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Cotton Comes to Harlem

R Released May 27, 1970 1h 37m Comedy Drama List
Tomatometer 4 Reviews 67% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Harlem's African-American population is being ripped off by the Rev. Deke O'Malley (Calvin Lockhart), who dishonestly claims that small donations will secure parcels of land in Africa. When New York City police officers Gravedigger Jones (Godfrey Cambridge) and Coffin Ed Johnson (Raymond St. Jacques) look into O'Malley's scam, they learn that the cash is being smuggled inside a bale of cotton. But the police, O'Malley and lots of others find themselves scrambling when the money goes missing.
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Cotton Comes to Harlem

Critics Reviews

View All (4) Critics Reviews
Brian Orndorf Blu-ray.com Harlem is mostly about the ride, with chases and barbed banter urging the movie along, keeping the whole endeavor light on its toes. Rated: B+ Sep 27, 2014 Full Review Carol Cling Las Vegas Review-Journal Rated: 4/5 Oct 31, 2003 Full Review Ken Hanke Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) One of the earliest and best Blaxploitation films. Rated: 4/5 Nov 5, 2002 Full Review Philip Martin Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Rated: 3/5 Jul 31, 2002 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member The best comedy movie ever made! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review delysid d an ok film about a corrupt preacher Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/17/17 Full Review Audience Member When folks talk about the groundbreaking blaxploitation films, "Shaft" and "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song" are usually the main films mentioned. This film is rarely mentioned, even tough it came out the previous year and stars a pair of black actors as cops and was directed by Ossie Davis. This adaptation of a Chester Himes novel is an extremely effective blend of action and comedy. Well worth a look for fans of the genre. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Audience Member Another African American favorite Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Audience Member That this film continues to attract an audience all these years later is not surprising. The story it tells is as relevant today as it was back in 1970 and today perhaps has the ability to reach a broader audience in a way, one that can see the levels of nuance and hypocrisy found in the plot. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Audience Member Cambridge and St. Jacques are one of all time best buddy cop duos. They are hip, sexy, and funny. The mystery is intriguing, and the uncomfortable situations keep the viewer's attention throughout. This is one to be seen uncut, because a lot of the humor is quite racy. It's a time capsule in a way also since the Harlem depicted here no longer exists. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Cotton Comes to Harlem

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis Harlem's African-American population is being ripped off by the Rev. Deke O'Malley (Calvin Lockhart), who dishonestly claims that small donations will secure parcels of land in Africa. When New York City police officers Gravedigger Jones (Godfrey Cambridge) and Coffin Ed Johnson (Raymond St. Jacques) look into O'Malley's scam, they learn that the cash is being smuggled inside a bale of cotton. But the police, O'Malley and lots of others find themselves scrambling when the money goes missing.
Director
Ossie Davis
Producer
Samuel Goldwyn Jr.
Screenwriter
Ossie Davis, Chester Himes, Arnold Perl
Distributor
United Artists
Production Co
Formosa Productions
Rating
R
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 27, 1970, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 16, 2008
Runtime
1h 37m
Sound Mix
Mono
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