The Five Heartbeats

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The Five Heartbeats

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 (U.S.)
Running time	122 min.
Language	English
Budget	$80,000,000
IMDb profile

The Five Heartbeats is a 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 "A 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 number 13 on the R&B charts in the United States in 1992.

In 1993 the film was given the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers award for "Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures" for the song "Nights Like This".

[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 (played by Roy Fegan) 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: lead singer David Ruffin (who was later played by Leon in a television miniseries) developed a cocaine addiction and became difficult to work with, leading to his replacement by Dennis Edwards. In The Five Heartbeats, Eddie King, Jr. is the Ruffin-like figure, and is replaced by Michael "Flash" Turner (played by John Canada Terrell).
The Isley Brothers: the cover to their 1966 Motown album, This Old Heart of Mine, featured on its cover a portrait of a framed white couple 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 niggers on Elvis Presley's album cover!"

In some ways, The Five Heartbeats is a "male version" of the Broadway play Dreamgirls, as Dreamgirls is loosely based upon the history of the Supremes.

[edit] Soundtrack

The Five Heartbeats (Music from the Motion Picture)

Soundtrack by Various Artists
Released	April 2, 1991
Genre	Pop and Soul music
Label	Virgin
Producer	Various

The soundtrack was released on April 2, 1991 by Virgin Records America. Both "A Heart Is a House for Love" and "Nights Like This" made the charts in the US.