A 12-year-old is traumatised by the murder of his friend, a star basketball player.
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Title: Cornbread, Earl and Me (1975)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Moses Gunn | ... | Benjamin Blackwell | |
| Rosalind Cash | ... | Sarah Robinson | |
| Bernie Casey | ... | Officer Larry Atkins | |
| Madge Sinclair | ... | Leona Hamilton | |
| Jamaal Wilkes | ... | Nathaniel 'Cornbread' Hamilton (as Keith Wilkes) | |
| Stefan Gierasch | ... | Sgt. Danaher | |
 |
Charles Lampkin | ... | Fred Jenkins |
| Vince Martorano | ... | Officer John Golich | |
| Logan Ramsey | ... | Deputy Coroner | |
| Thalmus Rasulala | ... | Charlie | |
| Antonio Fargas | ... | One-Eye | |
| Laurence Fishburne | ... | Wilford Robinson (as Laurence Fishburne III) | |
|
|
Stack Pierce | ... | Sam Hamilton |
| Tierre Turner | ... | Earl Carter | |
| Bill Henderson | ... | Watkins | |
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
Nathaniel "Cornbread" Hamilton was the black urban dream and a hero to youngsters Wilford Robinson and Earl Carter. Shortly before he would have become the first man from his community to go to college, he demonstrates his scholarship-winning running ability to his friends and admirers in the neighborhood. At the same time, the police are on a manhunt for an armed rapist. They mistake Cornbread for the rapist and shoot him dead in the street. In the aftermath of the community's shattered dream, and in the face of an intimidating police cover-up, Wilford is determined not to betray the memory of his hero. Written by SamBlob
Taglines:
Hold it high and let it fly, was his motto ... but if you cut him, you cut yourself some big trouble! See more »Parents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
21 May 1975 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Hit the Open Man See more »Filming Locations:
Pike Amusement Park - 95 South Pine Avenue, Long Beach, California, USA See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$800,000 (estimated)Company Credits
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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[pause]
Wilford Robinson: all he was doin wuz jus goin' home...
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Written by Donald Byrd
Performed by Donald Byrd with The Blackbyrds
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Did You Know?
Quotes
Wilford Robinson: ...they killed Cornbread and he wasn't doin nothin[pause]
Wilford Robinson: all he was doin wuz jus goin' home...
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Soundtracks
Wilford's GoneWritten by Donald Byrd
Performed by Donald Byrd with The Blackbyrds
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Frequently Asked Questions
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This is a rather well done film with great performances. Where it drops the ball is on the overdramatic music that sledgehammers the emotional tone of the more dramatic scenes.
It resists the temptation of villianizing all of the antagonists, especially the judge (which no doubt would've been portrayed as racist and corrupt in a similar film made today).
Bernie Casey (who I'll always think of as U.N Jefferson in Revenge Of The Nerds) is terrific and it's too bad I don't see him in too many films today.
Great 70's feel and the first appearance of Larry Fishburn makes this a film to check out.