Its regarded as a classic because of who's in it rather than it actually being funny. It was the only film to have three generations of comic legends in it who changed the game of comedy and seen as pioneers. Redd Foxx the "blind" guy was one of the first stand up comedians that used bad language in his routine and he became mainstream with the sitcom Sanford and Son, then of course you have Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy who continued and put their own spin on Redd's style. Then you have various comics of the time with smaller roles like Robin Harris who became a comic legend and a few others. Jasmine Guy who was the mistress was a big star at the time because of her role as Whitney in A Different World. Then finally the film's status got bigger because a few people who are in the film became legends in their own right afterwards. Tommy Ford who played Tommy Smalls went on to do Martin where he became a star and of course Charlie Murphy who got recognized in his own right in the early 2000s.So harlem nights captured a lot of black excellence in entertainment showcasing past present and future.

Eddie Murphy's brother CHARLIE MURPHY and their uncle RAY MURPHY Sr were in this movie.

Harlem Nights was written and directed by Eddie Murphy, and the movie came out a year after COMING TO AMERICA.

Harlem Nights, A Rage In Harlem and the first half of Malcolm X which all appeared in the early 90s were homages to the Harlem Renaissance era The Apollo Theatre and the first Black film industry that existed from 1905 to 1950 that are referred to as "race films". Often ignored and inaccurately identified as independent movies from hollywood despite the fact they started before hollywood became a thing ten years after the first black film was made because when the race film started it was when everyone was making films all over the country until the whites concentrated their films and converged it to hollywood while black people didnt and was continuing making films in various places but three black owned studios were based in nebraska, chicago and harlem/new york. A lot of the films during the 30s to 40s were basically like harlem nights in the sense they were always around a night club but unlike that film those films always had a musical number in them. Only a few were about gangsters as most were melodramas.

The late Thomas M. Ford's name here was TOMMY SMALLS, and on the MARTIN show he played TOMMY STRONG.

The young actor playing the kid at the beginning is DESI ARNEZ HINES, who also played young Tre Styles in BOYZ N THE HOOD. Here he's playing young VERNEST "QUICK" BROWN, which is Eddie Murphy's character.

Your points on much of the language and items like "the Champ's" speech are perfect, but don't forget that the 1930s sterotypes are much different than anything we have experienced in the last 40 or 50 years.

Sunshine is played by Lena Rochon a beautiful actress who appeared in Boomerang with Eddie Murphy and How Stella Got Her Groove Back with Angela Basset which she's best known for.

Nobody knew it at the time, but back then Richard Pryor was said to be in the beginning stages of having M.S. Not even Eddie Murphy knew while directing Harlem Nights. Not sure if the condition had any effect on Richard Pryor's acting at that point.

Sugar Ray's girlfriend is played by BERLINDA TOLBERT, who also played JENNY JEFFERSON from the sitcom THE JEFFERSON'S

23:15 His real life name is Thomas Ford, aka Tommy.

Pryor was a the beginging of a muscle desease called multipe sclerocis that he later died from. He was moving different and his facial expressions were off. Eddie was a hero for gathering all of his heroes while they were still alive and getting into one movie.

Champ doesn't have a brain injury, he stutters. He needed a speech pathologist as a child. Richard Pryors face is over exaggerated bc he burned his body. Research the cast. There is a reason why this cast was put together.

Della Reese and the cop in this movie aalso were Jazz singers Just like eartha Kitt in another Eddie Murphy produced movie Boomerang Lady Eloise !!!

If you haven’t seen boomerang pls react to it one of his best movies that didn’t get much love because all the black actors were buisness executives in high places it’s a must watch believe me

You totally missed the visual jokes in the beginning looking down at the sushi 😂😂😂

This is one of those where it HAS to be the uncensored version, just like "Blazing Saddles." You need to hear the language, raw. Sometimes it's ugly, but sometimes the ugly is why it's funny, because the ugly person just showed their ignorance, and we get to laugh at them, together, like family, laughing at the dumb one the other family keeps in the basement.

the green lady in kcmo is a good jazz club. live music on two floors until 3 am. expensive but appropriately so. also, calhoun is a scottish name. it is most likely an irish mob.

Baby Eddie was beat in Boomerang too

Very Nice Reaction To This Comedy Classic Beautiful 💯💯 If Ya Like Martial Arts Type Movies Also Then Blood And Bone (2009) Would Be The Perfect Movie Im Hoping Ya React To One Day

The Champ is the funniest part

I actually liked this movie when it came out, but can see your point about it being dragged out.. This was Eddie Murphy’s directing debut.. He admitted himself that he only made this movie to see if he could actually direct and what he found out was he couldn’t, so he never tried again..

Hell Yeah None Could Go Wrong At Those Blues/Jaz Spots Just Cool Vibes Compared To Other Shit Going On Nowadays

Richard Pryor was going through multiple sceloris during this time. Sadly, his facial ticks and expressions were likely signs of his disease process.

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 classic

I wish they hadn't taken out the part arsenio hall said a-hole

The Lady Thats Named Sunshine In This Is Real Name Lela Rochon

He is tommy in everything he plays in and his real name is tommy idk how he always worked that in 😂

Pitty Pat is a card game...

Have Ya Ever Seen Wayans Bros Type Movies Before? Cuz Dont Be A Menace While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood Is Funny Asf And The Scary Movie Franchise 💯

Yeah I Feel You On It Being a Bit Bored For This Movie But For More Entertaining Eddie Murphy Movies Tho To React To Are The Nutty Professor: Coming To America Norbit (2007)

Shit If Ya Ever Wanna React To More Richard Pryor Movies Then Im Hoping You'd React To The Movie The Toy (1982) Its Really Good And Most Slept On Movie From Reactors

Great reaction gorgeous

No young lady it’s not boxing makes you stutters… Actor, James, Earl Jones, stutter real bad when he was young…Now he’s the voice of Darth Vader…this is CNN

What Ya Eating On

Sis, you missed an incredible amount of nuance by not looking at the screen.