Harlem Nights (1989)

Directed by

Eddie Murphy

Genre

comedy film, heist film, comedy drama, romance film, hood film

Country

United States

Runtime

1h 51m

Rated

R

Rating

6.1 of 10 from 355 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

In 1930s Harlem, a pair of friends run a nightclub. They have to outsmart gangsters and crooked cops to keep their business going.

playfultensegrittywittynostalgicstylishchaoticsmooth-talking

What happens

Harlem Nights is a 1989 American crime comedy-drama film starring, written and directed by Eddie Murphy. The film co-stars Richard Pryor, Redd Foxx (in his last film appearance before his death in 1991), Danny Aiello, Michael Lerner, Della Reese and Murphy's older brother Charlie. The film was released theatrically on November 17, 1989, by Paramount Pictures. The film tells the story of "Sugar" Ray and Vernest "Quick" Brown as a team running a nightclub in the late 1930s in Harlem while contending with gangsters and corrupt police officials. Harlem Nights is, as of 2026, Eddie Murphy's only directorial effort. He had always wanted to direct and star in a period piece, as well as work with Pryor, whom he considered his greatest influence in stand-up comedy. Reviewers panned the film, with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert choosing Harlem Nights as ranking among the worst films of 1989. At the 10th Golden Raspberry Awards, Murphy won the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay. The film grossed $60.9 million against a production budget of $30 million. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

More like this

• Do the Right Thing (1989)
• Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
• Goodfellas (1990)
• Some Like It Hot (1959)
• The Sting (1973)
• Harlem After Midnight (1934)
• Miller's Crossing (1990)
• Who Shot Patakango? (1989)