The Mighty Quinn (1989)

Director:

Carl Schenkel

Writers (WGA):

A.H.Z. Carr (novel)
Hampton Fancher (screenplay)

Release Date:

16 February 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

THE CHIEF OF POLICE AND THE CHIEF SUSPECT. They know each other too well to let a little thing like murder get in their way.

Plot:

When police officer Xavier Quinn's childhood friend, Maubee, becomes associated with murder and a briefcase full of ten thousand dollar bills...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Police | Rastafarian | Wheelchair | Paraplegic

Cast

Denzel Washington	...	Xavier Quinn
James Fox	...	Thomas Elgin
Mimi Rogers	...	Hadley Elgin
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Fred Miller
Sheryl Lee Ralph	...	Lola Quinn
Art Evans	...	Jump Jones
Esther Rolle	...	Ubu Pearl
Norman Beaton	...	Governor Chalk
Alex Colon	...	Jose Patina
Robert Townsend	...	Maubee
Tyra Ferrell	...	Isola
Carl Bradshaw	...	Cocodick
Maria McDonald	...	Jax
Fitz Weir	...	Athens
Baldwin Howe	...	Bim

Also Known As:

Finding Maubee (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Continental Film Labs)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Iceland:14 | Australia:M | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Jamaica

Company:

A&M Films

Trivia:

The title is derived from a Bob Dylan song of the same name. In his autobiography, "Chronicles: Volume One", Dylan recalls seeing the film and gives it a positive review.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Fred Miller ties up Ubu Pearl in her wheelchair, he wraps her once then ties off the back, but from the front we see two wraps of the scarf around her.

Quotes:

Ubu Pearl: I put a curse on you!
Xavier: Believe me, I already got a curse on me.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Century of Black Cinema (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

BLACK CINDERELLA

Denzel's "mighty" fine in this one!

Do you want to be magically transported to the islands? Do you want to hear raggae music that's out of this world? Do you want to see Denzel's beautiful brown skin against an all white uniform? The Mighty Quinn's got all three plus a pretty decent plot and some pretty well known actors. Robert Townsend is great as the wily Maubee, Mimi Rogers is convincing as a damsel in distress and Sheryl Lee Ralph showcases her talents as both an actress and a singer. But perhaps the best part of this movie, in my opinion, is Denzel's character Xavier. Oh yes he looks sexy, as he always does. But more that that it's the way he embodies a role so much so that by the end of the movie you can't tell him from smooth tongued Jamaican police officer that he's playing. Catch it one late night on television reruns and I bet you'll get caught up. You'll never feel the same way about a Jamaican accent again.