Cornbread, Earl and Me (1975)
The unintentional shooting by police of a star basketball player has profound personal, political and community repercussions in this acclaimed adaptation of the novel Hog Butcher by Ronald Fair. This was one of the more thoughtful urban dramas produced at the height of the "blaxploitation" craze. Also released under the title Hit the Open Man, it features the screen debut of Laurence Fishburne, who was barely a teenager at the time.
Director:
Joseph Manduke
Writer:
Leonard Lamensdorf
 |
Moses Gunn as Benjamin Blackwell |
 |
Rosalind Cash as Sarah Robinson |
 |
Bernie Casey as Officer Larry Atkins |
 |
Madge Sinclair as Leona Hamilton |
 |
Laurence Fishburne as Wilford Robinson |
 |
Thalmus Rasulala as Charlie |
 |
Antonio Fargas as One-Eye |
 |
Logan Ramsey as Deputy Coroner |
 |
Vince Martorano as Officer John Golich |
 |
Charles Lampkin as Fred Jenkins |
 |
Stefan Gierasch as Sgt. Danaher |
 |
Stack Pierce as Sam Hamilton |
|
Tierre Turner as Earl Carter |
 |
Jamaal Wilkes as Nathaniel 'Cornbread' Hamilton |
 |
Erik Kilpatrick as Ace |
 |
Bill Henderson as Watkins |
|
Randy Martin as Shifty |
 |
Hal Baylor as Mr. Wilson |
 |
J. Jay Saunders as Mr. Johnson |
|
Don Newsome as Jack |
 |
Sarina C. Grant as Mrs. Parsons |
|
John Zaccaro as Det. Simmons |
 |
Don McGovern as Det. Kelly |
|
Pamela Jones as Diane |
|
Al Stevenson as Mr. Carter |
|
William Upton as Stud |
 |
Beverly Hope Atkinson as Edna |
|
Tom Maier as Morgue Man (as Tommy Maier) |
 |
Hank Rolike as Man |
 |
Sandy Ward as Store Manager |
|
David Moody as Al |
|
Fred Slyter as Bailiff |
| Writing | Leonard Lamensdorf | Screenplay |
| Writing | Ronald Fair | Novel |
| Directing | Joseph Manduke | Director |
| Production | Lynn Stalmaster | Casting Director |
| Camera | Jules Brenner | Director of Photography |
| Sound | Donald Byrd | Original Music Composer |
