Hollywood Shuffle
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Hollywood Shuffle (1987) is a film depicting the sterotyping and racism against African Americans in film and television. Directed by Robert Townsend. Written by Robert Townsend and Keenan Ivory Wayans. Produced by Robert Townsend. Released by MGM Home Entertainment. 1987. 81 minutes. Rated R. The film is availiable on DVD
Production & Storyline
The movie was written and directed by Robert Townsend, his first. It is Hollywood folklore that Townsend produced the movie by using his own money and credit cards and making the crew wear college sweatshirts to keep from paying filming fees.
The movie is centered around Bobby (Townsend) and his quest to make it as an actor in Hollywood. He is stuck working at a fast food stand with some hilarious and demented characters who consistently try to destroy his plans for the future.
When he finally gets a break, it is for a role that makes him question his own morality. Should he join the system and play stereotype roles? Or should he say 'no', and possibly destroy his dream of becoming an actor?
As he travels around he frequently has 'visions' which are shown to us the audience. They are visions of the possible future roles he could have, the consequences of playing stereotypes, and so forth.
Here is a short list of his visions:
- Bobby as a detective pursuing a murderer with a jheri curl
- Bobby being an "Uncle Tom" and having an angry mob after him
- Bobby in an audition where casting agents are looking for an "Eddie Murphy" type, so all the black men in the audition are dressed as Eddie Murphy with leather Jackets (some lighter-skinned actors put on darker makeup to match Murphy's skin tone)
- Bobby playing a King in a Shakespearian play
- An advertisement for 'black actors school', in which you can learn to talk like an ignorant illiterate slave or like a jive talking drug dealer.
- Bobby winning his fifth oscar
- Bobby's young brother acting like a hood, carrying around piles of money and dressing like a pimp.
- Bobby's grandmother, played by Helen Martin.
- A movie involving zombie pimps.
References
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