Directed by Michael Schultz from a semiautobiographical script by Eric Monte, a creator of the sitcom Good Times, the movie is set in a vocational high school on Chicagos near North Side in 1964. Inspired by the positive reception to Melvin Van Peebles' Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971), Schultz made the trip to Hollywood, where he got work directing on such cop shows as Toma, The Rockford Files and Baretta. The closing credits of the latter even mentioned that it was based on Monte's Cooley High, which always made me curious about this movie. I don't believe any of the actors became famous, but they worked really well together on screen. The editor of a film Id done, Together for Days (1972) [a kind of gender-swapped, post-civil rights-era update of Guess Whos Coming to Dinner], connected me with the producer Steve Krantz. All the time. Like Schultz, Cooley High star Glynn Turman came from a background on Broadway. But I wasnt going to spend a whole lot of energy being upset. Jovine 2. Cooley High showed a slice of urban life rarely seen in "blaxploitation" movies of the time. [Pauses]. Cooley High [VHS] - amazon.com In her scenes with her boyfriend, John, she seems to flaunt her power as someone magically protected by a presumed media spotlight. So I walk into this meeting and all of the faces in the room just fall. But we had really good psychiatrists, therapists and these new medicines psychotropics. Cooley High is deceptively titled because it isn't really a high school movie. Released in United States 1995 (Shown in New York City (Film Forum) as part of program "Blaxploitation, Baby!" TV Shows. The Criterion Collection always does a fantastic job on their releases. 1975 The great Motown soundtrack had so much flutter it was just annoying! Be the first to write a customer review. Unfairly tagged on initial release as an inner city "American Graffiti" this film has rhythms unique to itself. It was a big hit internationally. Cooley High (1975) Full Cast & Crew. . Set in 1964 the now classic "Cooley High" tells the . This aspect of the film is not a so much a feature of the plot, but rather occurs as a postscript after watching it. Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies & Bucks: An Interpretive History of Blacks in American Films by Donald Bogle. When you started working in Hollywood, did people ever think that you were white, because of your name? They had a place like "Martha's" to hang out and listen to the jukebox and dance.. It wasnt until much later, after Motown got bought by Universal, that they were finally able to do a deal. (The two principals are Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, who graduated from Cooley High to a regular spot on Welcome Back, Kotter, and Glynn Turman, whose many subsequent roles include a term as mayor of Baltimore on The Wire.), Hectic yet smooth and powered by an extensive playlist of vintage Motown, Cooley High foreshadows Mr. Schultzs 1976 follow-up, Car Wash, one of the great ensemble comedies and musical films of the decade, as well as one of the few Hollywood movies that might be legitimately be called Brechtian in its pondering of the nature of earning a living. FEATURING: Glynn Turman, Lawrence Hilton- Jacobs, Garrett Morris, Cynthia Davis. He self-distributed that film. Performances, photography, editorial, score, costumes. Glynn Turman Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs Garrett Morris Cynthia Davis Corin Rogers Maurice Leon Havis Joseph Carter Wilson Sherman Smith Norman Gibson Maurice Marshall Steven Williams Robert Townsend Jackie Taylor Christine Jones Lynn Caridine Colostine Boatwright, Underdogs and coming of age Song and dance +Chemistry between the guys I dont think it would have happened, though, if there werent Black executives, as well. Classic film "Cooley High" set to screen July 8th. Unless you have a counter, unless you can see other versions of who we are, its damaging. The film is noteworthy for the way it captures a feeling people have about looking back that rises above mere nostalgia. A textbook journeyman, Shultz has continued directing to this day, mostly in theatre and television. Regal So overall, this film is pretty fun with great characters to watch and grow as high schoolers. You're almost there! Mr. Schultz, a former member of the theater troupe the Negro Ensemble Company and the original director of Lorraine Hansberrys play To Be Young, Gifted and Black, handles a large, youthful cast with aplomb. Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2020. TAGS: nostalgia The focuses on two high school seniors, Preach (Glynn Turman) and Cochise(Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs) one crazy week in 1964. COOLEY HIGH (1975). Unfortunately, I'm not a person who tends to enjoy this type of film as much as many others, so I couldn't fully get into it. Each wants to make it big in his own way, but not everybody they meet is looking out for them, as they learn when a seemingly harmless outing goes awry. Cast: Glynn Turman Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs Garrett Morris Cynthia Davis Corin Rogers Maurice Leon Havis Joseph Carter Wilson Sherman Smith Norman Gibson Maurice Marshall Steven Williams Christine Jones. Released in United States on Video April 25, 1991, Released in United States Winter January 1, 1975. It wasnt really the kind of musical I wanted to do. I didnt adore it, but I sure had a lovely time! He just had this energy, this aura about him. The point the film tries to make is that your actions, particularly in the mean streets of Chicago, have consequences that in some cases are fatal. Coming Soon. Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Top 250 TV Shows Most Popular TV Shows Most Popular Video Games Most Popular Music Videos Most Popular Podcasts. Set up in subsidized housing, the 60-something writer has put himself back to work writing new scripts and working with South Side community arts program Little Black Pearl. All of the adventures are backdropped by a looming graduation which heralds the bittersweet, inescapable reality that pals will be parting ways for uncertain futures. (Hysteric's).. at a pretty young age. When the guys were singing, they were fine. In truth, the Milwaukee-born, Princeton-educated Schultz (whose first dream was to become an astronaut) was an established stage director whose success with the Negro Ensemble Company allowed him to make the transition to Broadway. That little swish he does is pretty hokey. You made the transition to features in the same year Super Fly (1972) came out; right after Sweet Sweetbacks Baadasssss Song and Shaft (both in 1971). I remember, after we finished The Last Dragon [a 1985 Black kung fu comedy, produced by the Motown founder Berry Gordy], Berry Gordy decided that he should be credited as the director. And while Cooley High is funny, there are grim, very real ramifications and consequences to the protagonist's irresponsibility. It's Me, Margaret. <I>Cooley High</I> is writer Eric Monte's stock synopsis of the sorts of characters, folkways, mores, attitudes, and teenage dilemmas he remembers about growing up . (Shout! Robert: Maurice Marshall . It was also the first of three movies you did with Richard Pryor [followed by Greased Lightning and Which Way Is Up?, both released in 1977]. Im good at what I do and focus on whats best for the project. Joseph Carter Wilson. Its a dual universe: good and evil, black and white, up and down. We were simpatico. Cooley High gets good use out of a mostly amateur cast (particularly Cynthia Davis, as the good girl who falls for Turman's promising bad boy) and some industry newcomers. Not All the Memories Are Sweet at `Cooley High` Homecoming My feeling was, Hey, television reaches millions of people. Its crazy not to want to get your story out to an audience of that size. Thought it was super rad to see footage of Chicago back in the day but overall movie wise I REALLY liked this!!! Movies. Where to Watch or Stream Cooley High. 1 of my favorites.Everybody should see this movie, Ryan Coogler had a Black executive supporting Black Panther [Nate Moore, Marvel Studios vice president of production and development]. In the last decade, theres been a real resurgence in Black filmmaking, with many more Black directors working regularly than in the past. See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by . For the most part Cooley High consists of a series of blocked vignettes. Link to Are You There God? More importantly Cooley High is significant as a piece of filmmaking for being such an effective example of nostalgic storytelling. I thought he was a brilliant comic my friends and I all loved listening to his stuff but he hadnt really broken onto the scene in films yet. Shortly after the story broke, Monte was offered a plane ticket from a Chicago politician and invited to return to his former hometown. It would be nice to set his character up a little better. How did you end up there? Report this film, "Why don't you hit him with your throbbing manhood?". Kids in the 1960's-1970's had a certain freedom in larger cities that I did not have.. Boasted by an amazing soundtrack comprised of some of the most catchy Motown hits and a cast of young actors such as Glynn Turman and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, this coming of age in the same vein as films such as "American Graffiti" or "American Pie", might rank as a classic among many prominent filmmakers like Spike Lee and the late John Singleton. Although he has since helmed such popular African American-themed films as Cooley High and Car Wash (1976), as well as the Richard Pryor vehicles Which Way Is Up? That seems to be the ethos in this particular brand of high school movie - but in this movies case, it uses the idea to create an ending that was poignant in 1975 and equally so today. Shown at Brisbane International Film Festival July 30 - August 9, 1998. DVD and Amazon Instant Video. No. Seen briefly as a basketball player is Cabrini-Green resident Robert Townsend, later the director of Hollywood Shuffle (1987) and The Five Heartbeats (1991). It is primarily Black actors who are excellentGlynn Turman was great. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. ), Released in United States 1998 (Shown at Brisbane International Film Festival July 30 - August 9, 1998. although in some regards "Cooley High" is the negation of "American . search. Release Calendar Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. Cooley High (1975) Joseph Carter Wilson as Tyrone. It is also possible to rent "Cooley High" on Vudu online. And so it wasnt so black and white. Theyre going to be watching at home, and all kinds of stuff is happening at home.. What did you make of Blaxploitation? Going through that emotional disappointment and taking that break kind of slowed down the trajectory of my career. A few of these deal with the pursuit of the unattainable girl, pulling pranks, getting high, getting laid, social posturing, dealing with neighborhood toughs, and white knuckle, seat -of -the- pants flirtations with minor disasters like a legal scrape over joyriding in a stolen car. Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2023. To view this content, please use one of the following compatible browsers: African-American teens in Chicago prepare for life after high school. The first two studio movies to employ Black directors Gordon Parkss The Learning Tree (1969) and Ossie Daviss Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970) had only relatively recently left theaters. Amazon.com: Cooley High (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] : Glynn Turman, Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs, Garrett Morris, Cynthia Davis, Corin Rogers, Maurice Leon Havis, Joseph Carter Wilson, Sherman Smith, Norman Gibson, Maurice Marshall, Steven Williams, Michael Schultz: Movies & TV Cooley High [Blu-ray] - amazon.com Set in 1964 Chicago, "Cooley High" is a slice-of-life tale of high school students coping with the challenges of everyday life and growing up in the shadows of the housing projects. Richard "Cochise" Morris (Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs), a local basketball hero, and Leroy "Preach" Jackson (Glynn Turman), who dreams of a career in writing, are likable Chicago high school students in 1960s Chicago. It was. He has directed more than a dozen films, including the classics Cooley High (1975), Car Wash (1976) and Krush Groove (1985); is responsible for the first feature-film appearances of Denzel Washington, Samuel L. Jackson and Blair Underwood; and has worked consistently in television since the 1990s. Tyrone . A classic film of the first order. I didnt get the gig. Glynn Turman. And I thought it could be a window into the lives of Black kids that had never been seen before. This item cannot be shipped to your selected delivery location. Reviews. Little nitpicky things like that. Thereafter Seventeen focuses on a long keg party at the Massie home, full of teenage intrigue and drunken chatter. I relate to these kids because they were simply enjoying the last few years of High school ..then either college, a job or marriage was in their horizon's.. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. C-107m. Schultz was 32 at the time and a rising star of the New York theater scene. But actually, perhaps the most joy I've got out of this is reading some contemporary reviews from black reviewers talking about how much this movie meant to them at the time, and how amazing it was to see their experiences reflected in a movie for a change. Cinemark Seventeen was made as an episode of Middletown, an ambitious multipart documentary portrait of Muncie, Ind., produced by Peter Davis (and also out as a DVD set from Icarus). We need to check your ID. In the mid-1960s, a group of high school friends who live on the Near North Side of Chicago enjoy life to the fullestparties, hanging out, meeting new friends. I also like the scene when they stick up the "hooker's" and flash a phony badge OMG ! What did you see in Erics stories? The Motown soundtrack is fn AMAZING. For the most part, I enjoyed watching the film. . Your Ticket Confirmation # is located under the header in your email that reads "Your Ticket Reservation Details". Michael Schultz Broke the Mold for Black Directors. Watch Cooley High (1975) Online for Free | The Roku Channel | Roku 715515280013. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. We were shooting Together for Days in Atlanta and he came in to audition for a background role. With Evans' support, Monte got a spec script to Lear that introduced white bigot Archie Bunker's black neighbors, George and Louise Jefferson. play Bob Segers mournful rocker Against the Wind, thus providing the movies most pensive moment. It's pretty much my only main complaint with the film. We wont be able to verify your ticket today, but its great to know for the future. Cynthia Davis. Tyrone: Sherman Smith . But otherwise it was elementary school theater. Cast: Glynn Turman (Leroy 'Preach' Jackson), Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs (Richard 'Cochise' Morris), Garrett Morris (Mr. Mason), Cynthia Davis (Brenda), Corin Rogers (Pooter), Maurice Leon Havis (Willie), Joseph Carter Wilson (Tyrone) Cinematography: Paul Vombrack [Gordy] is very slick. I tried to work it out, but I was editing Which Way Is Up? and Travolta had a hard out because he had to go back to his TV show [Welcome Back, Kotter]. Its become famous for its soundtrack, as well, which is wall-to-wall Motown The Supremes, the Temptations, Smokey Robinson. It is more of a coming of age drama about a specific time and place. Cooley High [Criterion Collection] [Blu-ray] [1975] - Bestbuy The absence of iPhones and Mr. Segers dirge notwithstanding, this documentary could almost have been shot today. We follow their lives through the end of high school and the dramatic end to their school year. At 83 and due behind the camera this fall, for Season 5 of the CW drama All American he is probably the longest-working Black director in history. Its extraordinarily gratifying to see the talent, and to see so many avenues for young people to develop and get in the mix. Its no wonder he made all that money. Among other career milestones, Michael Schultz was responsible for the film debuts of Denzel Washington, Samuel L. Jackson and Blair Underwood. The DVDs accompanying notes include a recollection by Mr. Davis blaming PBSfor suppressingSeventeen; there is no comparable statement by the filmmakers, giving their perspective. What was your secret? Yeah. The problem came when they wanted to put it out on cassette, because by then the music had had this resurgence and the studio couldnt afford it. This page is age restricted. Basketball days and high nights, no tomorrows, unable to remember yesterday. Willie Joseph Carter Wilson. 2023 Turner Classic Movies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Cooley High has so much charisma and energy behind it, on top of some killer fashion and soundtrack choices. Nov 7, 2006, Runtime: Genre: (The teacher is the early Saturday Night Live regular Garrett Morris.). I should say very loosely based, as What's Happening!! More at Joseph Carter Wilson. Just below that it reads "Ticket Confirmation#:" followed by a 10-digit number. GENRE: Comedy-drama I had moved to New York after studying theater at Marquette in Milwaukee, where I grew up. Lynn is living large, and the movie amplifies her teenage bravado. The DVD is available from bigsleepfilms.com. Robert Stigwood [the producer of the film and the manager of the Bee Gees] was a big fan of Car Wash. He had wanted me to do Grease [which Stigwood was also a producer on]. Preach reluctantly returns with his belt only to find his mother slumped over in her chair fast asleep. Cooley High [VHS] - amazon.com Joseph Carter Wilson - Biography - IMDb I recently caught a little bit of this film on TCM. Coming Soon, Regal My agents got me a meeting with the producers of a big Broadway show called Ari. They had seen my name on other hit shows in town, but they had never seen my face. Turman was married between 1978 and 1984 to singer Aretha Franklin. And there was an assumption that I was Jewish, even though its a German name. Cooley High is writer Eric Monte's stock synopsis of the sorts of characters, folkways, mores, attitudes, and teenage dilemmas he remembers about growing up in Chicago's notorious Cabrini-Green (think Candyman, 1992) housing project. A 70's film about a 60's group of friends from the projects meandering through their last year of high school. I was using Motown music on the set and in the editing room, just because I loved it. I was against the tired imagery, especially given the power of the medium and the influence that it has on peoples minds. Given its evocative soundtrack, compressed timeline, retro, Review by Rafael "Parker!!" You'll wipe back a few tears as "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye" emits from the soundtrack. He was the kind of kid who you didnt see the acting with there was a certain ease. The lead characters are charismatic, but flawed in a way that causes mixed feelings about rooting for them. To me, that's almost manipulative and too jarring for an audience. He appeared in Ingmar Bergman's English language film The Serpent's Egg (1977) and was short listed to play Han Solo in Star Wars (1977) until director George Lucas backed away from the controversial casting choice. The image is an example of a ticket confirmation email that AMC sent you when you purchased your ticket. "Black Director is Livin' Large: Satirical comedy is latest in Schultz success story," by Linda Deutsch, Associated Press I couldnt wait around for six months to get the green light for a feature. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price. 1h 47m, Distributor: Cooley High isn't really told in a typical 3 act structure. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. Cooley High [DVD] - amazon.com Class officers, cheerleaders and all. To which, Joel DeMott and Jeff Kreines, the makers of the once-banned, now-classic made-for-TV documentary Seventeen (1982), out on DVD from Icarus Films, might add: substance abuse, racial tension, problematic romantic relationships and issues with authority. It was Oh. and the Cooley High 1975. Robert. It made a lot more money than Which Way Is Up?. Thank you, Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2010. Joseph Carter Wilson (Tyrone), Sherman Smith (Stone) and Norman Gibson (Robert). These kids had a special "high risk" freedom ..that I would have never seen due to my rural-conservative upbringing. They couldnt even keep it together. Three of the DVDs four films are newly restored rediscoveries. Im glad I added this movie to my dvd library. Which makes it even more heart-breaking when you see the entire film. Joseph Carter Wilson, who . I have to order another copy because my ex ripped mine off. Eric Monte interview by Eric Skillz Peppers, especially the Bee Gees, who were kind of in an impossible position, standing in for the Beatles, who dont appear in the film. Cooley High (1975) - Joseph Carter Wilson as Tyrone - IMDb Learn more. DIRECTED BY: Michael Schultz This is one of Chicago best movies about black teenagers in a big city. But when Middletown was broadcast on PBS in the spring of 1982, Seventeen was excised. The experiences are typical of any youth. . Watch| Cooley High Full Movie Online (1975) | [[Movies-HD]] Maybe its my theater background, but I like to work very collaboratively and make everyone a part of the process. 89% 82%. Schultz, left, with Douglas Turner Ward, working together at the Negro Ensemble Company. I figured this classic film has to have been treated better than this! Despite its all black cast and brick wall verisimilitude, Cooley High, directed by Michael Schultz, hews fairly close to the George Lucas paradigm, leapfrogging from vignette to vignette in lieu of a linear script while a jukebox soundtrack of Motown hits sweetens the pot. You also cast Denzel Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, and Blair Underwood in their first feature films (Carbon Copy in 1981, Together for Days and Krush Groove). Having a pretty low budget, I'm sure they were constrained from filming in every location, but I do believe they could have used the Chicago landscape even more than they did. Though he didnt know it, Schultz had already begun an improbable course that would take him to the heart of the mainstream film and television industry, where he has essentially remained for the past five decades. Made in 1974, it has gone on to become a much beloved film among African-Americans. Robert Maurice Marshall. Samuel Z. Arkoff Executive Producer; William B. Fosser Art Director; . Joseph Carter Wilson is known for Cooley High (1975). We follow their lives through to the dramatic end of high school. Amazon.com: Cooley High : Glynn Turman, Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs, Garrett Morris, Cynthia Davis, Corin Rogers, Maurice Leon Havis, Joseph Carter Wilson, Sherman Smith . A local hangout, guys with hormones goin wild, that one beautiful girl on your block Cooley High was a movie any kid growing up in the '60s could relate to. Verified reviews are considered more trustworthy by fellow moviegoers. In a darkened editing suite, he directed a sound engineer to raise the soundtrack of a pivotal scene by four decibels. Posters are sourced from TMDb and Posteritati, and appear for you and visitors to your profile and content, depending on settings. Just confirm how you got your ticket. At the age of 12, Turman played opposite Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee and Louis Gossett, Jr. in the original 1959 production of A Raisin in the Sun directed by Lloyd Richards. Reasons were said to include the use of profanity, incidents of pot smoking and drunkenness, and most controversially the filmmakers focus on an interracial romance although just who was offended remains murky.