Hollywood Shuffle

1987
R
1h 21m

IMDb RATING

6.9/10

6.5K

YOUR RATING

Anne-Marie Johnson and Robert Townsend in Hollywood Shuffle (1987)

Play trailer1:50

1 Video

62 Photos

Parody Satire Comedy

An actor limited to stereotypical roles because of his ethnicity, dreams of making it big as a highly respected performer. As he makes his rounds, the film takes a satiric look at African Am... Read allAn actor limited to stereotypical roles because of his ethnicity, dreams of making it big as a highly respected performer. As he makes his rounds, the film takes a satiric look at African American actors in Hollywood.An actor limited to stereotypical roles because of his ethnicity, dreams of making it big as a highly respected performer. As he makes his rounds, the film takes a satiric look at African American actors in Hollywood.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.9/10

6.5K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 4 wins & 4 nominations

Trivia
Shot without permits. The crew wore UCLA T-shirts so they could pass themselves off as students learning how to film in the field.

Goofs
In the "Chicago Jones" movie clip, the girl is wearing a white dress. When they jump, her dress is red.

Quotes
The guy from the Dirty Larry clip: What you say, honky sucker pig-head jive-turkey fool?

Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Burglar/Hollywood Shuffle/Street Smart/Beyond Therapy (1987)

Soundtracks
Not Just One in a Million
(Bobby's Theme)
Sung by Patrice Rushen
Music by Patrice Rushen
Lyrics by Patrice Rushen and Sheree Brown

User reviews49

Review

Featured review

Brilliant Satire.

As a black man and a longtime movie fan, it angered and frustrated me as to how blacks were stereotyped and exploited in Hollywood over the years. This was especially true during the first half of the 80's when I saw talented actor like Larry Fishburne play a hoodlum in DEATH WISH 2, Wesley Snipe play a hoodlum in WILDCATS and Mario Van Peebles play a hoodlum in EXTERMINATOR 2. Of course they've gone on to bigger, and totally unexpected, better things. That's why this satire hit a nerve with me. The one scene that sticks in my mind are the audition scenes where blacks audition for demeaning roles casted by clueless white producers and directors trying to tell blacks to act the way they think blacks should act (ain't that a blip!) and looking for an "Eddie Murphy type". The script, co-written by Townsend and co-star Keenen Ivory Wayans is accurate and on the money. While Wayans has sone on to better things (IN LIVING COLOR, I'M GONNA GIT YOU SUCKA and SCARY MOVIE), Townsend has not been so fortunate (The uneven THE FIVE HEARTBEATS, The lame TV sit-com THE PARENT 'HOOD and the godawful B.A.P.S.). The film also features Helen Martin, Damon Wayans, Anne-Marie Johnson and John Witherspoon. If you a fan of on-target satires, I strongly recommend this movie.