Movies
Hollywood Shuffle
A custom vehicle for black actor Robert Townsend, produced, directed, and co-written by him. It casts him as an aspirant for the lead role in a street-gang epic for Tinsel Town Pictures, and by means of the TV knob and some Walter Mitty-ish fantasies it allows him also to play a token-black sitcom star, a Stepin Fetchit butler/slave, a foppish commercial spokesman for Black Acting School (Jive Talk 101, Shuffling 200, etc.), a soul-brother version of Roger Ebert, a hard-boiled private eye (Sam Ace, as very distinct from Spade), and more. He shows no real flair in all of this as a parodist of the appropriate film style, and the movie ultimately serves better as a showcase for Townsend the actor than for Townsend the director. But much more than a personal portfolio, it is also a heartfelt plea for better roles for black actors all around. The points made are numerous and well taken, but perhaps better taken than made, with the humor often as low as the budget. 1987.
Reader Rating:
MPAA Rating: R