Dolemite (1975)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

D'Urville Martin

Writers:

Jerry Jones (writer)
Rudy Ray Moore (story)

Release Date:

July 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

With his All-Girl Army of Kung Fu Killers.

Plot:

Dolemite is a pimp who was set up by Willie Greene and the cops, who have planted drugs, stolen furs...

Plot Keywords:

Cult Favorite | Racial Slur | African American | Surrealism | One Word Title

Cast

Rudy Ray Moore	...	Dolemite
D'Urville Martin	...	Willie Green
Jerry Jones	...	Blakeley
Lady Reed	...	Queen Bee
Brenda DeLong	...	Dolemite Girl
Terri Mosley	...	Dolemite Girl
Marilyn Shaw	...	Dolemite Girl
Lynell Smith	...	Dolemite Girl
Vera Howard	...	Dolemite Girl
Joy Martin	...	Dolemite Girl
Jana Bisbing	...	Dolemite Girl
Brenda Banks	...	Dolemite Girl
Pat Haywood	...	Dolemite Girl
René Van Clief	...	Dolemite Girl
Pat Jones	...	Dolemite Girl

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:MA | New Zealand:R16 | USA:R | Canada:13+ (Quebec)

Filming Locations:

Dunbar Hotel - 4225 S. Central Avenue, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Comedian Intl Enterprise Productions (C.I.E.)

Goofs:

Continuity: Dolemite karate kicks the two detectives as they walk away from him. The first detective that gets kicked gets knocked out and falls on his back with both of his legs flat to the ground. In the next shot, Dolemite walks over to them and pours the cocaine on them, and the guy that was knocked out now has his right knee bent up.

Quotes:

Detective: Now, I know you think you're smart, see, cause you got all them flashy clothes, you got that big car there, you got all them black bitches working for you.
Dolemite: You forgot about the white ones.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in What Goes Around... (2006)

Cheap but cheerful

Certainly far, far from the quality end of the Blaxploitation genre, this nonetheless shares some of the staple ingredients which make many of its more illustrious brethren so charming. The plot concerns the titular hero (the term applied in the loosest possible manner as our man is a bit of a scumbag) who does a deal with the warden in the prison he is being held in (after he was framed by bent cops) to clean up his old hood. This our man sets about with great gusto, partially fuelled by the need to avenge the senseless murder of his nephew. It turns out that the crime in the area is far more deep rooted than a few mere drug dealers and gun runners however, indeed a whole conspiracy is afoot involving bent law enforcement officers and a dirty mayer.

With multiple attempts on our heroes life and the pressure on, will our man be able to save the day? Well, if Dolemite's inimitable way with obscenities is anything to go by, then the answer is 'hell yes'!!! Indeed, Rudy Ray Moore's fast and foul outbursts are probably the real highlight here and are sure to raise much mirth. Unfortunately, matters do tend to drag when our man isn't busy berating someone which is a real shame but don't switch off just yet, for the finale in this is an absolute hoot! Yes, the final fight or perhaps more appropriately, small riot which breaks out in a night club is absolutely hilarious and showcases a plethora of poorly choreographed karate fights, our hero literally punching through a guys chest(!) and all this backed up by a cool and thumping seventies soundtrack! Damn! - What more could one wish for in a film I ask?

Fellow fans of the genre will probably derive at least some enjoyment here, not least of all the aforementioned sequences but just be warned - as if to act as a reflection of just how low rent this entry is, if one were to base a drinking game on the number of times the boom mike is visible throughout the film, then you'll probably be comatose by the end credits!