You also have a cameo by Arsenio Hall who was at this time still relevant. With all these very funny people, why did I find myself bored to tears watching the movie? I can not answer, but suffice to say while not all bad and with a few chuckles here and there for the most part I was disappointed with this one. Seems Richard and Eddie just do not make a very good team as the two did not have a good chemistry together on the screen. I would much rather see Richard paired with Gene Wilder as they had great chemistry together. It is like Eddie and Arsenio, they actually seemed to be a rather good team as evidence by the success of "Coming to America" (though I did not care for that one much) and they also were part of one of the very few funny scenes in the movie. Redd Foxx is not featured nearly enough to really make an impact either positive or negative, but at this time he was close to having the heart attack that would end his life. When you look at the cover of this one and look at the stars you just know this film has to work. Alas, with the exception of a scene or two it does not.

This movie delivers the laughs and much more.for anyone to say otherwise is just ridiculous. Siskel and Ebert Both said this movie was offensive and not funny. Wtf were they thinking? This is by far one of the best movies of the 1980's and of all-time. Murphy wrote,directed and stars in this alongside many comic legends. There are movies being made just as offensive if not more today then 30 years ago. Della Reese is my favorite character in this movie.

As I write this the film rates a lowly 4.9 on IMDb which is rather surprising as this isn't a bad film and I have to say Eddie Murphy makes a decent film in his first (and at present) only stint in the directors chair. He certainly got his casting spot on with a host of character actors in main roles and casting Richar Pryor alongside himself as the stars.

The film takes place in stylised Harlem of the 1930's as two small time crooks make a living running a night club but success soon brings the big time crooks calling can our hero's make it out alive and in profit? The film looks stylish and the direction soaks up the lavish elegance of the period and it's refreshing to see black characters represented in a period film as more than token characters. I think where this films slight problem rises is that it tries to bridge two genres the straight gangster movie and the comedy movie. Overall its a good film and I think it's a shame Murphy hasn't stepped into the directors role again.

Pretty good 7/10

Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor team up in this would-be comedy about nightclub owners being squeezed by organized crime. Eddie Murphy wrote and directed this obnoxious ego trip, and therefore has no one to blame but himself for its failure. This is a genuinely bad film, so completely devoid of energy and humor that it serves only as a example of Murphy's contempt for his audience. It would be remarkably easy to continue beating up on this movie, but I will show it more mercy than it showed its audience and stop now.