In 1975 Rudy Ray Moore was on top of the comedy game. His character Dolemite was quickly shooting up the comedy charts and developing a dedicated fan base. Still, he wanted more. He decided to put up his own funds, to film a movie based on Dolemite. He couldn't get it in theaters. Eventually, he played it at a late night showing in Indianapolis where he sold out multiple showings. When the film finally hit theaters Dolemite was a hit and an even bigger hit on home media. Eventually it spawned two sequels. Rudy Ray Moore went on to have a film career that would span until the year after his death. This from a man who didn't think he could be an actor. Turns out, he became a major factor.
The film begins with Dolemite being released from prison after his friend and fellow pimp, Queen Bee, informs the warden that Dolemite's nephew Little Jimmy has been murdered. Dolemite is released on the grounds that he track down the killers. He's picked up by some of his, escorts and quickly gets into a shootout. He visits some of his brothels and learns that his nightclub has been taken over by rival pimp Willie Green who framed Dolemite for drug dealing. Pimping, gambling and fighting are things Dolemite does, but drug dealing kills his buzz. Dolemite then goes on to get his revenge and reclaim his club.
There's a lot of things going on in this film. There's a few sex scenes. I call it equal opportunity fan service. You'll see a lot of butt cracks, and about half the time it'll be a man. There's plenty of pro-black sentiments throughout the film. The film also promoted Dolemite to a new audience. One of those was Snoop Dogg (or is he Lion again) who stated without him, there would be no Snoop. He's been featured on multiple hip hop albums from Big Daddy Kane to 2 Live Crew. He's made cameos in everything from Martin to a film titled Big Money Hustlas by Insane Clown Posse. Hip Hop walked through the door, that was opened by Rudy Ray Moore.
I'm actually just going to dedicate this section to funny things that Dolemite said:
Some folks say that Willie Green was the baddest motherfucker the world ever seen. But I want you to hold onto your seats. And hold onto them tight. 'Cause you now getting' ready to see the story of me. Yes, me! The badass. Dolemite!
I'm gonna let 'em know that Dolemite is back on the scene! I'm gonna let 'em know that Dolemite is my name, and fuckin' up motherfuckers is my game!
You no-business, born-insecure, jock-jawed motherfucker!
Man, move over and let me pass 'fore they have be to pullin' these Hush Puppies out your motherfuckin' ass!
Dolemite is a testament to the idea that if you fully dedicate yourself to your work, people will support even if it takes a while for them to find you. Every shot of the film isn't going to be incredible. There are moments when things clearly go wrong, but they roll with the punches. The dedication to making this thing happen just elevates the film to a level beyond what it is. If you look at it purely on quality, the film is probably a 5 out of 10. Despite doing probably 100 movie reviews at this point in my life, I don't give film scores because you can judge things like camera work, scripts and acting but you can't judge cultural relevance, intent or influence. Every person is going to get something different from a film and a score doesn't do it justice.
I watch a lot of Blaxploitation films, I just have an obsession with that era of black cinema for some reason. A lot of them are bad and clear attempts at cashing in on the boom at the time. They'll have weak stories, bad acting and it's clear nobody cared. Dolemite is a bad film quality wise, but a great film at the same time. Sure, the plot isn't the greatest and there's some odd acting choices. Still, it's great because you can tell everyone involved wanted to be there. Every actor is giving their all and completely dedicated to their character. The fight scenes, are terrible, but everyone fully committed to it. Nobody cracks a smile when Dolemite lets off his hilarious lines. Queen Bee cries real tears even if the story she gives the warden is ridiculous.
Sure, there's some lines that get stumbled over. Odd camera shots that miss the action. The story is paper thin. There's a preacher that is a confidential informant for a pimp. A pimp that pimps food not prostitutes. The whole thing is a mess, but you can tell this was a labor of love, or a passion project. The film just hits different for me as a black man who tries to create something every day than it would for, to quote Dolemite, a "rat-soup-eatin', insecure honky motherfucker," that just watches movies to get their score up on Rotten Tomatoes. I love it, and a lot of people would hate it, but that's okay. Everyone will not love everything you create, but Rudy Ray Moore, Lady Reed, D'Urville Martin and everyone else proved that if you just stay true to your art and do what you believe in, everything will work out eventually.
You can check out some of my fiction at 12 AM Fiction or follow my web serial Exsanguinate and of course hear me on the Powerbomb Jutsu podcast.
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