The Cotton Club (1984)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Francis Ford Coppola

Writers:

William Kennedy (story) &
Francis Ford Coppola (story) ...

Release Date:

14 December 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Music

Tagline:

It was the jazz age. It was an era of elegance and violence. The action was gambling. The stakes were life and death.

Plot:

The Cotton Club was a famous night club in Harlem. The story follows the people that visited the club...

Plot Keywords:

Harlem | Jazz | Dead Boy | Controversial | New York City

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 6 nominations

Cast

Richard Gere	...	Dixie Dwyer
Gregory Hines	...	Sandman Williams
Diane Lane	...	Vera Cicero
Lonette McKee	...	Lila Rose Oliver
Bob Hoskins	...	Owney Madden
James Remar	...	Dutch Schultz
Nicolas Cage	...	Vincent Dwyer
Allen Garfield	...	Abbadabba Berman
Fred Gwynne	...	Frenchy Demange
Gwen Verdon	...	Tish Dwyer
Lisa Jane Persky	...	Frances Flegenheimer
Maurice Hines	...	Clay Williams
Julian Beck	...	Sol Weinstein
Novella Nelson	...	Madame St. Clair
Laurence Fishburne	...	Bumpy Rhodes (as Larry Fishburne)

Runtime:

127 min | Germany:123 min (video version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Hungary:16 | Australia:M | Argentina:18 | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Norway:16 (1985) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

5th Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Zoetrope Studios

Trivia:

The Nicolas Cage character "Mad Dog" Dwyer was based on an actual Irish gangster named "Mad Dog" Coll. (Cage is also the nephew of director Francis Ford Coppola.)

Goofs:

Continuity: When Dixie goes to ransom Frenchy there is a different amount of shaving cream on Mad Dog's face in every shot.

Quotes:

Sandman Williams: Baby, you may be passin' for white, but you ain't invisible.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The A-Team: Judgement Day: Part 2 (#4.2)" (1985)

Soundtrack:

Copper Colored Gal

An absolute classic, the more times you watch it, the more you become mesmerised by it.

The first time I saw this movie I loved the music and dancing and appreciated the setting. I found it strange and couldn't follow it properly. I watched it a second and third time, partly to see the dancing again, and listen to the music, and the plot completely grew on me. I absolutely love this movie. It is complex, and extremely accurate in its portrayal of the time when gangsters owned stars. If you love jazz music and know a little about its history, you will be enraptured by this movie.

The acting is incredible, and highlights the subtle twists in the plot beautifully. The cinematography is done in a most expert fashion. Richard Gere and Gregory Hines are absolutely charming, and Diane Lane is perfect is Vera Cicero. Lonette McKee has one of the most beautiful voices you will ever hear, it is no wonder she received a Tony award. Any viewer will be surprised by the guest appearances including Nicholas Cage, Bob Hoskins, Lawrence Fishburne, and on-screen and real-life brother of Gregory, Maurice Hines. Not only one of Coppola's best, but one of the best of all time.