Dolemite
| Dolemite | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | D'Urville Martin |
| Screenplay by | Jerry Jones |
| Story by | Rudy Ray Moore |
| Produced by | Rudy Ray Moore |
| Starring | Rudy Ray Moore D'Urville Martin Jerry Jones Lady Reed Hy Pyke West Gale John Kerry Vainus Rackstraw |
| Cinematography | Nicholas Josef von Sternberg |
| Edited by | Rex Lipton |
| Music by | Arthur G. Wright |
| Distributed by | Dimension Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $100,000 (estimated) |
| Box office | $12 million or $1.1 million |
Dolemite is a 1975 American blaxploitation crime comedy film and is also the name of its principal character, played by Rudy Ray Moore, who co-wrote the film and its soundtrack. Moore, who started his career as a stand-up comedian in the late 1960s, heard a rhymed toast about an urban hero named Dolemite from a regular at the record store where he worked, and decided to adopt the persona as an alter ego in his act.
The film focuses on a professional comedian, pimp, and nightclub owner. He serves a prison sentence after being framed by dirty cops, but he is released by the governor and tasked with dealing with his hometown's illegal drug trade. He uses his prostitutes as a private army, since they are kung fu-trained martial artists.