Hollywood Shuffle
Director: Robert Townsend Run Time: 82 min. Format: 35mm Film Release Year: 1987
Starring: Anne-Marie Johnson, Craigus R. Johnson, Damon Wayans, Eugene Robert Glazer, Helen Martin, John Witherspoon, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Robert Townsend, Starletta DuPois
Aspiring actor and hot-dog stand employee Bobby Taylor catches the ire of his grandmother for auditioning for a role in the regrettably titled exploitation film “Jivetime Jimmy’s Revenge.” When Tinseltown Studios casts Taylor in the title role, he has a series of conflicted dreams satirizing African-American stereotypes in Hollywood, and must reconcile his career goals with his desire to remain a positive role model for his little brother.
“An exuberant satire… It’s funny, ragged, appealingly mean-spirited and very easy to like.” – New York Times
“For a mere $100,000, Townsend and company have made a funny, poignant and technically proficient film — one that should thoroughly embarrass those studios that routinely offer up badly made, multimillion-dollar disasters.” – Washington Post