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Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling

  • 19861986
  • RR
  • 1h 37m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
1.8K
YOUR RATING
Richard Pryor in Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986)
After severely burning himself in a drug incident, a comedian has a near death experience in which he reviews his life.
Play trailer1:15
1 Video
26 Photos
  • Biography
  • Comedy
  • Drama
After severely burning himself in a drug incident, a comedian has a near death experience in which he reviews his life.After severely burning himself in a drug incident, a comedian has a near death experience in which he reviews his life.After severely burning himself in a drug incident, a comedian has a near death experience in which he reviews his life.
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
1.8K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Richard Pryor
  • Writers
    • Rocco Urbisci
    • Paul Mooney
    • Richard Pryor
  • Stars
    • Richard Pryor
    • Debbie Allen
    • Art Evans
Top credits
  • Director
    • Richard Pryor
  • Writers
    • Rocco Urbisci
    • Paul Mooney
    • Richard Pryor
  • Stars
    • Richard Pryor
    • Debbie Allen
    • Art Evans
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 13User reviews
    • 9Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 1:15
    Trailer

    Photos26

    Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986)
    Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986)
    Richard Pryor in Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986)
    Richard Pryor in Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986)
    Richard Pryor in Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986)
    Richard Pryor in Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986)
    Richard Pryor and Paula Kelly in Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986)
    Richard Pryor, Art Evans, and Paula Kelly in Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986)
    Richard Pryor in Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986)
    Richard Pryor and Mike Genovese in Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986)
    Richard Pryor and Barbara Williams in Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986)
    Richard Pryor and Fay Hauser in Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Richard Pryor
    Richard Pryor
    • Jo Jo Dancer…
    Debbie Allen
    Debbie Allen
    • Michelle
    Art Evans
    Art Evans
    • Arturo
    Fay Hauser
    Fay Hauser
    • Grace
    Barbara Williams
    Barbara Williams
    • Dawn
    Carmen McRae
    Carmen McRae
    • Grandmother
    Paula Kelly
    Paula Kelly
    • Satin Doll
    Diahnne Abbott
    Diahnne Abbott
    • Mother
    Scoey Mitchell
    Scoey Mitchell
    • Father
    Billy Eckstine
    • Johnny Barnett
    Tanya Boyd
    Tanya Boyd
    • Alicia
    Wings Hauser
    Wings Hauser
    • Cliff
    E'Lon Cox
    • Little Jo Jo
    Michael Ironside
    Michael Ironside
    • Detective Lawrence
    J.J. Barry
    J.J. Barry
    • Sal
    Mike Genovese
    Mike Genovese
    • Gino
    • (as Michael Genovese)
    Marlene Warfield
    Marlene Warfield
    • Sonja
    Virginia Capers
    Virginia Capers
    • Emma Ray
    • Director
      • Richard Pryor
    • Writers
      • Rocco Urbisci
      • Paul Mooney
      • Richard Pryor
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The film is basically Richard Pryor's autobiography, paralleling many incidents and experiences in his life, although he said that not everything in the film actually happened to him, and some of the characters aren't based on real people. However, the movie was filmed in Los Angeles, California, and in Peoria, Illinois, at the locations where much of the story takes place.
    • Goofs
      A 1980's Lincoln Town Car appears twice during the "Young Jojo" sequence: Over Young Jojo's shoulder during closeups when he looks back at "Older Jojo" sitting at the corner store, and then again briefly parked in front of the family house a few minutes later when he returns home and is chastised by his grandmother for playing on the lawn.
    • Quotes

      Jo Jo Dancer: [to his wife as he gets on the bus] I'm gonna write you, I'm gonna write you.

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Last Resort/Short Circuit/Jo Jo Dancer Your Life Is Calling/Broken Rainbow (1986)
    • Soundtracks
      My Destiny
      Produced by Arif Mardin, Philippe Saisse and Chaka Khan

      Written and Performed by Chaka Khan

      Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records

    User reviews13

    Review
    Top review
    Underrated
    Jo Jo Dancer Your Life is Calling (1987)

    *** 1/2 (out of 4)

    Richard Pryor direct, wrote, produced and stars in this film about a famous stand up comic who begins to rethink his life after catching himself on fire. If you've seen any of Pryor's three concert films then most of this film will be familiar since this is clearly an autobiographical film dealing with stuff we're heard Pryor discuss before. Everything from growing up in a whore house to his various marriages all the way to the fire incident, which nearly cost him his life. The director isn't the strongest in the world but Pryor's performance is right on the mark and the screenplay does a nice job at showing off these various stages in his life. The film has some very hard hitting moments and some touching ones just like his concert films.
    helpful•6
    2
    • Michael_Elliott
    • Mar 13, 2008

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 2, 1986 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Sony Movie Channel (United States)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Jo Jo Dancer - Dein Leben ruft
    • Filming locations
      • Peoria, Illinois, USA
    • Production companies
      • Columbia Pictures
      • Delphi V Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $14,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $18,034,150
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $4,879,107
      • May 4, 1986
    • Gross worldwide
      • $18,034,150
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 37 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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    Richard Pryor in Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986)
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