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IMDbPro

Watermelon Man

  • 19701970
  • RR
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
2.5K
YOUR RATING
Watermelon Man (1970)
An extremely bigoted white man finds out the hard (and somewhat humorous) way what it's like being a black man, firsthand!
Play trailer1:51
1 Video
81 Photos
  • Comedy
  • Drama
  • Fantasy
An extremely bigoted white man finds out the hard (and somewhat humorous) way what it's like being a black man, firsthand!An extremely bigoted white man finds out the hard (and somewhat humorous) way what it's like being a black man, firsthand!An extremely bigoted white man finds out the hard (and somewhat humorous) way what it's like being a black man, firsthand!
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
2.5K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Melvin Van Peebles
  • Writer
    • Herman Raucher
  • Stars
    • Godfrey Cambridge
    • Estelle Parsons
    • Howard Caine
Top credits
  • Director
    • Melvin Van Peebles
  • Writer
    • Herman Raucher
  • Stars
    • Godfrey Cambridge
    • Estelle Parsons
    • Howard Caine
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 40User reviews
    • 32Critic reviews
    • 60Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
      • 1 win & 1 nomination total

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 1:51
    Trailer

    Photos81

    Godfrey Cambridge in Watermelon Man (1970)
    Godfrey Cambridge in Watermelon Man (1970)
    Godfrey Cambridge, Karl Lukas, D'Urville Martin, and Ron Pinkard in Watermelon Man (1970)
    Godfrey Cambridge in Watermelon Man (1970)
    John B. Bennett, W. Wallace Kelley, Carl Kress, and Herman Raucher in Watermelon Man (1970)
    Watermelon Man (1970)
    Howard Caine and Godfrey Cambridge in Watermelon Man (1970)
    Godfrey Cambridge in Watermelon Man (1970)
    Mantan Moreland in Watermelon Man (1970)
    Godfrey Cambridge and Estelle Parsons in Watermelon Man (1970)
    Donna Dubrow in Watermelon Man (1970)
    Ron Pinkard in Watermelon Man (1970)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Godfrey Cambridge
    Godfrey Cambridge
    • Jeff Gerberas Jeff Gerber
    Estelle Parsons
    Estelle Parsons
    • Althea Gerberas Althea Gerber
    Howard Caine
    Howard Caine
    • Mr. Townsendas Mr. Townsend
    D'Urville Martin
    D'Urville Martin
    • Bus Driveras Bus Driver
    Mantan Moreland
    Mantan Moreland
    • Countermanas Counterman
    Kay Kimberly
    • Ericaas Erica
    Kay E. Kuter
    Kay E. Kuter
    • Dr. Wainwrightas Dr. Wainwright
    Scott Garrett
    • Burton Gerberas Burton Gerber
    Erin Moran
    Erin Moran
    • Janice Gerberas Janice Gerber
    Irving Selbst
    • Mr. Johnsonas Mr. Johnson
    Emil Sitka
    Emil Sitka
    • Delivery Manas Delivery Man
    Lawrence Parke
    • 1st Passengeras 1st Passenger
    Karl Lukas
    Karl Lukas
    • Policeman #2as Policeman #2
    Ray Ballard
    • 3rd Passengeras 3rd Passenger
    Robert Dagny
    • 2nd Passengeras 2nd Passenger
    Paul Williams
    Paul Williams
    • Employment Office Clerkas Employment Office Clerk
    • (as Paul H. Williams)
    Ralph Montgomery
    • Drugstore Bossas Drugstore Boss
    Charles Lampkin
    Charles Lampkin
    • Dr. Catlinas Dr. Catlin
    • Director
      • Melvin Van Peebles
    • Writer
      • Herman Raucher
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Melvin Van Peebles: The artist who letters Jeff Gerber's new office door.
    • Goofs
      Dr. Wainwright asks Jeff if he knows that the first man to die in an American war was Crispus Atticus. The man's name was actually Crispus Attucks, NOT Atticus. The doctor puts in an extra syllable.
    • Quotes

      Delivery Man: That guy needs a sun lamp like Fred Astaire needs dancing lessons.

    • Connections
      Featured in The Real Deal: What It is (2003)
    • Soundtracks
      Love, That's America
      Written and performed by Melvin Van Peebles

    User reviews40

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    A True Original
    I'd only seen "Watermelon Man" on late nite TV as a kid, obviously cut to hell, but the film always fascinated and disturbed me. I haven't seen it in literally 20 years yet I remember very specific scenes, particularly the amazing militant final scene. I finally picked up the beautiful DVD and my memory was correct. The movie is awkward in spots, but there's a vitality that pushes against the old-school studio vibe. And it still holds up as funny in many scenes. I like some of Peebles music cues although they are sometimes not apropos. There are some strong scenes dealing with suburban racial tensions and Godfrey Cambridge is terrific as he changes from a white bigot to a black man. The movie isn't as one-sided as some might think. One of my favorite films of the 70's. Check it out.
    helpful•27
    5
    • divineangel
    • Mar 3, 2006

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 27, 1970 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Night the Sun Came Out
    • Filming locations
      • Burbank, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Columbia Pictures
      • Johanna
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $1,000,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 40 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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