Dolemite
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| Dolemite | |
|---|---|
 Original one-sheet poster for Dolemite |
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| Directed by | D'Urville Martin |
| Produced by | Rudy Ray Moore |
| Written by | Rudy Ray Moore (story) Jerry Jones (screenplay) |
| Starring | Rudy Ray Moore D'Urville Martin Jerry Jones Lady Reed Hy Pyke West Gale William Bryant Vainus Rackstraw |
| Music by | Arthur Wright |
| Cinematography | Nicholas Josef von Sternberg |
| Editing by | Rex Lipton |
| Distributed by | Dimension Pictures Inc. |
| Release date(s) | July 1975 (USA) |
| Running time | 90 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | Unknown |
| IMDb profile | |
Dolemite is a 1974 blaxploitation feature film, and is also the name of its principal character, played by Rudy Ray Moore, who co-wrote the film. Moore had developed the alter-ego as a stand-up comedian and released several comedy albums using this persona. The film was directed by D'Urville Martin, who appears as the villain Willie Green. The film is generally seen to have taken the blaxploitation genre beyond what previous films such as Shaft had done, playing black stereotypes to a highly exaggerated extent. Unlike many blaxploitation films, however, Dolemite was written and directed by Black people.
Often seen as more of a parody than a true blaxploitation film, Dolemite is usually appreciated in a manner much as Plan 9 From Outer Space [citation needed] is, amusingly inept by any true cinematic standards, though that may well be the point. A minor but often cited flaw with the film is the tendency for the boom microphone to appear on screen for extended periods of time. It has attained something of a cult status, earning it a following and making it more well known than many of its counterparts. It has been parodied on the sketch comedy show MADtv.
The Human Tornado, an often neglected sequel, was released in 1976. This sequel took the humor of low-budget production further, with the absurdly choreographed fight scenes played at fast speed.
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[edit] Characters of Dolemite
Dolemite is the protagonist of the movie. Dolemite is seen jailed in the beginning of the movie, followed by a flashback of detectives examining the trunk of his Cadillac Sedan DeVille in which stolen fur coats and drugs were found. It is obvious Dolemite was framed, but he spends time in jail regardless. Dolemite is later pardoned and released. Throughout the movie, as Dolemite attempts to rekindle his reputation on the streets and reclaim his pride and joy (the club referred to as "The Total Experience") from Willie Green, he is constantly having run-ins with a pair of bumbling detectives, Mitchell and White, who framed Dolemite before (as seen in the flashback), and who are hell-bent on getting Dolemite back into the slammer.
Queen Bee (often called Queenie) runs a whore house that references Dolemite as the owner on several occasions throughout the movie. Queen Bee is the only woman in Dolemite's household who speaks to Dolemite as an equal, rather than a pimp. While Queen Bee is very emotional about having Dolemite return home after time in jail, no reference of an intimate relationship is ever made during the film.
Willie Green is the antagonist, and is played by D'Urville Martin (who also directed the film). Willie Green is seen in the initial flashback as having a leading part in the framing of Dolemite. Willie Green takes over Dolemite's club "The Total Experience" while Dolemite is serving hard time. Willie Green and the city's mayor have a peculiar partnership. The mayor will abuse his office in helping Willie Green avoid problems with the law, while Willie Green promises black votes for the mayor's upcoming re-election.
Reverend Gibbs is played by actor West Gale who also appeared in Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song and Death Cruse. Gibbs is a black separatist with many connections and leads a fraudulent church as "The Reverend Gibbs". He tipped off Dolemite about some false information that was going down at Dolemite's club "The Total Experience". Later he was seen at the club with the Dolemite Girls karate-chopping one of Willie Green's thugs.
Blakely is the FBI man that nobody knows until the time is right. He is there to catch Mitchell and White and bust the corruption of Mayor Daly
Creeper is better known as the Hamburger Pimp. You may recognize him by his dingy "white-t", characteristic pimp stroll (as he pulls up his pants) and his constant begging for spare change and free food.
[edit] Trivia
Dolemite's vehicle collection include a 1971 Cadillac Sedan DeVille and Fleetwood 75 limousine (the limo seen during the prison scene was a 1973 model), along with a 1974 Lincoln Continental Town Car.
The mayor is seen fleeing his home in a 1974 Cadillac Coupe DeVille, arriving at the airport in a 1973 Sedan DeVille.
[edit] References in pop culture
- The 2000 film Big Money Hustlas features "The Ghost of Dolemite" as a character.
- In the film Booty Call, Bunz (played by Jamie Foxx) states, "I thought sodomite was Dolemite's cousin."
- Dolemite makes a guest appearance at the beginning of the 1997 album, When Disaster Strikes, by rapper Busta Rhymes, and in the intro of the 2001 album, Genesis.
- The 1993 song Nuthin' But a "G" Thang features the line "pimpin' hos and clockin' a grip like my name was Dolemite...".
- In the film Broken Flowers (2005) Bill Murray's character Don Johnston is talking to his neighbour's daughter and discussing who her father might be.
- Don Johnston: He's that Dolemite guy right?
- Young Girl: No, not Dolemite.
- Don Johnston: No?
- Young Girl: He's down.
- Don Johnston: Keep your eyes open. He may be Dolemite.
- An episode of the animated series Futurama ("Jurassic Bark") contained a play on words, with the Professor cross-referencing Dolemite while talking about the mineral Dolomite, which Bender later said he was 40% made out of. He says that Dolomite is "that righteous black mineral that don't cop out when there's heat all about."
- In the movie The Great White Hype, the heavyweight champion (played by Damon Wayans) watches the film in his dressing room, for motivation in his upcoming fight.
- The television show MADtv had a long running skit called "Son of Dolemite"
- The 2001 song "Uzi (Pinky Ring)" by Wu-Tang Clan, U-God sings the line "Superbad, who am I? Dolemite Classic!"
- Dolemite was the subject of an Altoids ad campaign that ran in 2000.
- In the 1983 song Jam On Revenge by Newcleus, Chilly B says "When I was a little baby boy, my mamy gave me a brand new toy, 2 turntables with a mike, and I learned to rap like Dolemite"
- In the 1995 song "Down" by 311, SA says "Lightning strikes, we be in that violent force of light/Guaranteed to turn it out as bad as Dolemite"
- Big Daddy Kane's 1990 Taste of Chocolate album has a song called "Big Daddy vs. Dolemite", in which Dolemite beats Kane in a rap battle.
- It's The Great Dolemite Charlie Brown, which is a spoof of It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
- Like much hip-hop over the years, NY rap group The Beastie Boys mention Dolemite on many occasions, particularly on their second album Paul's Boutique.
- The Bloodhound Gang song "Jackass" from the Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back soundtrack begins with the lyrics "Jackass - I'm a pimped-out Jedi Knight, Obi-Wan meets Dolemite".
[edit] External links
- Dolemite at the Internet Movie Database
- Dolemite.com - everything you'd ever want to know about Dolemite and Blaxploitation
- Reviews of Dolemite at Rotten Tomatoes
