Monkey Hustle (American International Pictures) (1976)

MONIEY HUSTLE SYNOPSIS (Not for Publication) In the flim-flam, scoot and scam world of the Black Ghetto streets, a crisis is brewing. Survival — at best — is achancy thing. But now, with the threat of a proposed freeway necessitating the leveling of property and the displacement of the residents, the street hustlers and con artists are about to be left without a turf—or victims. Certainly not the least among the hustlers is Daddy Foxx (YAPHET KOTTO), purveyor of ‘hot’ items — from meats to merchandise — a schemer par excellence. He is ably assisted in his chicanery by a pint-sized apprentice, the cigar-chewing, twelve-year-old Baby D (KIRK CALLOWAY) Goldie (RUDY RAY MOORE), is the colorful kingpin of “heavy vice” in the community and the chief numbers banker. He has big eyes for Mama (ROSALIND CASH), proprietress of the local soul-food restaurant, a popular gathering spot for the neighborhood characters, but she has eyes only for Daddy Foxx. Vi (DEBBI MORGAN), is Mama’s beautiful, young daughter who helps out in the restaurant and is in love with Win (RANDY BROOKS), a striving drummer who hopes to excape the ghetto through his musical talent. Win is Baby D’s elder brother, strongly against the youngster’s involvement in Daddy Foxx’s hustles. The local law enforcement is the Black Knight (FRANK RICE), who augments his squad-car patrolman’s salary by acting as bagman for Goldie’s numbers racket. He casts a tolerant eye toward the minor street hustlers, making busts and/or busting heads only when his authority is threatened. Another familiar is Mr. Molet (FUDDLE BAGLEY), whose Disco store is a front for Goldie’s operations. Molet’s weakness for petty thievery and young girls keeps him in constant hot water and makes him the butt of many neighborhood jokes. Operating on the positive side is Joe (CARL CRUDUP), who, with limited funds and staff, is training young ghetto athletes in gymnastics under the banner of “The Future Olympics.” He is offering them the hope of ‘becoming somebody’ through athletic ability. Joe is one of the most dedicated freeway fighters because the building housing his gym is one of the first marked for destruction. He is assisted by his lovely girlfriend, Beatrice (DUCHYLL SMITH) and her younger sister, Sweet Potato (LYNN HARRIS), who is the not-too-reluctant object of Baby D’s affections. Other characters whose lives are interwoven with the Ghetto dwellers in their daily struggle for survival include Player (THOMAS CARTER) and Tiny (DONN HARPER), with their on-and-off girlfriends Jan-Jan (LYNN CARIDINE) and Shirl (PATRICIA McCASKILL). All friends of Win, they try to help him get his musical career started by making arrangements — any way they can — to help him replace his set of drums destroyed by one of Goldie’s strongarm men who wants the attractive Vi for himself. Diverse vignettes of ghetto life are presented by the foregoing characters in the interplay of their daily lives as each — in his or her own way — struggles to ‘make it.’ But whatever their views of life or means of livelihood, they are united in one thing — THEY DON’T WANT THE FREEWAY! Events come to a wild climax at a “Save Our Community” block party where the food ‘n’ fun festivities are interrupted by a confrontation between City Hall reps, the freeway construction gang and the ghetto residents en masse; each adding to the mixture of pathos, hilarity, and excitement of life involved in — ‘‘The Monkey Hustle.” Deed FORK Seen Pee cas ee: YAPHET KOTTO Goldie... 3... Aree eee RUDY RAY MOORE MAINE (cc... 02s ee eee ee ROSALIND CASH NNN eo saan sis see vere ae RANDY BROOKS , | Eamon eels oe le DEBBI MORGAN FET os os palgucie’y sa ene THOMAS CARTER Wee a eis» =» vieka od Coe DONN HARPER OI AAs Cee ene ks x5 Pee es LYNN CARIDINE 1g Pyare pany oO 2 One ae PATRICIA McCASKILL OE ED a gs aren oka een 8: LYNN HARRIS Fe OS ete. Re ge FUDDLE BAGLEY ANG ACK MaIMCNis A. . Fs oc wey eae ses FRANK RICE NR ets carina g Meunier CARL CRUDUP eerie hee... , Seeetle de ne DUCHYLL SMITH TT Gi 9 ile sR ee KIRK CALLOWAY CREDITS Progucer/DIt@GIOn os.) . sak is + sae ARTHUR MARKS Executive in Charge GF FOUMCHGN bee cis cvs fs. <0 5 CHARLES STROUD Screenplay: Dy i. iw weary vies CHARLES JOHNSON SOY ye cb Ah ee oa eee ODIE HAWKINS Director of Photography ......... JACK L. RICHARDS Associate Producer............ ROBERT E. SCHULTZ LSE ST | an haneey Saleen epee SOBER teat ART SEID, A.C.E. eng i.e. ee ee eee BETTY MARTIN RAOOP o's a's 2S Pe aca ec ee DICK KEHL de ne EDI ee Pe nerte S k WILLIAM PELLAK MERNODG cabs i ce eee LLANDYS WILLIAMS Camera: Operator 25.03 ncaa te es JOHN DUSTIN Special-Erecwe i ges eres ROY DOWNEY MAKE-UP 5. ih cas Ses oc. FRED SOTTILE PuDINCIY: .. terteee eee era ee. 5 oo J. K. MCKINNEY WHISIC: INY:, scene caeee ce em aes ay ire JACK CONRAD Rating: PG Running time: 90 min. Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 AN AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL PICTURE © 1976 American International Pictures, Inc. NEWSPAPER AD INDEX ( 24 LINES) PAGE 9 ( 70 LINES) PAGE 5 ( 34LINES) PAGE 9 ( 60 LINES) PAGE 4 ( 94 LINES) | PAGE 9 (126 LINES) PAGE 9 2 Col. = iS (154 LINES) 2 Col. 4 (210 LINES) 2 Col. = Ir (280 LINES) 3 Col. x (261 LINES) 3 Col. ri (351 LINES)