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
The catalogue in 3D
The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.
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)
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)- More like this film, on a shelf you can walk up to.It's the lit case on the top shelf.