The Cotton Club

1984
R
2h 9m

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

20K

YOUR RATING

Play trailer2:16

2 Videos

99+ Photos

Crime Drama Music

Meet the jazz musicians, dancers, owner, and guests (like gangster Dutch Schultz) of The Cotton Club in 1928-1930s Harlem.Meet the jazz musicians, dancers, owner, and guests (like gangster Dutch Schultz) of The Cotton Club in 1928-1930s Harlem.Meet the jazz musicians, dancers, owner, and guests (like gangster Dutch Schultz) of The Cotton Club in 1928-1930s Harlem.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

20K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 2 Oscars
- 1 win & 8 nominations total

Videos2

Trailer 2:16

The Cotton Club Encore

Photos171

+ 165

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
When Francis Ford Coppola called up Bob Hoskins to offer him a part, the actor didn't believe it was really him. Coppola introduced himself, to which Hoskins replied, "Yeah, and this is Henry the fucking Eighth", and hung up.

Goofs
During the montage song Ill Wind there is a shot of coins and bills being poured out. The dimes in the shot are Roosevelt dimes, not produced until 1946.

Quotes
Vera: You've got about as much style as a bowl of turnips.

Crazy credits
In the original version, the opening credits were intercut with dancers performing "The Mooche." In the 2019 revision, the dancing is eliminated and the credits roll straight through, but have been joined with straight cuts rather than dissolves. Additionally, Coppola has changed his billing from "Francis Coppola" to "Francis Ford Coppola." Finally, restoration credits have been added after the end titles.

Alternate versions
In 2019, Lionsgate released a director's cut running 139 minutes, titled "The Cotton Club Encore". This version gave more space to the Williams brothers and Lila Rose, restoring three full musical numbers and extending others, and trimming scenes with impersonations of 1920s celebrities.

Connections
Edited into The Kid Stays in the Picture (2002)

Soundtracks
How Come You Love Me Like You Do?
Written by Gene Austin and Roy Bergere

User reviews116

Review

Featured review

Use the fast-forward button.

The best way to see this film is to scan through it at great speed. Stop and watch the dancing, Lonette McKee's singing and, especially, any scene with Bob Hoskins and Fred Gwynne. They make a *wonderful* team and the Watch scene is one of the finest, most concise scenes of friendship in any movie.

Gwynne, in particular, is impressive. Early on, he stands by quietly as Hoskins runs a gangster's peace meeting. Hoskins warns the participants to cool off or "you'll have to deal with me!" And Gwynne very quietly adds, "And me."... and the audience I saw it with went, "Whooaaa...!" The man conveyed incredible menace with two soft words. It wasn't until nearly half-way through the movie that some half-wit in the audience yelled out, "Hey. That's Herman Munster!"

Gwynne and Hoskins play their gangsters as funny, pragmatic and highly lethal men. They are far better than anything that surrounds them in this movie.