Dolemite (1975)

Dolemite is a pimp who was set up by Willie Greene and the cops, who have planted drugs, stolen furs, and guns in his trunk and got him sentenced to 20 years in jail. One day, Queen B and a... See full summary »

Director:

D'Urville Martin

Writers:

Jerry Jones (screenplay), Rudy Ray Moore (original adaptation) (as R.R. Moore)

Stars:

Rudy Ray Moore, D'Urville Martin, Jerry Jones

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rudy Ray Moore	...	Dolemite
D'Urville Martin	...	Willie Green
Jerry Jones	...	Blakeley
Lady Reed	...	Queen Bee
Brenda DeLong	...	Dolemite Girl
Terri Mosley	...	Dolemite Girl
Marilyn Shaw	...	Dolemite Girl
Lynell Smith	...	Dolemite Girl
Vera Howard	...	Dolemite Girl
Joy Martin	...	Dolemite Girl
Jana Bisbing	...	Dolemite Girl
Brenda Banks	...	Dolemite Girl
Pat Haywood	...	Dolemite Girl
René Van Clief	...	Dolemite Girl (as Rene Van Clief)
Pat Jones	...	Dolemite Girl

Storyline

Dolemite is a pimp who was set up by Willie Greene and the cops, who have planted drugs, stolen furs, and guns in his trunk and got him sentenced to 20 years in jail. One day, Queen B and a warden planned to get him out of Jail and get Willie Green and Mitchell busted for what they did to him. However, Dolemite is no stupid man and has a lot of warriors backing him, such as his call girls, who are Karate Experts--and lots more....

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Plot Keywords:

grindhouse film | blaxploitation | profanity | cult film | martial arts | 

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Taglines:

Bone-crushing, Skull-splitting, Brain-blasting ACTION!

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Crime

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 April 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

Долемайт

Filming Locations:

Dunbar Hotel - 4225 S. Central Avenue, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$100,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Comedian Intl Enterprise Productions (C.I.E.)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The boom mic is visible in many shots of original Xenon VHS to DVD transfer from the 1980s. The film was originally transferred without the proper ratio "gate" of 1.85:1, revealing more of the top and bottom of the frame than the film makers originally intended. The 2016 Vinegar Syndrome Bluray release was re-transferred from an archive print of the film, at the proper ratio, so the boom mics are hidden in many shots. The Bluray release also includes a "boom mic" version of the new transfer, intentionally revealing the boom mics for comic effect.

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Goofs

A sound effects man is visible on screen, clapping, during one fight scene.

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Quotes

Dolemite: I'm gonna let 'em know that Dolemite is back on the scene! I'm gonna let 'em know that Dolemite is my name, and fuckin' up motherfuckers is my game!

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Connections

Referenced in The Cinema Snob: Fangs (2015)

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Soundtracks

Power Of Your Love
Written by Rudy Ray Moore, Arranged by Arthur Wright
Performed by The Soul Rebellion Orchestra conducted by Rudy Ray Moore
Sung by Mary Love Comer (as Mary Love)

User Reviews

A genuinely crazy blaxploitation film

The blaxploitation genre certainly produced some bizarre oddities that's for sure. Dolemite is firmly in this category. On a technical level its appalling, with bad camera work, acting, action and story. The boom mic is visible so often that it really deserves a mention in the credits. But these considerations are ultimately irrelevant. In fact, the sheer scale of the cinematic incompetence is certainly one of the actual joys of the movie. The film-makers just didn't care and seemingly knocked this one out with little concern for such matters.

The rough and ready style of Dolemite kind of seems appropriate though, given the nature of the central character, who is a super-shady bad mutha in a pimp suit. This character, Dolemite, spends most of the film swearing in creative ways. His routines are like proto-rap and seem to have influenced hip-hop culture. The movie is really a superb time-capsule flick. The insane fashions and jive talk are all almost alien in their bizarreness now. While the movie sports various other strange characters such as Reverend Gibbs, the mayor and the Hamburger Pimp. The latter of which actually appears to be out of his head on something or other – I don't think this bloke was really acting! There's also an extended scene near the end in a nightclub that really has to be seen to be believed. It has a priceless performance from a soul act and a crazy dance routine with some guy battering hell out of a drum-kit, it then climaxes with Dolemite's swearing rap thing. It's strange, like the movie in general. This may be super-trashy but it's highly original. It's yet another example of why the 70's ruled when it came to movies.