IMDb > A Soldier's Story (1984)
A Soldier's Story
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

A Soldier's Story (1984) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 2)
A Soldier's Story (1984) -- Moviesbox.us - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.2/10   3,070 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?

Down 3% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Norman Jewison

Writers:

Charles Fuller (play)
Charles Fuller (screenplay)

Contact:

View company contact information for A Soldier's Story on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

28 February 1985 (Netherlands) more

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | War more

Tagline:

Alone, far from home, and far from justice, he has three days to learn the truth about a murder...and the truth is a story you won't forget.

Plot:

An African American officer investigates a murder in a racially charged situation in World War II. full summary | add synopsis

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 6 nominations more

NewsDesk:
(2 articles)

Tuesday Top Ten: The Best of 1984
 (From FilmExperience. 16 May 2009, 4:13 AM, PDT)

Movie Reviews: 'Basic'
 (From Studio Briefing - Film News. 28 March 2003)

User Comments:

A must-see mystery drama inside a WWII black army base more (34 total)


Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Howard E. Rollins Jr. ... Captain Davenport
Adolph Caesar ... Sergeant Waters
Art Evans ... Private Wilkie
David Alan Grier ... Corporal Cobb
David Harris ... Private Smalls
Dennis Lipscomb ... Captain Taylor
Larry Riley ... C.J. Memphis

Robert Townsend ... Corporal Ellis

Denzel Washington ... Private First Class Peterson

William Allen Young ... Private Henson
Patti LaBelle ... Big Mary

Wings Hauser ... Lieutenant Byrd

Scott Paulin ... Captain Wilcox
John Hancock ... Sergeant Washington
Trey Wilson ... Colonel Nivens
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Filming Locations:

Clarendon, Arkansas, USA more


Fun Stuff

Trivia:

David Alan Grier, who plays Cpl. Cobb in the film, replaced Larry Riley in the role of C.J. Memphis in the original production of "A Soldier's Play." more

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The film is reversed during a play at second base, evidenced by the mirror-image numbers on the uniforms of the players. more

Quotes:

Drill Sergeant: [a group of soldiers are doing calisthenics when Captain Davenport drives by in a jeep. Everyone stops and stares in astonishment] Alright, soldiers, let's get back to those exercises! Haven't you seen a colored officer before?
GI: No, sir! Have you?
more

Movie Connections:

Edited into March to Freedom (1999) (V) more


FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful.
A must-see mystery drama inside a WWII black army base, 14 January 2006
10/10
Author: jqa3-1 from United States

An old movie I never saw but had heard about. It has held up very well over the two decades since it came out (1984). The DVD comments by the director are interesting: low budget, core cast came from Broadway stage version, filmed at Ft. Chafee, Arkansas, Governor Bill Clinton visited the lot, local buildings and people were heavily used. Denzel Washington is fine in an early role; Adolph Caesar (well named for his role!)is fascinating; Howard Rollins is a force. Hard to put a finger on a weak link. Much of the music and barracks scenes are improvised giving the word "ensemble" real meaning. Definitely worth a first or second look. The spontaneous celebration of the long-awaited announcement that the unit is finally going to be shipped to Europe to fight is a special and real moment--validating the men's commitments to the U.S., with all its flaws, and the army itself, which would gradually emerge as a leading force for racial integration in the country.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (34 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for A Soldier's Story (1984)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
The skins flautert
2006 Cast (updated) kcoaxum
Sgt. Waters davemc-1
Sgt. Waters gary_overman
Wings Hauser Salavas
Moesha's Dad as Private Henson jagaforce
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Apocalypse Now Empire of the Sun Glory Cross of Iron Courage Under Fire
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Drama section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.