Editor’s note: This story was originally published on Nov. 30
*On Tuesday, November 27, I attended the Los Angeles premiere of Robert Townsend’s documentary film, “Making the Five Heartbeats,” at the Ahrya Fine Arts Theater in Beverly Hills. I have seen the original Five Heartbeats movie more times than I can count and it is one of my absolute favorites. The soundtrack is in rotation on my Spotify. Suffice it to say, I was more than excited to see the underpinnings of making the original movie and knew I was in for a treat. I absolutely LOVED everything about the new documentary. Robert Townsend told a beautiful and methodical story of the ups and downs of getting the original film made.
I will not give spoilers because I am REALLY hoping people in Los Angeles and New York will go see the film when it is released for limited viewing (to qualify for the upcoming movie award season). I will just say, Robert Townsend had a fascination with the Temptations and wanted to make a film based on them. The original Five Heartbeats movie had the Temptations and other singing groups from the 60s and 70s stamped all over it. The documentary details some of the issues surrounding groups of the 60s and 70s. The Five Heartbeats movie was made 27 years ago and there is footage of some very young … before they were famous … actors (and singers) auditioning for roles in the movie, as well as some who were in the beginning stages of making a name for themselves. It was almost like going through a video photo album.
A myriad of stars came out to support Robert Townsend. Among the attendees were Diahann Carroll, Tico Wells and Michael Wright, all of whom were in the original Five Heartbeats movie, as well as Jackie Brown, the casting director for Five Heartbeats. Also on hand were Sherri Shepard, Katt Williams, Lawrence Hilton Jacobs as well as Freda and Scherrie Payne, among others. The documentary had parts that made me laugh, as well as parts that made me go, “hmmm.”
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At the conclusion of the film, there was a Q & A session where Robert Townsend graciously responded to a litany of questions. Diahann Carroll joined him on stage. After telling Robert, “I’m so so so proud of you; and you look like a grown man. You’ve got fat on your cheeks and everything,” and lovingly chiding him because she didn’t get an invitation to the premiere of Making the Five Heartbeats, she shared that she enjoyed the total process of making the original Five Heartbeats. She also explained what it was like being a trailblazer, i.e., the first black woman to have her own television show (Julia). “You sure you want me to answer that? It took a hell of a lot to get that lady on screen.” The show was not named “Julia” when the script was first given to Ms. Carroll, who said, “I didn’t understand it. This was a self-made woman.” She also confessed she didn’t like Hollywood and didn’t want to be on film. She wanted to be on stage and admitted, “It took me a few years to understand that I really hated the way we were all depicted and I was showing my hatred by depriving myself of something really quite important. It took a year for the powers that be to get Ms. Carroll to Hollywood. It is our good fortune that she gave Julia a try.
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Although Robert Townsend, said growing up he “never watched television with a prejudiced eye” and continued to say, “I loved everyone I saw on television,” he admitted the images he saw of black men were always negative. Robert and Keenan Ivory Wayans, who co-wrote the movie with him, set out to portray black men in a more positive light. When asked what it was like to embark on making the documentary, Robert shared, “it was fun and then it was a lot of pain, because you know, I feel naked when I watch the documentary, because I don’t share my creative process. I don’t really talk about the work. I’m about the work.” About the perseverance, Robert went through in getting Five Heartbeats made, he said, “Sometimes you have to fight for your vision” realizing Hollywood does not always jump on projects. He said creating Five Heartbeats was, “a hell of a journey” and after watching the documentary, I felt as if I took the journey with him.
The original Five Heartbeats movie had an $8.6 million dollar budget, but because of poor marketing, it only made $8.5 million in theaters. It wasn’t until after the movie was released on VHS and then DVD, that it caught fire and became a classic. We are fortunate that it had life after the theaters; otherwise, it would have been a classic that never happened.
“Making the Five Heartbeats” will be playing in very limited release in Los Angeles at the Laemmele’s NoHo 7 from November 30 – December 6 and in New York from December 7 – 13 at Maysles Documentary Center. If you loved Five Heartbeats; if you are a Robert Townsend fan or if you are a student of filmmaking, this is a must see documentary. Don’t miss out or you’ll be waiting for the DVD … again.
Marilyn Smith is a Los Angeles based writer/reviewer. Contact her via [email protected].
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