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The Five Heartbeats (1991)

R  121 min  -  Drama | Music   -  29 March 1991 (USA)
6.8
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Ratings: 6.8/10 from 1,339 users  
Reviews: 30 user | 17 critic

The story of the rise and fall of an African American vocal group.

Director:

Robert Townsend
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The Five Heartbeats -- Trailer for The Five Heartbeats The Five Heartbeats -- The story of the rise and fall of an African American vocal group.
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Townsend ...
Duck
Michael Wright ...
Eddie
Leon ...
J.T.
Harry Lennix ...
Dresser
Tico Wells ...
Choirboy
Diahann Carroll ...
Eleanor Potter
Harold Nicholas Harold Nicholas ...
Sarge
Tressa Thomas ...
Duck's Baby Sister
John Canada Terrell John Canada Terrell ...
Michael 'Flash' Turner
Chuck Patterson Chuck Patterson ...
Jimmy Potter
Hawthorne James Hawthorne James ...
Big Red
Roy Fegan ...
Bird
Troy Byer Bailey ...
Baby Doll (as Troy Beyer)
Carla Brothers Carla Brothers ...
Tanya Sawyer
Deborah Lacey Deborah Lacey ...
Rose
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Storyline

In the early 1960's, a quintet of hopeful young African American men form an amateur vocal group called The Five Heartbeats. After an initially rocky start, the group improve, turn pro, and rise to become a top flight music sensation. Along the way however, the guys learn many hard lessons about the reality of the music industry with it's casual racism and greed while the personal weaknesses of the members threaten to destroy the integrity of the band. Written by Kenneth Chisholm <kchishol@execulink.com>  

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

African American | 1960s | Rise And Fall | Friendship | Star  | See more »

Genres:

Drama | Music

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language See all certifications »
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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

(USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Los Heartbeats See more »

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA See more »

Box Office

Gross:

$8,750,400 (USA)
See more »

Company Credits

Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Michael Wright's character's name is popularly mispronounced as Eddie "Kane", or "Caine", because of the southern drawl. However, his name is actually Eddie King, Jr. See more »

Goofs

Factual errors: In the restaurant scene when Duck asked the girl her phone number she said 555-.... In the 1960s phone numbers had five numbers preceded by two letters. See more »

Quotes

Eddie: Cain't nobody sang like Eddie Caine Jr!
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Connections

References The Wise Little Hen (1934) See more »

Soundtracks

"America"
Performed by Duck
Lead Vocals by Robert Townsend See more »