Harlem Nights

Starring:Danny Aiello, Thomas Mikal Ford, Redd Foxx, Michael Goldfinger, Jasmine Guy, Arsenio Hall, Robin Harris, Michael Lerner, David Marciano, Charles Q. Murphy, Miguel A. NÃºÃ±ez Jr., Joe Pecoraro, Vic Polizos, Richard Pryor, Uncle Ray, Della Reese, Lela Rochon, Stan Shaw, Berlinda Tolbert
Studio: Paramount
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

This is a supremely disappointing film, especially considering the talent involved. Indeed, the cast would seem to be the summit of African American comedians, starring the three most influential standups of the modern era: Redd Foxx, Richard Pryor, and Eddie Murphy. Murphy obviously was paying respect to his elders when he cast them as his father and grandfather in this story of Harlem in the 1930s. Written and directed by Murphy, the plot involves gangsters and rival nightclub owners but doesn't add up. What's a particular shame is that, with three comics as funny as Murphy, Pryor, and Foxx, there are so few laughs and so much misogyny. Do you really want to watch Della Reese get shot in the foot to shut her up? That's the level of the humor here. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews:

Redd Foxx stole the show , well part of it...........2007-03-03

Very funny movie with a very funnny cast...Not a great storyline but neither was Titanic and that boring nonsense won an award...Redd Foxx was at his best and Eddie's sly wit with the parakeet was just genuis..I just wish Robin Harris had more lines as well as Charlie Murphy...But it was still a very funny flick...I wonder how funny the deleted scenes and outtakes were..It a shame they're not in the DVD....

Hilarious.......2007-01-31

This movie does have a lot of bad language, so you wouldn't want your kids to watch, but for adults it's hilarioius througout. It has a great cast including Della Reese who will keep you laughing. It's one of those older movies that you want to make sure you have in your collection.

Harlem Nights is critic proof........2007-01-18

One of the excellent barometers to determine the success of a movie was to try to rent it. Back in the day in the african american neighborhoods, if you went to a movie rental store there were two movies that were never available for rent--the first 'Friday' and 'Harlem Nights'. Classics then, classics now. The Arsenio Hall scenes? The Stan Shaw scenes (the stuttering, lisping, high-voiced boxer)?, the fight itself? 'Sunshine'? The phone call ("Yeah listen, I ain't comin' home no more. Take care of yourself")? The scene with Eddie Murphy showing a tied-up Danny Aiello how to breathe in the vault of a dilapidated bank building? The initial reviewer clearly showed not only his ignorance but also his disdain of the african american cinema which has rarely shared its' tastes for films such as this one with the white critics who pander to their audience. But I recall a substantial amount of whites in the audiences the many times I went to see this film so it can only be said that most white critics and some white audiences have a problem with the african american cinema. But its' not going away. And three cheers to Eddie Murphy for winning a Golden Globe for his work in 'Dreamgirls'.

Don't read the Amazon review, this movie was great!.......2006-11-28

Though Amazon.com didn't think highly of this movie, I did, and thank goodness this movie was made!
Both Richard Pryor and Redd Foxx are not with us anymore, but this IS here. This film shows us the comedic talent of both these men, and to have stars like Eddie Murphy, Danny Aiello, and Della Reese is delicious icing on the cake.
Pryor as Sugar Ray and Murphey as Quick try to keep a vicious mobster from taking over their business. As you might think, they turn the tables on the bad buys!
Jasmine Guy stands out particularly as the mobster's girlfriend, and so does Della Resse as the hard-fighting madam with a heart of gold.
Thank-you, Eddie Murphy, for getting all these wonderful comedic talents together for us and prosperity! Because this movie exists we have them all forever.

one of the funniest movies ever!!!.......2006-07-24

This is one of the funniest movies if not the funniest movie ever made. You have got Redd Foxx, Richard Pryor, and Eddie Murphy in one film. What more could you ask for? The fight scene with Eddie and Della is hilarious. If you do not like this movie, you must be humorless or a racist.