Movies by Robert Townsend
As part of the cast:
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Of Boys and Men (2008)
Cast: Robert Townsend, Angela Bassett, Victoria Rowell …
Directed by: Carl Seaton
When his wife (Angela Bassett) dies in a tragic car accident, Chicago dad Holden Cole (Robert Townsend) suddenly has his hands full raising three anguish-stricken boys while simultaneously…
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Tao of the Golden Mask (2007)
Cast: Faizon Love, Robert Townsend, Jackeline Olivier …
Directed by: Faizon Love
This brazen mockumentary goes down a wormhole in film history and emerges with the fantastic tale of Langston Faizon Santisima (William Luke), an 18-year-old Cuban director who crafted what…
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We Don't Die, We Multiply: The Robin Harris Story (2004)
Cast: Robin Harris, Cedric the Entertainer, D.L. Hughley …
Featuring hysterical performance footage and insightful interviews, this affectionate documentary profiles Robin Harris, one of the most respected black comedians of his time whose life was…
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Black Listed (2002)
Cast: Robert Townsend, Vanessa L. Williams, Harry J. Lennix …
Directed by: Robert Townsend
Robert Townsend (who also wrote and directed) stars as Alan Chambers, an industrious corporate lawyer and family man who becomes part of a vigilante force when he grows weary of watching…
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I Was a Teenage Faust (2002)
Cast: Robert Townsend, Morgan Fairchild, Stuart Margolin …
Directed by: Thom Eberhardt
Mr. Five (Robert Townsend) is about to be tossed into the depths of hell unless he can bestow a soul to his boss, Lucifer. Fearful of what will happen to him if he arrives empty-handed, he…
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Book of Love (2002)
Cast: Loretta Devine, Robin Givens, Salli Richardson-Whitfield …
Directed by: Jeffrey W. Byrd
Bachelors Will (Erik George), Jay (Anthony "Treach" Criss) and Ben (Richard Jones) navigate the turbulent waters of the Los Angeles dating scene in this mockumentary. The three men try to…
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Taxman (1999)
Cast: Joe Pantoliano, Wade Dominguez, Elizabeth Berkley …
Directed by: Avi Nesher
In life, only two things are certain: death and taxes. Al (Joe Pantoliano), a New York tax investigator, and Romero (Wade Dominguez), an NYPD patrolman desperate for recognition, go deep into…
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Love Songs (1999)
Cast: Andre Braugher, Louis Gossett Jr., Robert Townsend …
Directed by: Andre Braugher, Louis Gossett Jr., Robert Townsend …
Everyday people rediscover love in these three loosely interwoven stories. A promising young boxer (Robert Townsend) with money problems gets a chance to make quick cash -- though…
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Joseph's Gift (1998)
Cast: Freddy Rodriguez, Brion James, Robert Townsend …
Directed by: Philippe Mora
Joseph Keller (Freddy Rodríguez) has nothing but respect for his father, Jacob (John Saxon), who built their family's garment business based in Los Angeles from scratch. No wonder…
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The Meteor Man (1993)
Cast: Robert Townsend, Marla Gibbs, Eddie Griffin …
Directed by: Robert Townsend
While being chased by neighborhood thugs, weak-kneed high school teacher Jefferson Reed is struck by a meteor and suddenly develops superhuman strength and abilities: He can fly, talk to dogs…
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The Five Heartbeats (1991)
Cast: Robert Townsend, Michael Wright, Leon …
Directed by: Robert Townsend
Rhythm-and-blues artists such as the Temptations and Sam Cooke served as the inspiration for filmmaker Robert Townsend's ambitious movie about five urban friends who climb the stairway…
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Robert Townsend: Partners in Crime: Vol. 1 (1991)
Cast: Robert Townsend, Damon Wayans, Keenen Ivory Wayans …
Comedian Robert Townsend teams up with fellow funnymen Keenen Ivory Wayans, Damon Wayans, Paul Mooney, John Witherspoon and other special guests in this collection of hilarious sketches from…
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Robert Townsend: Partners in Crime: Vol. 2 (1991)
Cast: Robert Townsend, David Allen Grier, John Witherspoon …
Director Robert Townsend (Hollywood Shuffle) knows how to construct and, when necessary, even milk a laugh for optimal effect. This second riotous volume in the Partners in Crime collection…
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Robert Townsend: Partners in Crime: Vol. 3 (1991)
Cast: Robert Townsend, Bobby Brown, Robin Harris …
Director Robert Townsend (Hollywood Shuffle) knows how to construct and, when necessary, even milk a laugh for optimal effect. This third volume in the Partners in Crime collection features…
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Robert Townsend: Partners in Crime: Vol. 4 (1991)
Cast: Robert Townsend, M.C. Hammer, Franklin Ajaye …
With the fourth volume of his hilarious HBO sketch comedy show, Hollywood Renaissance man Robert Townsend (Hollywood Shuffle) is joined by black comedy luminaries such as Damon Wayans, John…
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Robert Townsend: Partners in Crime (1991)
Cast: Robert Townsend, Franklin Ajaye, Damon Wayans …
Multitalented actor, director, writer and producer Robert Townsend hosts a showcase of sketch comedy and musical performances, featuring some up-and-comers who went on to carve a niche for…
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The Mighty Quinn (1989)
Cast: Denzel Washington, James Fox, Mimi Rogers …
Directed by: Carl Schenkel
While inspecting the murder of a prominent local businessman, Caribbean police chief Xavier Quinn (a criminally charismatic Denzel Washington) discovers that his boyhood pal Maubee (Robert…
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Hollywood Shuffle (1987)
Cast: Robert Townsend, Craigus R. Johnson, Helen Martin …
Directed by: Robert Townsend
Robert Townsend (in his directorial debut) stars as Bobby Taylor, who wants to be a respected actor. He has the talent, but he needs to convince Hollywood casting agents that gangstas, slaves…
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Odd Jobs (1986)
Cast: Paul Reiser, Robert Townsend, Scott McGinnis …
Directed by: Mark Story
Max (Paul Reiser), Dwight (Robert Townsend), Woody (Scott McGinnis), Roy (Rick Overton) and Byron (Paul Provenza) are tired of working the same old summer jobs -- and even if they…
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A Soldier's Story (1984)
Cast: Howard E. Rollins Jr., Adolph Caesar, Art Evans …
Directed by: Norman Jewison
Racial tensions flare in this gripping drama set in Louisiana at the end of World War II. When Army attorney Capt. Davenport (Howard E. Rollins Jr.) is sent to Fort Neal to investigate the…
As a director:
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Diary of a Single Mom (2011)
Cast: Monica Calhoun, Valery Ortiz, Janice Lynde …
Directed by: Robert Townsend
Single mother Ocean juggles a new job managing an apartment building, a new home furnished with only cardboard boxes, a niece who hates everything, her own two children and the needs of all…
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Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy (2009)
Cast: Angela Bassett, Bill Bellamy, Jeff Clanagan …
Directed by: Robert Townsend, Quincy Newell
Chris Rock, Bill Cosby, Whoopi Goldberg and other notables illuminate the evolution and cultural significance of African American comedy. Accompanying film clips explore the history of black…
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Phantom Punch (2008)
Cast: Ving Rhames, Stacey Dash, Nicholas Turturro …
Directed by: Robert Townsend
This biopic explores the life of boxer Sonny Liston, particularly his relationships with his manager, his wife and his lover. After his talent emerges in jail, Liston punches through poverty,…
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Black Listed (2002)
Cast: Robert Townsend, Vanessa L. Williams, Harry J. Lennix …
Directed by: Robert Townsend
Robert Townsend (who also wrote and directed) stars as Alan Chambers, an industrious corporate lawyer and family man who becomes part of a vigilante force when he grows weary of watching…
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10,000 Black Men Named George (2002)
Cast: Andre Braugher, Charles S. Dutton, Mario Van Peebles …
Directed by: Robert Townsend
During the Depression, gainful employment is practically nonexistent for African-Americans. The only available jobs are as porters for the Pullman Rail Company (which pays blacks one-third of…
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Jackie's Back (2001)
Cast: Jenifer Lewis, Dolly Parton, Rosie O'Donnell …
Directed by: Robert Townsend
A forgotten 1970s sex kitten has emerged from her latest bout with obscurity to reclaim her fame in this hilarious mockumentary by director Robert Townsend. See the over-the-hill diva's…
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Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001)
Cast: Beyoncé Knowles, Mekhi Phifer, Mos Def …
Directed by: Robert Townsend
Beyoncé Knowles and Mekhi Phifer star in Bizet's famed opera of passion, romance, betrayal and tragedy, retold hip-hop style. Knowles is the mesmerizing and irresistible Carmen, a…
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Holiday Heart (2000)
Cast: Ving Rhames, Alfre Woodard, Jesika Reynolds …
Directed by: Robert Townsend
Ving Rhames stars as Holly Heart, a kindhearted choirmaster who moonlights as a female impersonator in this television drama directed by Robert Townsend and based on the stage play by Cheryl…
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Little Richard (2000)
Cast: Leon, Jenifer Lewis, Carl Lumbly …
Directed by: Robert Townsend
He rocked, he rolled … he changed the world of music. This is the story of Little Richard -- from his poor Southern upbringing to dealing with the trials and tribulations of being a…
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Love Songs (1999)
Cast: Andre Braugher, Louis Gossett Jr., Robert Townsend …
Directed by: Andre Braugher, Louis Gossett Jr., Robert Townsend …
Everyday people rediscover love in these three loosely interwoven stories. A promising young boxer (Robert Townsend) with money problems gets a chance to make quick cash -- though…
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B.A.P.S. (1997)
Cast: Halle Berry, Natalie Desselle, Martin Landau …
Directed by: Robert Townsend
Nisi and Mickey are two "Black American Princesses" -- or B.A.P.S. for short -- who are Hollywood-bound and determined to star in a music video. Instead, they're roped into a scam…
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The Meteor Man (1993)
Cast: Robert Townsend, Marla Gibbs, Eddie Griffin …
Directed by: Robert Townsend
While being chased by neighborhood thugs, weak-kneed high school teacher Jefferson Reed is struck by a meteor and suddenly develops superhuman strength and abilities: He can fly, talk to dogs…
-
The Five Heartbeats (1991)
Cast: Robert Townsend, Michael Wright, Leon …
Directed by: Robert Townsend
Rhythm-and-blues artists such as the Temptations and Sam Cooke served as the inspiration for filmmaker Robert Townsend's ambitious movie about five urban friends who climb the stairway…
-
Hollywood Shuffle (1987)
Cast: Robert Townsend, Craigus R. Johnson, Helen Martin …
Directed by: Robert Townsend
Robert Townsend (in his directorial debut) stars as Bobby Taylor, who wants to be a respected actor. He has the talent, but he needs to convince Hollywood casting agents that gangstas, slaves…
-
Raw (1987)
Cast: Eddie Murphy, Tatyana Ali, Birdie M. Hale …
Directed by: Robert Townsend
Filmed live during two concerts at Madison Square Garden, this stand-up comedy classic showcases Eddie Murphy in a series of uproarious celebrity impressions, observations about the 1980s,…