Harlem Nights

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Harlem Nights
Promotional poster for Harlem Nights
Directed by	Eddie Murphy
Produced by	Mark Lipsky
Written by	Eddie Murphy
Starring	Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Redd Foxx, Danny Aiello, Michael Lerner, Della Reese
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	November 17, 1989 (USA)
Running time	116 min.
Language	English
Budget	unknown
IMDb profile

Harlem Nights is a comedy-drama / heist film starring Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor. This 1989 movie also featured Michael Lerner, Danny Aiello, Redd Foxx and Della Reese. Murphy also wrote and directed. Murphy was the executive producer and Mark Lipsky was the producer.

The film was savaged by some critics (21% on rottentomatoes.com), and criticized by some of the actors in the movie, including Richard Pryor.

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

In Harlem, New York, Sugar Ray (Richard Pryor) has a small-time dice game in the back of his candy store. After nearly being killed by an angry man who lost to Ray, he's saved when an 8-year old errand boy shoots the man in the head. The orphan, who goes by the name 'Quick', becomes the 'good luck charm' for Ray and grows up with him. 20 years later, Sugar Ray and a grown-up Quick (Eddie Murphy) now run a highly successful club called "Club Sugar Ray" in 1930s Harlem. The club is a speakeasy, with a brothel in the back run by tough talking Vera (Della Reese).

Into the club walks rival club owner Bugsy Calhoune (Michael Lerner), who wants to forcibly take over the club for himself. Helping him is corrupt police detective Phil Cantone (Danny Aiello), who wants a cut from Sugar Ray of what he makes, or else. With the help of Quick, Vera and longtime friend Bennie (Redd Foxx), Ray needs to find a way to cash out while he still can and keep himself and Quick- who is being chased by a very upset hitman (Arsenio Hall) - alive to see what life outside Harlem has to offer them.