Cornbread, Earl and Me (1975)

A 12-year-old is traumatised by the murder of his friend, a star basketball player.

Director:

Joseph Manduke

Writers:

Ronald Fair (novel), Leonard Lamensdorf

Stars:

Moses Gunn, Rosalind Cash, Bernie Casey

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Moses Gunn	...	Benjamin Blackwell
Rosalind Cash	...	Sarah Robinson
Bernie Casey	...	Officer Larry Atkins
Madge Sinclair	...	Leona Hamilton
Jamaal Wilkes	...	Nathaniel 'Cornbread' Hamilton (as Keith Wilkes)
Stefan Gierasch	...	Sgt. Danaher
Charles Lampkin	...	Fred Jenkins
Vince Martorano	...	Officer John Golich
Logan Ramsey	...	Deputy Coroner
Thalmus Rasulala	...	Charlie
Antonio Fargas	...	One-Eye
Laurence Fishburne	...	Wilford Robinson (as Laurence Fishburne III)
Stack Pierce	...	Sam Hamilton
Tierre Turner	...	Earl Carter
Bill Henderson	...	Watkins

Storyline

Nathaniel "Cornbread" Hamilton was the black urban dream and a hero to youngsters Wilford Robinson and Earl Carter. Shortly before he would have become the first man from his community to go to college, he demonstrates his scholarship-winning running ability to his friends and admirers in the neighborhood. At the same time, the police are on a manhunt for an armed rapist. They mistake Cornbread for the rapist and shoot him dead in the street. In the aftermath of the community's shattered dream, and in the face of an intimidating police cover-up, Wilford is determined not to betray the memory of his hero.

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Plot Keywords:

police | basketball | murder | basketball player | racist | 

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Taglines:

Hold it high and let it fly, was his motto ... but if you cut him, you cut yourself some big trouble!

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Genres:

Drama | Sport

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 May 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hit the Open Man

Company Credits

Production Co:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Laurence Fishburne's film debut. He is credited as Laurence Fishburne III.

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Connections

Featured in Century of Black Cinema (2003)

User Reviews

HORRIBLE, cheesy Movie!!!!

I saw this film in the theater in 1975 when it came out. It bothered me a lot then, because I was a 10-year old, insecure black boy and I believed the things I saw on film. I was really sensitive to violent images on screen in those days (not that they mean nothing now, but I'm definitely more desensitized). Anyway, seeing an 18-year old black man shot and killed on screen really made me feel insecure about my own future.

Anyway, I just watched this movie again for the first time in 30 years. This movie sucks!!! All of the black characters are like "Ohh, Lawd... we in de ghetto, sho nuff!" All the white characters are horribly racist and every time they open their mouths, no matter what they say, it seems to come out as "nigger!" I'm sure some will say, "Well, that's the way it was in 1975 and these blaxploitation film paved an importance on the way to current progress. Well, whatever. This movie is so bad it's more of a joke than Saturday Night Live.