Hoodlum (1997)

Director:

Bill Duke

Writer (WGA):

Chris Brancato (written by)

Release Date:

27 August 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Power is measured in enemies.

Plot:

Black gangsters in 1930 Harlem fights Dutch Schultz who is trying to horn in on their numbers racket.

Plot Keywords:

Dutch | 1930s | Gangster | Violence | Blood

Awards:

7 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Laurence Fishburne	...	Bumpy Johnson
Tim Roth	...	Dutch Schultz
Vanessa Williams	...	Francine Hughes
Andy Garcia	...	Lucky Luciano
Cicely Tyson	...	Stephanie St. Clair
Chi McBride	...	Illinois Gordon
Clarence Williams III	...	Bub Hewlett
Richard Bradford	...	Captain Foley
William Atherton	...	Thomas Dewey
Loretta Devine	...	Pigfoot Mary
Queen Latifah	...	Sulie
Mike Starr	...	Albert Salke
Beau Starr	...	Jules Salke
Paul Benjamin	...	Whispers
Joe Guzaldo	...	Bo Weinberg

Also Known As:

Gangster (USA) (working title)
Hoods (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for graphic ganster violence, strong language, a scene of sexuality and some nudity.

Runtime:

130 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Singapore:M18 | USA:R (certificate #34777) | Canada:R (Ontario) | South Korea:18 | Australia:M | France:U | Germany:16 | Portugal:M/16 (video premiere) | Spain:18 | UK:18

Filming Locations:

Between Cermak Road & 23rd Street, Michigan Avenue, Near South Side, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

United Artists Pictures

Trivia:

An old friend of the real Lucky Luciano allowed Andy Garcia to wear Lucky's pinkie ring for one scene. You can see it when Lucky gives Thomas Dewey the bribe money at the whorehouse. (when the prostitute takes the cigar out of Lucky's hand).

Goofs:

Factual errors: An onscreen title card reads "December, 1934." A Yankees game is on the radio - but it wouldn't be in December!

Quotes:

Dutch Schultz: I remember the days when you could get a guy hit for 40 bucks.
Mike Salke: We live in inflationary times

Movie Connections:

References Bambi (1942)

Soundtrack:

I Want To Be Your Mother's Son-In-Law

I Had Forgotten How Good This Movie Actually Is!!!!

I had this movie on homemade VHS for a while and just received the DVD.

Mesmerizing!!! Beautifully Filmed! Hats off to Bill Duke - another very distinguished African-American director!! Once you get past the fact that the movie is FILLED with phenomenal performances from the likes of Laurence Fishburne, Andy Garcia, Tim Roth, Vanessa Williams. Queen Latifah, Loretta Devine, Clarence Williams III, and of course, Miss Cicely Tyson you also discover a gem of a movie.

It follows the exploits of a 30s Harlem gangster Bumpy Johnson. Fishburne reminds you of why he is such a charismatic actor. His performance here is one you can watch over and over again. Of course the movie may have been exaggerated but what movie isn't?! It is a very stylized presentation and the obvious attention to detail to create the look and the feel of the period help intensify the viewing experience.

I am quite proud of the production and highly recommend it become part of your movie collection. Notwitstanding that is a worthy project, there are treasures of performances here that warrant attention.