The Five Heartbeats
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| The Five Heartbeats | |
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| Directed by | Robert Townsend |
| Produced by | Loretha C. Jones |
| Written by | Robert Townsend Keenan Ivory Wayans |
| Starring | Robert Townsend Michael Wright Leon Robinson Harry J. Lennix Tico Wells Harold Nicholas Diahann Carroll. |
| Music by | Stanley Clarke |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date(s) | March 29, 1991 (USA) |
| Running time | 122 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | N/A |
| IMDb profile | |
The Five Heartbeats is a 1991 feature film directed by Robert Townsend, who also stars in the film with Michael Wright, Leon Robinson, Harry J. Lennix, Tico Wells, Harold Nicholas of The Nicholas Brothers, and Diahann Carroll.
The film depicts, through the eyes of singer Donald "Duck" Matthews (Townsend), the rise and fall of a Motown-esque fictitious soul music quintet, from their beginnings as a doo wop group in New York City in 1965, to their rise to the top of the music scene in the late-1960s, to their demise in 1972. It was released to theatres by 20th Century Fox. Duck serves as the group's songwriter; its other members include lead singer Eddie King, Jr. (Wright), Duck's brother J.T. Matthews (Leon), high tenor Anthony "Choirboy" Stone (Wells), and bass singer Terrance "Dresser" Williams (Lennix).
Since The Five Heartbeats is about a musical group, the film features a significant amount of original music, including songs such as "The Heart is a House for Love", "We Haven't Finished Yet" (written and sung by Duck and his sister in their bedroom), and the Heartbeats' signature song, "Nothing But Love".
"The Heart is a House for Love" was recorded as a single for the film's soundtrack by The Dells, who served as consultants on the film and provided memoirs for Townsend to adapt for The Heartbeats. The single version of "The Heart is a House for Love" reached #13 on the R&B charts in the United States in 1991.
[edit] References to real-life soul acts
Besides the direct inspiration from The Dells, the story of The Five Heartbeats is loosely based upon those of a number of other classic soul performers:
- Jackie Wilson: like Bird of The Falcons in this film, Wilson was once dangled out of a window for asking about his royalties and trying to leave his label.
- The Temptations: Temptations lead singer David Ruffin developed a cocaine addiction and became difficult to work with, leading to his replacement by Dennis Edwards. In The Five Heartbeats, Eddie King is the Ruffin-like figure, and is replaced by Michael "Flash" Turner.
- The Isley Brothers: The cover to their 1966 Motown album, This Old Heart of Mine, featured on its cover a portrait of a white couple framed with a heart, instead of the African American men in the group. While pandering and discriminatory, this was apparently in an attempt to reach a wider audience. The same situation befalls The Five Heartbeats in this film. J.T. loudly challenges the decision: "I ain't never seen five niggas on Elvis Presley's album cover!"
In some ways, The Five Heartbeats is a "male version" of the Broadway play Dreamgirls, as that story is loosely based upon the history of The Supremes.
