Directed by Sidney Poitier
Produced by Melville Tucker
Written by Richard Wesley
Starring Sidney Poitier, Bill Cosby, Harry Belafonte
Studio First Artists
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date(s) July 26, 1974
Running time 104 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $3,000,000 (approx.)

Uptown Saturday Night is a 1974 comedy film written by Richard Wesley, and directed by Sidney Poitier. Poitier also stars in this film, along with Bill Cosby and Harry Belafonte. Cosby and Poitier teamed up again for Let’s Do It Again (1975) and A Piece of the Action (1977). Although their characters have different names in each film, the three films are considered to be a trilogy.

Synopsis

Steve Jackson (Sidney Poitier), a blue-collar worker at a steel mill, has just begun a two-weeks-long vacation. He is convinced by his friend Wardell Franklin (Bill Cosby) to go to a party that Saturday night at Madam Zenobia’s, an uptown nightclub.

While the two are at the party, the club is robbed. The masked bandits force the patrons to strip to their underwear, then steal their money and jewelery, including Steve’s wallet.

The following day, Steve is at home and reading his newspaper when he learns he has won the lottery. However, he realizes that the lottery ticket was in the wallet that was stolen from him, and Steve and Wardell spend the remainder of the film tracking down his wallet by consulting with crooked politicians, fake detectives, con-artists, and underworld crime bosses.

Cast

Sidney Poitier — Steve Jackson
Bill Cosby — Wardell Franklin
Harry Belafonte — Geechie Dan Beauford
Flip Wilson — The Reverend
Richard Pryor — Sharp Eye Washington
Calvin Lockhart — Silky Slim
Rosalind Cash — Sarah Jackson
Roscoe Lee Browne — Congressman Lincoln
Paula Kelly — Leggy Peggy
Lee Chamberlin — Madame Zenobia
Johnny Sekka — Geechie’s Henchman
Lincoln Kilpatrick — Slim’s Henchman #1
Don Marshall — Slim’s Henchman #2
Harold Nicholas — Little Seymour Pettigrew

cameo appearances by:

Ketty Lester — Irma Franklin
Jophery C. Brown — Geechie Dan henchman
Gene McDaniels — Member of the Choir
Ray Parker Jr. — Ray
George Reynolds — Big Percy
Richard Warren — Driver

Television pilot

Shortly after the film’s release, NBC commissioned a pilot for a sitcom version of Uptown Saturday Night,^[1] starring Cleavon Little and Adam Wade, playing the respective roles played by Cosby and Poitier in the film. The pilot did not sell, though it was seen on NBC during the summer of 1979 as part of Comedy Theater, one of many showcases featuring unsold pilots.

References in popular culture

An episode of Martin spoofed the club/robbery scene at Madame Zenobia’s. “Jerome” owns a club called “Club Shiznit” that Tommy and Cole go to visit one night. As armed masked women enter the club and rob everyone “down to the underwear,” one of them overhear Cole murmur to Tommy about being relieved that they did not discover the diamond earrings he was holding for Martin (who had planned to surprise Gina with them upon their return from a trip). The masked woman motions to Cole to hand the earrings over; Tommy tells her to just shoot him for running his big mouth.

The rapper Nas referenced Madame Zenobia’s in his 2006 track “Money Over Bullshit.”

Macedonian house duo Latenta Project released their track “Only One Life” with Apollo Records in 2010 which includes vocal samples and references to Madame Zenobia’s throughout the track, featuring remixes by Those Twins, Artette and Ocean Gaya.

Remake

In 2002, it was announced that Will Smith and his production company, Overbrook Entertainment, had secured the rights to the trilogy for remakes to star Smith and to be distributed by Warner Bros. Smith stated that he hoped to get Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence and other famous African-American stars to be in the films.^[2][3]

The 1996 album Uptown Saturday Night by the rap duo Camp Lo was named after the movie, with one member (Geechie Suede) taking his stage name from the film.

References

Links

• Uptown Saturday Night at the Internet Movie Database
• Uptown Saturday Night at Rotten Tomatoes

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Directed by Jack Conway
Produced by Bernard H. Hyman
Written by Anita Loos
Robert Hopkins
Starring Clark Gable
Jean Harlow
Lionel Barrymore
Frank Morgan
Walter Pidgeon
Hattie McDaniel
Margaret Hamilton
Music by Edward Ward
Cinematography Ray June
Release date(s) July 23, 1937 (1937-07-23)
Running time 92 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Saratoga is a 1937 film written by Anita Loos and directed by Jack Conway. The movie stars Clark Gable and Jean Harlow in their sixth and final film collaboration. When filming was 90% completed, Harlow collapsed on the set and died about a week later, reportedly of uremic poisoning. MGM wanted to reshoot the movie with Virginia Bruce or Jean Arthur. However, Harlow fans complained, so the remaining scenes were filmed with Mary Dees doubling for the camera and Paula Winslowe supplying Harlow’s voice. The supporting cast includes Lionel Barrymore, Frank Morgan, Walter Pidgeon, Hattie McDaniel, and Margaret Hamilton. The film would be Harlow’s final movie and Harlow’s fans turned out in droves, making Saratoga MGM’s biggest moneymaker of 1937.

Synopsis

Bookie Duke Bradley (Clark Gable) stops the bank from taking the stud of Grandpa Clayton (Lionel Barrymore). Carol Clayton (Jean Harlow) calls from England that she is going to marry the wealthy Hartley Madison (Walter Pidgeon). Duke tells her father, Frank Clayton (Jonathan Hale), and Grandpa. Broke, Frank gives Duke the deed to the family farm to pay his gambling debts. At the races, Duke takes bets and meets Hartley and Carol. Duke greets Fritzi (Una Merkel) with a kiss. During a race, Frank collapses and dies.

Carol asks Duke to sell her the farm, but Duke assures her he won’t foreclose on Grandpa. They quarrel about her marrying for money. Fritzi tells Duke that her husband Jesse Kiffmeyer (Frank Morgan) is allergic to horses. When Jesse sneezes during an auction, Duke sees to it that this is considered a bid, and Jesse ends up buying a horse that Fritzi wanted. Grandpa tells Duke that Carol is selling her horse, Moonray; Carol tells Duke she needs money to pay him off. Duke bids Hartley up to $14,000 but stops before Carol is going to let him win. Hartley asks Grandpa to train Moonray.

Carol studies horses and has won money from Duke. Tip O’Brien (Cliff Edwards) sings “The Horse With the Dreamy Eyes” with Fritzi, Duke, and Rosetta (Hattie McDaniel). Carol is friendly with Duke until he asks her to get Hartley betting. Duke calls on Hartley and tells him to help Carol’s nerves. Hartley calls Dr. Bierd (George Zucco), who says Carol is emotional and should marry soon or not see Hartley. Duke gets Hartley to bet and win $6,000, telling Tip it is bait. Carol tells Hartley not to bet with Duke, who learns Hartley is leaving. Carol asks Hartley to stay.

At the track, Hartley bets with Duke and loses $5,000. On a train, Duke dines with Fritzi and Jesse, who is jealous. Fritzi knows Duke is in love with Carol, and Duke says he plans to win money to marry her. Carol tells Duke she loves him and has broken off her engagement to Hartley. When Duke objects to losing Hartley, she gets angry. At the races, Hartley loses. Hartley hires a new trainer for Moonray. Carol gets Jesse’s contract with the jockey Dixie Gordon (Frankie Darro) so Duke will lose; but Fritzi tells Jesse that that if Duke wins, he will marry Carol. Dixie is riding Moonray. Grandpa quarrels with the new trainer. The race is a photo finish, but Moonray loses. On a train, Carol and Duke celebrate.

Cast

Clark Gable – Duke Bradley
Jean Harlow – Carol Clayton
Lionel Barrymore – Grandpa Clayton
Frank Morgan – Jesse Kiffmeyer
Walter Pidgeon – Hartley Madison
Una Merkel – Fritzi
Cliff Edwards – Tip
George Zucco – Dr. Harmsworth Bierd
Jonathan Hale – Frank Clayton
Hattie McDaniel – Rosetta
Frankie Darro – Dixie Gordon
Margaret Hamilton – Maizie

Quotes

• Duke Bradley: Honey, I love ya!
• Fritzi Kiffmeyer: We women can do things to a man we love that men wouldn’t do to a rattlesnake.
• Duke: Why, honey, you look sharp as a razor.
• Fritzi: Oh, there he is, the sweetheart!
• Duke: Who, your husband?
• Fritzi: No, that colt!

Links

• Saratoga at the Internet Movie Database