Which Way Is Up? (1977) Poster
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Which Way Is Up? (1977)

R  |   |  Comedy  |  1 February 1979 (Denmark)
6.4
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Ratings: 6.4/10 from 946 users  
Reviews: 10 user | 17 critic

Richard Pryor is playing three different roles here. The first being a poor orange picker named Leroy Jones who gets laid off when by mistake he joins the worker's union during one of their... See full summary »

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(as Lina Wertmuller) , (screenplay), 2 more credits »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
Vanetta
...
Annie Mae
...
Mr. Mann
Marilyn Coleman ...
Sister Sarah
Bebe Drake ...
Thelma (as BeBe Drake-Hooks)
Gloria Edwards ...
Janelle
Ernesto Hernández ...
Jose Reyes (as Ernesto Hernandez)
...
Sugar
Morgan Roberts ...
Henry
Diane Rodriguez ...
Estrella Reyes
Dolph Sweet ...
The Boss
...
Tour Guide (as Timothy Thomerson)
Daniel Valdez ...
Chuy Estrada (as Danny Valdez)
Luis Valdez ...
Ramon Juarez
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

Richard Pryor is playing three different roles here. The first being a poor orange picker named Leroy Jones who gets laid off when by mistake he joins the worker's union during one of their demonstrations. Afterwards he is forced to leave his wife and family behind which also includes Leroy's father (also played by Pryor) to go to Los Angeles. Leroy ends up working for the same company that fired him back home. He is a manager at the company but he is now distant from his former pals. He meets and falls in love with Vanetta who is a labor organizer which leaves him splitting time between his wife Annie Mae and Vanetta. When Leroy finds out that the Reverend Lenox Thomas (also played by Pryor) has got his wife pregnant while he was absent, he then make the moves on the reverend's wife. Written by mts77

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

punctuation in title | question in title | nudity | shower | remake of italian film | See All (21) »

Genres:

Comedy

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

1 February 1979 (Denmark)  »

Also Known As:

A munka gyümölcse  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Budget:

$3,200,000 (estimated)
 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

(Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

At the beginning of the film Leroy (Richard Pryor) listens in on his father Rufus (also Richard Pryor) having sex in the other room. The sounds of his father and the woman - "Don't do that baby. Sock it to me. [moaning]" - was sampled in 2 Live Crew's 1989 hit "Me So Horny" on the album 'As Nasty As They Wanna Be'. That song also features a sample from Full Metal Jacket (1987). See more »

Connections

Remake of The Seduction of Mimi (1972) See more »

Soundtracks

Which Way Is Up?
Words and Music by Norman Whitfield
Sung by Stargard
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Where can I view the scene from which 2 Live Crew's "Me So Horny" used a line sample from?
See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Pryor great plus some terrific early work for the actresses
12 March 2007 | by (United States) – See all my reviews

Pyror was genius! Seeing it again after 30+ years you have to really respect what was necessary to produce this movie in 1970's climate! Also pleased to see Bebe Drake, Margaret Avery, Marilyn Coleman, and of course Vonnetta McKee. Margaret and Vonnetta went on to have their own successes and I've always been proud of them but Bebe and Marilyn have turned out to be character actresses for black womanhood! I love them! They may not have the same name recognition as some of the others but they have truly endured through time! They are in so many different roles and bring something different to them all. They were outstanding in WWIU but I look forward to seeing them wherever they turn up!
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