Harlem Nights (1989)

During the 1930s, a New York City illegal gambling house owner and his associates must deal with strong competition, gangsters, and corrupt cops in order to stay in business.

Director:

Eddie Murphy

Writer:

Eddie Murphy

Stars:

Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Redd Foxx

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Eddie Murphy	...	Quick
Richard Pryor	...	Sugar Ray
Redd Foxx	...	Bennie Wilson
Danny Aiello	...	Phil Cantone
Michael Lerner	...	Bugsy Calhoune
Della Reese	...	Vera
Berlinda Tolbert	...	Annie
Stan Shaw	...	Jack Jenkins
Jasmine Guy	...	Dominique La Rue
Vic Polizos	...	Richie Vento
Lela Rochon	...	Sunshine
David Marciano	...	Tony
Arsenio Hall	...	Crying Man
Thomas Mikal Ford	...	Tommy Smalls (as Tommy Ford)
Uncle Ray Murphy	...	Willie (as Uncle Ray)

Storyline

"Sugar" Ray is the owner of an illegal casino, who contends with the pressures of vicious gangsters and corrupt policemen who want to see him go out of business. In the world of organized crime and police corruption in the 1930s, any dastardly trick is fair.

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Plot Keywords:

black comedy | harlem manhattan new york city | african american | nightclub | lingerie slip | 

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Taglines:

They're up to something big.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Final cinema movie of Redd Foxx.

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Goofs

When Tommy's brother and his friends shoot at Quick, the man fires his revolver seven times without reloading.

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Quotes

Desk Sergeant: OK, let's see. 125 people on a Class A misdemeanor will be about...
[he smiles, thinking the price will scare Sugar away]
Desk Sergeant: $75 hundred.
Desk Sergeant: $75 hundred?
Desk Sergeant: [still smiling] Yep. $75 hundred.
Sugar Ray: [throws him $10,000] Gimme a receipt.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: The Worst Films of 1989 (1990)

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Soundtracks

Allegro from Quartet in C Major K 157
Written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by The Sequoia String Quartet

User Reviews

Bullets and Blue Language, But Laughs, Too

A lot of people have commented on the violence and profanities in this movie. I guess it could have gotten by without so many foul words. But this movie is still funny! The most hilarious scenes are Eddie Murphy's fistfight with Della Reese, and his shootout with Arsenio Hall. Say what you will about Eddie Murphy, but he can still crack you up!

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 November 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Harlem Nights

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$16,096,808, 19 November 1989

Gross USA:

$60,864,870

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$60,864,870

Company Credits

Production Co:

Eddie Murphy Productions, Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1