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The Five Heartbeats (1991) 7.5
The story of the rise and fall of an African American vocal group. Director:Robert Townsend |
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Title: The Five Heartbeats (1991)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Robert Townsend | ... |
Duck
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| Michael Wright | ... |
Eddie
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| Leon | ... |
J.T.
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| Harry Lennix | ... |
Dresser
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| Tico Wells | ... |
Choirboy
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| Diahann Carroll | ... |
Eleanor Potter
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Harold Nicholas | ... |
Sarge
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| Tressa Thomas | ... |
Duck's Baby Sister
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John Canada Terrell | ... |
Michael 'Flash' Turner
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Chuck Patterson | ... |
Jimmy Potter
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| Hawthorne James | ... |
Big Red
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| Roy Fegan | ... |
Bird
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| Troy Byer | ... |
Baby Doll
(as Troy Beyer)
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Carla Brothers | ... |
Tanya Sawyer
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| Deborah Lacey | ... |
Rose
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
In the early 1960's, a quintet of hopeful young African American men form an amateur vocal group called The Five Heartbeats. After an initially rocky start, the group improve, turn pro, and rise to become a top flight music sensation. Along the way however, the guys learn many hard lessons about the reality of the music industry with it's casual racism and greed while the personal weaknesses of the members threaten to destroy the integrity of the band. Written by Kenneth Chisholm <kchishol@execulink.com>
Plot Keywords:
african american | rise and fall | 1960s | infidelity | unfaithfulness |Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated R for languageParents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
29 March 1991 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Los Heartbeats See more »Box Office
Gross:
$8,750,400 (USA)Company Credits
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company contact information
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Dolby SRColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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Written by Jesse Johnson (as Jesse W. Johnson) and Keith Lewis
Performed & Produced by Jesse Johnson (as Jesse W. Johnson)
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Did You Know?
Trivia
The lives of several performing R&B groups and artists inspired this film: The Dells, The Temptations, Frankie Lymon and Sam Cooke according to Robert Townsend in a Mademe Noir Interview. Townsend says the crux of the story was based on the breakup of the Temptations which was an event he took personally. See more »Goofs
On the opening number, "I Love Joey", it's obvious that the horns are synthesized, very unlikely in 1965. See more »Soundtracks
You Can Kiss Where the Sun Don't ShineWritten by Jesse Johnson (as Jesse W. Johnson) and Keith Lewis
Performed & Produced by Jesse Johnson (as Jesse W. Johnson)
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The Five Heartbeats was a real, honest, remarkable film. It was packed with emotion. Well acted by all involved. A must see to appreciate! The portrayals on the members in the group were believable. It is my understanding that this is a story based upon the popular singing group, "The Dells". I don't know how true it is. I feel that Robert Townsend not only acted well in this film but, he did a fantastic job in directing it, too. To me, it's one of if not the best piece of work that he has done. I also enjoyed his film, "The Hollywood Shuffle" but the Five Heartbeats is my overall favorite. Kudos to Mr. Townsend for a job well done and may we say his greatest works are yet to come. Thank you Mr. Townsend and I hope to meet you one day!