Coming to America (1988)

An African prince goes to Queens, New York City to find a wife whom he can respect for her intelligence and will.

Director:

John Landis

Writers:

Eddie Murphy (story), David Sheffield (screenplay),

Stars:

Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Eddie Murphy	...	Prince Akeem / Clarence / Randy Watson / Saul
Arsenio Hall	...	Semmi / Extremely Ugly Girl / Morris / Reverend Brown
James Earl Jones	...	King Jaffe Joffer
John Amos	...	Cleo McDowell
Madge Sinclair	...	Queen Aoleon
Shari Headley	...	Lisa McDowell
Paul Bates	...	Oha
Eriq La Salle	...	Darryl Jenks
Frankie Faison	...	Landlord
Vanessa Bell Calloway	...	Imani Izzi (as Vanessa Bell)
Louie Anderson	...	Maurice
Allison Dean	...	Patrice McDowell
Sheila Johnson	...	Lady-in-Waiting
Jake Steinfeld	...	Cab Driver
Calvin Lockhart	...	Colonel Izzi

Storyline

It is the 21st birthday of Prince Akeem of Zamunda and he is to marry a woman he never saw before. Now the prince breaks with tradition and travels to America to look for the love of his life.

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Plot Keywords:

prince | queens new york city | america | love | hold up man | 

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Taglines:

The Four Funniest Men in America are Eddie Murphy

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 June 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Un príncipe en Nueva York

Filming Locations:

Big Sky Ranch - 4927 Bennett Road, Simi Valley, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$39,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$128,152,301 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Eddie Murphy Productions, Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The working title of this film was "The Quest".

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Goofs

In the burger bar, the King's Aide throws the money on the counter and Mr. McDowell picks the note up to examine it. In the next shot, the note can still be seen on the counter and as the shot ends, a hand starts to reach for it (it appears that the order of the shots was reversed).

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Quotes

[first lines]
Rose Bearer: Good morning, Your Highness.
Rose Bearer: Good morning, Your Highness.
Rose Bearer: Good morning, Your Highness.
Oha: Happy birthday, Your Highness.
Prince Akeem: [thinks] Yes, it *is* my birthday.

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Crazy Credits

The "thanks" list in the end credits lists the Zamundan Film Commission.

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Connections

Referenced in Bad Movie Beatdown: Pluto Nash (2009)

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Soundtracks

"Mbube (Wimoweh)"
Written by Solomon Linda
Performed by Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Produced by Nile Rodgers
Ladysmith Black Mambazo performs courtesy of Warner Bros. Records

User Reviews

Royal Laughs

COMING TO AMERICA (1988) *** Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, Madge Sinclair, Shari Headley, John Amos, Eriq La Salle, Louie Anderson. Murphy does a fine job as an African prince unhappy about his upcoming nuptials to a woman he has never met so he sets off to New York to find his true love (and queen) with some sweet moments as well as comic (thanks largely to his and Hall's neat hat trick of playing several different characters thanks to the miracle of Rick Baker's make up). Look sharply for Vondie Curtis Hall (of tv's "Chicago Hope") as an overly welcoming fellow native stateside; Cuba Gooding Jr. in a blink-and-you'll miss cameo (getting a haircut) and the clever inserting of Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy as the Randolph Brothers from Murphy's and director John Landis' previous joint effort "Trading Places". Best bit: Murphy becoming a real New Yorker and greeting a screaming abusive neighbor with "Yes! Yes! ... and F**K YOU TOO!!!"