The Five Heartbeats (DVD)

Robert Townsend, Diahann Carroll, Harry J. Lennix. Actor-director Robert Townsend co-wrote and starred in this amazing story of a fictional black male quintet in the '60s. After researching a real group, the Dells, he brilliantly depicted the typical issues that most black groups confronted in pre-Civil Rights America. 1991/color/121 min/R.

Starring: Harry J. Lennix, Robert Townsend, Michael Wright, Leon, Leon Robinson, Harry Lennix, Tico Wells, Aaron J. Galang, Al Simon, Alexis Johnson, Bob Mardis, Brandon Wright, Brian Bradley, Carl Edwards, Christopher Bradley, Craig Eisner, David Drummond, Devin C. Huff, Don Barnes, Donnie Simpson, Fred Asparagus, Gigi Bolden, Gregory "Popeye" Alexander, Griff Ruggles, Harry Stanback, Jaki Brown-Karman, James Anderson, Jeannel Phillips White, Jimmy Jackson, Kamar Phillips White, Kathleen Mitchell, Lakisha Luke, Lamont Johnson, Mike Conn, O.L. Duke, Randy Harris, Recoe Walker, Regina McLeod, Ron Jaxson, Shanel Cason, Shannon Chambers, Suzanne Suter, The Nicholas Brothers, Tiffanique Webb, Timmie Rogers, Tommy Townsend, Vincent J. Isaac, Virginia Watson, Wayne "Crescendo" Ward, Diahann Carroll, Harold Nicholas, Tressa Thomas, John Canada Terrell, Chuck Patterson, Hawthorne James, Roy Fegan, Troy Beyer, Carla Brothers, Deborah Lacey, Theresa Randle, John Witherspoon, Anne-Marie Johnson, Lisa Mende, Bobby McGee, O. L. Duke, Arnold Johnson, Veronica Redd, David McKnight, Phyllis Applegate, Paul Benjamin, Marilyn Coleman, Norma Donaldson, Harris Peet, Kasi Lemmons, Monique Mannen, Jimmy Woodard, Michael Conn, Barry Diamond, Joey Gaynor, Roger Rose, Tammy Townsend, Chris Bradley, Wayne Ward (Crescendo), Eugene Robert Glazer, Tommy Redmond Hicks, Joel Weiss, John Pittman, Ron Smith, Frank Fontaine

Director: Robert Townsend, Christina Schmidlin, Kokayi Ampah, Loretha C. Jones

Rating: R