Hoodlum (1997)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

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 | New York | Blood | Gangster

Awards:

7 nominations

Cast

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:

When Tyrone the runner gets killed, during the close-up of his face, a policy slip blows by him with the number 235 on it.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: When Dutch has his men bust in the room to kill Bumpy while he is supposed to be meeting the accountant, one man has a shotgun that was not made during that time period.

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 King Kong (1933)

Soundtrack:

Torna A Surriento

Maltin-style review

Riveting film about gang wars and race relations in 1930s New York, with Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson (Laurence Fishburne) at the center. Engaging characters and situations make this overlong movie watchable; but Andy Garcia doesn't channel Luciano as well as he should, and Tim Roth turns Dutch Schultz into such a blatant stock villain that one wonders what the real Arthur Fleggenheimer was like. Otherwise, excellent performances all around - and Paul Benjamin steals several scenes as a creepy assassin who talks as if he eats tobacco leaves for breakfast. Emotional and powerful.