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IMDbPro

Cooley High

  • 19751975
  • PGPG
  • 1h 47m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
4.9K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
14,670
1,104
Cooley High (1975)
In 1964 on Chicago's Near-North Side, the lives of four carefree high school seniors and best friends, including an aspiring playwright and an all-city basketball champion, takes a tragic turn.
Play trailer0:40
2 Videos
39 Photos
ComedyDramaRomance
In 1964 on Chicago's Near-North Side, the lives of four carefree high school seniors and best friends, including an aspiring playwright and an all-city basketball champion, takes a tragic tu... Read allIn 1964 on Chicago's Near-North Side, the lives of four carefree high school seniors and best friends, including an aspiring playwright and an all-city basketball champion, takes a tragic turn.In 1964 on Chicago's Near-North Side, the lives of four carefree high school seniors and best friends, including an aspiring playwright and an all-city basketball champion, takes a tragic turn.
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
4.9K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
14,670
1,104
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Michael Schultz
    • Writer
      • Eric Monte
    • Stars
      • Glynn Turman
      • Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs
      • Garrett Morris
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Michael Schultz
    • Writer
      • Eric Monte
    • Stars
      • Glynn Turman
      • Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs
      • Garrett Morris
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 46User reviews
    • 28Critic reviews
    • 72Metascore
    • Awards
      • 1 win

    Videos2

    Trailer
    Trailer 0:40
    Trailer
    What to Watch to Take You Back to School
    Clip 2:48
    What to Watch to Take You Back to School

    Photos39

    Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Eric Monte, Corin Rogers, Michael Schultz, Glynn Turman, and John Springer in Cooley High (1975)
    Glynn Turman in Cooley High (1975)
    Style B, 1 sheet movie poster
    Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs and Glynn Turman in Cooley High (1975)
    Cynthia Davis and Glynn Turman in Cooley High (1975)
    Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs and Glynn Turman in Cooley High (1975)
    Glynn Turman in Cooley High (1975)
    Glynn Turman in Cooley High (1975)
    Cynthia Davis and Glynn Turman in Cooley High (1975)
    Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Robert Townsend, and Glynn Turman in Cooley High (1975)
    Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs and Glynn Turman in Cooley High (1975)
    Cooley High (1975)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Glynn Turman
    Glynn Turman
    • Preach
    Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs
    Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs
    • Cochise
    Garrett Morris
    Garrett Morris
    • Mr. Mason
    Cynthia Davis
    Cynthia Davis
    • Brenda
    Corin Rogers
    • Pooter
    Maurice Leon Havis
    • Willie
    Joseph Carter Wilson
    • Tyrone
    Sherman Smith
    • Stone
    Norman Gibson
    • Robert
    Maurice Marshall
    • Damon
    Steven Williams
    Steven Williams
    • Jimmy Lee
    Jackie Taylor
    • Johnny Mae
    Christine Jones
    • Sandra
    Lynn Caridine
    • Dorothy
    Mary Larkins
    • Preach's Mother
    Cherene Snow
    • Tooty
    Alicia Williams
    • Dee
    Lily Schine
    • Cochise's Mother
    • Director
      • Michael Schultz
    • Writer
      • Eric Monte
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      According to writer Eric Monte, ABC had planned to do a TV version of this project. After a poorly received pilot, ABC retooled it completely. What's Happening!! (1976) was the result.
    • Goofs
      We see many automobiles from the 1970s all over the place.
    • Quotes

      Preacher: [final lines] We were friends, a long time ago. Laughin, rappin, chasin girls, obeying no laws, except the law of caring. Basketball days and high nights, no tomorrows, unable to remember yesterday. We live for today...

    • Crazy credits
      The ending of the movie tells the futures of the fictional characters.
    • Connections
      Edited into Afro Promo (1997)
    • Soundtracks
      It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday
      Performed by G.C. Cameron

      Music by Freddie Perren

      Lyrics by Christine Yarian

    User reviews46

    Review
    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    Great Coming Of Age Film
    This this coming of age dramedy set in Chicago in the early 60's, we follow a group of highschool friends as they navigate through the ups and downs of their lives. The two central characters are Leroy "Preach" Jackson (Turman) and his best friend Richard "Cochise" Morris (Hilton-Jacobs.) Both of these boys have promising futures. Preach is a great writer but a lazy student, and Cochise has just received a college scholarship for basketball. When they're not hanging out at the local diner shooting craps with their friends, or hanging out at a friends house or chasing girls, they're skipping school, riding the trains through Chicago or going to quarter parties on the weekends.

    Things go wrong when Preach and Cochise make the mistake of getting involved with two hoods and go joyriding in a stolen car. The police pursue them and they are arrested. But thanks to the efforts of a concerned teacher (SNL's Garrett Morris) they are released. But the two hoods are not, and vow to get revenge on Preach and Cochise, thinking they blamed the whole thing on them.

    This movie is very episodic, but it still works because thats what life is, a series of episodes. Some funny, some sad, some romantic, some bizarre. The film never gets boring because all the characters are so well played and realistic, and the situations are all believable and relatable. Like Preach romantically pursuing a beautiful girl, or a party turning violent when some asshole decides to start a fight, or dealing with a bratty younger sibling. But even when a situation isn't personally relatable, like the guys pretending to be undercover cops to con a hooker out of some money so they could get all their friends into a movie, the sequence is still hilarious.

    'Cooley High' was the basis for the classic 70's sitcom 'What's Happenin!' which aired on ABC from 1976-1979. Even though the show is most famous for the character Rerun, he is not in this film, nor is there any character remotely like him. The humor of that show was very broad, but still funny. The humor of 'Cooley High' is truer to life, and thus more entertaining.

    Additionally, the soundtrack is wonderful. Classic songs from that period by Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Temptations, Martha & the Vandellas, and Smokey Robinson play throughout the film, adding to the fun, youthful, exuberant tone of the film.
    helpful•5
    2
    • LeaBlacks_Balls
    • Feb 21, 2010

    FAQ1

    • World Premiere Happened When & Where?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 5, 1978 (France)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Училище Кулі
    • Filming locations
      • Cabrini-Green Public Housing Projects, Near North Side, Chicago, Illinois, USA
    • Production companies
      • American International Pictures (AIP)
      • Cooley High Services Company
      • Steve Krantz Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $750,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 47 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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