Jungle Fever (1991)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Spike Lee

Writer:

Spike Lee (writer)

Release Date:

7 June 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

Friends and family of a married black architect react in different ways to his affair with an Italian secretary.

Plot Keywords:

Black Man | Architect | Secretary | Racial | Racial Slur

Awards:

5 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Wesley Snipes	...	Flipper Purify
Annabella Sciorra	...	Angie Tucci
Spike Lee	...	Cyrus
Ossie Davis	...	The Good Reverend Doctor Purify
Ruby Dee	...	Lucinda Purify
Samuel L. Jackson	...	Gator Purify
Lonette McKee	...	Drew
John Turturro	...	Paulie Carbone
Frank Vincent	...	Mike Tucci
Anthony Quinn	...	Lou Carbone
Halle Berry	...	Vivian
Tyra Ferrell	...	Orin Goode
Veronica Webb	...	Vera
Veronica Timbers	...	Ming
David Dundara	...	Charlie Tucci
Michael Imperioli	...	James Tucci
Nicholas Turturro	...	Vinny
Steven Randazzo	...	Sonny
Joe D'Onofrio	...	Patty
Michael Badalucco	...	Frankie Botz
Anthony Nocerino	...	Veeshay
Debi Mazar	...	Denise
Gina Mastrogiacomo	...	Louise
Tim Robbins	...	Jerry
Brad Dourif	...	Leslie
Phyllis Yvonne Stickney	...	Nilda
Theresa Randle	...	Inez
Pamela Tyson	...	Angela
Rick Aiello	...	Officer Long
Miguel Sandoval	...	Officer Ponte
Charles Q. Murphy	...	Livin' Large
Talese Harris	...	Iris
Averell Curtle	...	Young Panhandler
Melvin Bethea	...	Drug Dealer
Ewart Lauder	...	Drug Dealer
Randolph May	...	Man in Crack House
El-Shah Muhammad	...	Gentleman in Wheelchair
Suzanna White	...	Church Lady
Danielle Coleman	...	Woman Panhandler
Marilyn Nelson	...	Crack Lady
Bob Adrian	...	Man on the Street
Doug E. Doug	...	Friend of Livin' Large
Scot Anthony Robinson	...	2nd Friend of Livin' Large
Frank Esposito	...	Frankie, Denise's Brother
Joseph Giammarino	...	Boy in Candy Store
Shawn Lowenthal	...	2nd Boy in Candy Store
Queen Latifah	...	Lashawn
Curtis Atkins	...	Paperboy
Yvette Brooks	...	Mouth #1
Mamie Louise Anderson	...	Mouth #2
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Illeana Douglas	...	Angie's Neighbor (scenes deleted)
Gina Gershon	...	Angie's Neighbor (scenes deleted)
Tiger Haynes
John D. Bair	...	Nosey neighbor (uncredited)

Directed by
Spike Lee

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Spike Lee		writer

Produced by
Jon Kilik	....	line producer
Spike Lee	....	producer
Monty Ross	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Terence Blanchard

Cinematography by
Ernest R. Dickerson		(as Ernest Dickerson)

Film Editing by
Samuel D. Pollard		(as Sam Pollard)

Casting by
Robi Reed-Humes		(as Robi Reed)

Production Design by
Wynn Thomas

Set Decoration by
Ted Glass

Costume Design by
Ruth E. Carter

Makeup Department
Clifford Booker	....	hair stylist: women
Larry M. Cherry	....	hair stylist: men (as Larry Cherry)
Bernadette Mazur	....	makeup artist
Laini Thompson	....	makeup department head
Ellie Winslow	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Preston L. Holmes	....	production supervisor
Brent Owens	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
H.H. Cooper	....	second assistant director
Randy Fletcher	....	first assistant director
Dale Pierce-Johnson	....	second assistant director (as Dale Pierce)

Art Department
Jacqueline Arnot	....	inside prop assistant
Anthony Baldasare	....	first assistant props
Jeff Balsmeyer	....	storyboard artist
Werner Bargsten	....	main title sign props
Martin Bernstein	....	construction coordinator
Katherine Bloss	....	scenic artist
Nancy Boytos-Amanuel	....	set dresser (as Nancy Boytos)
Erwin Brown	....	construction production assistant
William Butler	....	set dresser (as Bill Butler)
John Calling	....	construction production assistant
Rodney Clark	....	set builder
Lorenzo Contessa	....	scenic artist
Thomas Costabile	....	key set builder (as Tom Costabile)
Sara D'Alessandro	....	scenic artist sculptor
Rena Dillon	....	assistant to the set decorator
Diann Duthie	....	assistant art director
Rudolph Eccleston	....	construction production assistant
Anthony Galloway	....	construction production assistant
James Geyer	....	scenic artist
Jeffrey L. Glave	....	chargeman scenic artist
Kevin Golden	....	scenic artist
John Grimolizzi	....	set builder
Gary Jennings	....	scenic artist
Bruton Jones	....	assistant to the production designer
Mark Jones	....	construction production assistant
Jerry Kadar	....	set dresser
David B. Kadow	....	set builder (as David Kadow)
Joyce Kubalak-Szafilita	....	stand-by scenic artist (as Joyce Kubalak)
Kevin Ladson	....	property master
Charles LaPlaca	....	welder
Virginia Lim	....	scenic artist
Jann McClary	....	second assistant props
Ken Nelson	....	key set builder
Richard Parker	....	construction production assistant
Carl Prinzi	....	key construction grip
Scott Rosenstock	....	lead man
Rosalie Russino	....	scenic shopwoman
William Starke	....	construction production assistant
Pam Stephens	....	assistant to the production designer
Helen Terry Sylvester	....	scenic artist
Jack Travis	....	consulting architect
Peter von Bartheld	....	second set dresser (as Peter Von Bartheld)
Keith Wall	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Paul Wardwell	....	construction grip
John Wellington	....	construction production assistant
Laura Jean West	....	set dresser (as Laura West)
Robert Woods Jr.	....	construction grip
Jeffrey Rollins	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Albert Aquino	....	boom operator
Ron Bochar	....	sound effects editor
David Boulton	....	adr recordist
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist
Keiko Deguchi	....	assistant adr editor
Pam DeMetruis-Thomas	....	adr editor (as Pam DeMetruis)
Chris Fielder	....	assistant sound editor
Tom Fleischman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Vaughn Halyard	....	computer sound designer
Bradford L. Hohle	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Rosa Howell-Thornhill	....	cable person
Brian Johnson	....	assistant sound editor
Frank Kern	....	foley editor
Kevin Lee	....	dialogue editor
Stuart Levy	....	apprentice sound editor
Skip Lievsay	....	sound designer
Bruce Pross	....	foley editor
Fred Rosenberg	....	dialogue editor (as Frederic Rosenberg)
Diane Schaub	....	adr editor
Greg Speed	....	assistant sound editor (as Gregory L. Speed)
Jeffrey Stern	....	dialogue editor
Steven Visscher	....	foley editor
Magdaline Volaitis	....	dialogue editor
Deborah Wallach	....	adr editor
Robert S. Warren	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Russell Williams II	....	sound recordist
Harry Peck Bolles	....	adr editor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Jerry Holway	....	cablecam operator
Andy Hudson	....	visual effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Jeff Ward	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Stuart Allen	....	crane operator: Louma crane
Robert M. Andres	....	key grip (as Bob Andres)
Keith Bunting	....	company grip
Ted Churchill	....	Steadicam operator
Lamont Crawford	....	fourth grip
Richard Crudo	....	Steadicam assistant
Val DeSalvo	....	best boy electric
Kirk R. Gardner	....	Steadicam operator (as Kirk Gardner)
Emil Hampton	....	Steadicam assistant
Andy Harris	....	additional first assistant camera (as Andrew Harris)
Charles Houston	....	gaffer
Pamela Katz	....	first assistant camera (as Pam Katz)
Tom Kudlek	....	crane grip
Tom Kudlek	....	dolly grip
David Lee	....	still photographer
Charlie Marroquin	....	rigging grip (as Charles Marroquin)
Rick Marroquin	....	rigging grip
Michael Marzovilla	....	electrician
Larry McConkey	....	Steadicam operator
Derek McKane	....	electrician
Nancy Meshkoff	....	video operator
John Mitchell	....	electrician
Andy Niceberg	....	generator operator
Fred Nielson	....	camera trainee (as Frederick V. Nielsen II)
Phil Oetiker	....	camera operator
John O'Malley	....	electrician
George Pattison	....	additional camera operator
Carl Peterson	....	key rigging grip
Tony Pisciotta	....	electrician (as Anthony Pisciotta)
Frank Prinzi	....	additional camera operator
Charles Quinlivan	....	company grip
Floyd A.B. Rance III	....	second assistant camera
Nate Ranger	....	second assistant camera (as Nate C. Ranger)
Daniel Sanabria	....	first assistant camera
Douglas W. Shannon	....	electrician (as Doug Shannon)
Chris Skutch	....	third grip
Marcus Turner	....	fourth grip
David S. Tuttman	....	additional first assistant camera (as David Tuttman)
Paul Wachter	....	best boy grip
Tom Zafian	....	video engineer (as Thomas Zafian)
David Zimmern	....	video operator
Christian Epps	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Carl Anthony Lee	....	casting associate
Andrea Reed	....	extras casting
Winsome Sinclair	....	casting production assistant
Tracy Vilar	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Donna Berwick	....	assistant to costume designer
Jennifer L. Bryan	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Jennifer Bryan)
Beulah Jones-Black	....	assistant to costume designer
Precious Lovell	....	wardrobe assistant
Barry Mazurek	....	assistant wardrobe supervisor
Rita McGhee	....	wardrobe assistant
Miriam Wong Tsao	....	wardrobe assistant (as Miriam Wong)

Editorial Department
Jeffrey Cooper	....	apprentice editor (as Jeff Cooper)
Sonia N. Gonzalez	....	apprentice editor (as Sonia Gonzalez)
Anthony L. Jamison	....	apprentice editor
Noëlle Penraat	....	negative matcher
David Pultz	....	color timer (as Dave Pultz)
Leander T. Sales	....	assistant editor (as Leander Sales)
Brunilda Torres	....	additional editor

Music Department
Ethel Abelson	....	musician: violin
Sanford Allen	....	musician: violin (as Allen Sanford)
Stephanie Andrews	....	soundtrack project coordinator
Jerome Ashby	....	musician: French horn
Diane Barere	....	musician: cello
Steve Berrios	....	musician: Latin percussion
Sandra Billingslea	....	musician: violin
Larissa Blitz	....	musician: violin
Barbara Bogatin	....	musician: cello
Kimberly Brewer	....	music arranger: vocals
Richard Brice	....	musician: viola
Alfred Brown	....	musician: viola
Carol Buck	....	musician: cello
Anne Callahan	....	musician: cello
Malcolm Cecil	....	additional music engineer
Jean Dane	....	musician: viola
Troy Davis	....	musician: drums
John R. Dexter	....	musician: viola (as John Dexter)
Joseph Diamonte	....	musician: violin
Gayle Dixon	....	musician: violin
Robin Eubanks	....	musician: trombone
Sue Evans	....	musician: percussion
Barry Finclair	....	musician: violin
James Flatto	....	assistant music editor
Eileen M. Folson	....	musician: cello (as Eileen Folson)
Stephanie Fricker	....	musician: viola
Winterton Garvey	....	musician: violin
Kenneth Gordon	....	musician: violin
Karen Griffen	....	musician: flute
Juliet Haffner	....	musician: viola
R.R. Hanlan	....	additional music engineer
Roland Hanna	....	musician: piano (as Sir Roland Hanna)
Jennie Hansen	....	musician: viola
Ellen Hassman	....	musician: cello
Richard Hendrickson	....	musician: violin
Milt Hinton	....	musician: bass
Cecelia Hobbs Gardner	....	musician: violin
Howard Howard	....	musician: French horn
Stanley G. Hunte	....	musician: violin
Yong-Yan Hu	....	musician: violin
Regis Iandiorio	....	musician: violin
Keith John	....	music arranger: vocals
Gregory Komar	....	musician: violin
Jesse Levine	....	musician: viola
Charles Libove	....	musician: violin
Carmel Malin	....	musician: violin
Joe Malin	....	musician: violin (as Joseph Malin)
Delfeayo Marsalis	....	score recordist
Lois Martin	....	musician: viola
Alvin McCall	....	musician: cello
Melissa Meel	....	musician: cello
Diane Monroe	....	musician: violin
Louann Montesi	....	musician: violin (as Lou Ann Montesi)
Frank Morelli	....	musician: bassoon
James Nichols	....	score mixer
Suzanne Ornstein	....	musician: violin
Marion Pinheiro	....	musician: violin
John Pintavalle	....	musician: violin
Greg Poree	....	music arranger
Susan Pray	....	musician: viola (as Sue Pray)
Melanie Punter	....	musician: bass
Alvin Rogers	....	musician: violin
Bruce Rogers	....	musician: cello
Elliot Rosoff	....	musician: violin
Clay Ruede	....	musician: cello
James A. Sandweiss	....	assistant music engineer (as Jimmy 'Rock'N Roll' Sandweiss)
Myra Segal	....	musician: violin
Patrick Smith	....	score recordist
Richard Spencer	....	musician: viola
Debra Spohnheimer	....	musician: bass (as Deb Spohnheimer)
Bob Stewart	....	musician: tuba
Alex Steyermark	....	music editor
Dale Stuckenbruck	....	musician: violin
Gerald Tarack	....	musician: violin
Stephen James Taylor	....	musician: oboe (as Stephen Taylor)
Lesa Terry	....	musician: violin
Steve Van Arden	....	music engineer
Steve Van Arden	....	music mixer
Yuri Vodovoz	....	musician: violin
Bruce Wang	....	musician: cello
Nathan Watts	....	executive associate music producer
Nathan Watts	....	music arranger: vocals
Rodney Whitaker	....	musician: bass
Stevie Wonder	....	music arranger
Stevie Wonder	....	music arranger: vocals
Stevie Wonder	....	music producer
Jue Yao	....	musician: violin
Ming Yeh	....	musician: violin
Harry Zaratzian	....	musician: viola
Frederic Zlotkin	....	musician: cello

Transportation Department
Charles Bennis	....	driver
Bill Buckman	....	driver (as William Buckman Jr.)
Joseph Caffrey	....	driver (as Joseph Caffrey)
Michael Canosa	....	driver
James Collins	....	driver
Robert Collins	....	driver
Brendan P. Connolly	....	driver (as Brendan Connolly)
Rocco Curatolo	....	driver
Bob Donavan	....	driver (as Robert Donovan)
Dennis Drogan	....	driver (as Ronald Drogan)
Robert Dwyer	....	driver
John Elder	....	driver
Robert Featherstone	....	driver
William K. Gaskins	....	driver (as Willie Gaskins)
Ponce Granger	....	driver
Gus Hein	....	driver
Patrick Hogan	....	driver
James Jelardi	....	driver
Clifford Johnson	....	driver (as Cliff Johnson)
Richard S. Kornack	....	driver (as Richard Kornack)
Robert Lansing	....	driver
Robert Lapine	....	driver
Harry J. Leavey	....	driver (as Harry Leavey)
James Leavey	....	transportation captain
William Leavey	....	driver (as Bill Leavey)
David Lenhart	....	driver
Franklin Lopez	....	driver (as Frank Lopez)
Brian Maxwell	....	driver
Andrew Orlou	....	driver
Martin Whitfield	....	driver

Other crew
Gerald Barclay	....	intern
Wanda Brooks	....	production assistant: 40 Acres
Johanne Brown	....	post-production office coordinator
Rasheed Ali Brown	....	craft service (as Rasheed Brown)
Jeffrey W. Byrd	....	electric production assistant (as Jeffrey Byrd)
Shari L. Carpenter	....	continuity (as Shari Carpenter)
Idreana Causby	....	intern
Constance Cherry	....	intern
Darrol Clark	....	intern
Pierre Cottrell	....	our man in Fort-de-France
William Davies	....	intern
Lee Davis	....	set production assistant
Victor De Jesus	....	intern
Lyle Dickey	....	production assistant: 40 Acres
Liza Donnell	....	craft service
Laura Dorsey	....	intern
Elloise Dover	....	intern (as Elloise McRae-Dover)
Mike Ellis	....	set production assistant (as Michael Ellis)
Frank L. Fleming	....	intern (as Frank Fleming)
Susan D. Fowler	....	production coordinator: 40 Acres
Francesca Freeman	....	intern
Darryl Ganious	....	craft service
Michael Gaynor	....	projectionist
Anika Gibbons	....	intern
Chey Green	....	intern
Simone Greggs	....	intern
Sarah Gyllenstierna	....	intern
Van Hayden	....	set production assistant
Ronald M. Haynes	....	intern
Tracey Hinds	....	craft service
Patricia Ann Holmes	....	assistant auditor (as Patricia Holmes)
Valerie Hughes	....	intern
Debra D. Jeffreys	....	production coordinator
Desirée Jellerette	....	assistant production office coordinator
Kristen M. Johnson	....	location production assistant
Sheldon Kaplan	....	helper
Terri Kennedy	....	intern
Gregory King	....	intern
Eric Klein	....	assistant location manager (as Eric Barry Klein)
Zenaida Lorenzo	....	intern
Charles Lowrey	....	caterer
Charles Mahorner	....	set production assistant
Marcie Newman	....	intern
Robert Nickson	....	production controller
Eric Oden	....	auditor
Brent Owens	....	location manager
Stephanie Payton	....	intern
Michael A. Pinckney	....	intern (as Michael Pinckney)
John Raffone	....	helper
Philip M. Ricks	....	intern
Traci Runcie	....	intern (as Tracey Runcie)
Jon-Marc Sandifer	....	intern
Kevin Sharkey	....	helper
Ginger Sledge	....	location scout
Earl Smith	....	assistant: Mr. Lee
Sherri G. Sneed	....	production secretary
Anna C. Southall	....	unit publicist (as Anna Southall)
Danny Spillane	....	helper
Susan Stuart	....	intern
Monica Sutton	....	intern
Shawn Sweeney	....	production assistant
Sikay Tang	....	intern
Dwayne Thomas	....	intern
Walter J. Turnbull	....	founder/director: The Boys Choir of Harlem (as Walter Turnbull)
Jimmie Walker	....	intern
Ntshaveni Wa Luruli	....	set production assistant (as Ntshavheni Wa Luruli)
John Wassel	....	cablecam assistant
Dale Watkins	....	assistant location manager (as Dale T. Watkins)
Doug G. Watson	....	set production assistant
Raymond White	....	security officer
Sonja Whittle	....	intern
José Williams	....	helper
Harold R. Williams Jr.	....	assistant projectionist
Tracy A. Wright	....	intern
Randall Balsmeyer	....	title designer (uncredited)
Mimi Everett	....	title designer (uncredited)
Coati Mundi	....	adr voice (uncredited)

Thanks
Terence Blanchard	....	special thanks
Garrett Brown	....	special thanks
Louis J. Delsarte	....	special thanks
Yusuf K. Hawkins	....	in memory of
Jason Hunt	....	special thanks
Spencer Lawrence	....	special thanks
Charlie Newton	....	special thanks
Michael J. Singletary	....	special thanks
Stevie Wonder	....	special thanks (as Steveland Morris)

Production Companies

• 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks
• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Argentina Video Home (2008) (Argentina) (DVD)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• CIC-Taft Home Video
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (Spain)
• Universal Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Video (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures

Special Effects

• Temptu (tattoos)

Other Companies

• C5  post-production sound services
• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production

MPAA:

Rated R for sensuality, strong language, drug content, and for violence.

Runtime:

132 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Australia:M | South Korea:18 | Finland:K-14 | Germany:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks

Trivia:

Halle Berry refused to bathe for two weeks in preparation for a role as a crack addict.

Quotes:

Flipper Purify: There's something you should know. I'm having an affair.
Cyrus: H-bomb! H-bomb!
Flipper Purify: It gets worse. She's white.
Cyrus: Nuclear holocaust!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Chappelle's Show: (#3.1)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Fun Day

More about sex than race

This movie is more about sex than race. Lee was quoted in the NYT as follows: "I hate this whole Hollywood process of breaking down a movie to one sentence," he said. "My films don't deal with one theme. They interweave many different things. You have to think. I'm not saying interracial relationships are impossible. Flipper and Angie are not meant to represent every interracial couple in the world. They are meant to represent two people who got together because of sexual mythology instead of love. Then they stay together because they're pushed together. They're outcasts. And since their relationship isn't based on love, when things get tough, they can't weather the storm." Thus at its core this film is a feminist critique of the nature of sexual attraction in contemporary America. These folks are wrong for each other but they both are stereotypically "attractive." There is "chemistry" between them, but no shared values that are the bedrock of a serious relationship. The "black stud"/ "sexy white girl" is just one way this could be instantiated.

In one sense, this is a serious issue and it is worth exploring. My own misgivings about this film is that Lee's moral seems to be: values = good, chemistry = bad, and this strikes me as somewhat simplistic.