UB Anniversary ReVisit: Robert Townsend Talks ‘The Five Heartbeats’ + Sidney Poitier

Over the next few months, we’ll be spotlighting features from our e-zines from the last 25 years. T M H Entertainment, T M Hxone and Urban Bridgez.

As the longest running website for R&B online, since 1999 – We’ve been able to conduct some amazing interviews with R&B Royalty, as well Hip Hop Legends.

UB has also been blessed to speak with some of black cultures, biggest icons, in film, television and literature.

Today, we spotlight our interview with the legendary Robert Townsend, on the 33rd Anniversary of his classic film “The Five Heartbeats.”

Robert Townsend appeared in his first film, almost 50 years ago. In the classic “Cooley High,” as an extra Basketball player.

Today Robert is an actor, comedian, writer, director, producer and cable network programming CEO, for starters.

The second oldest of four children Robert entertained his mother doing impressions of everyone he watched on television. His impersonations were astounding. He could transform into Jimmy Stewart, James Cagney, and Humphrey Bogart and then turn around and do Alfred Hitchcock and Bill Cosby.

Robert’s genius revealed itself publicly in elementary school while reading Shakespeare’s Oedipus Rex where he dazzled the class with his ability to transform effortlessly into characters. His remarkable talent caught the attention of Chicago’s Experimental Black Actors Guild X-Bag Theatre.

Then it was onto The Improvisation, New York’s premiere comedy club. It was there his career as a stand-up comedian took off. Soon after, he hit Hollywood performing on various television comedy specials including “Rodney Dangerfield: It ‘s Not Easy Bein Me” and “Uptown Comedy Express” and landing roles opposite Denzel Washington in “A Soldier’s Story“, Diane Lane in “Streets of Fire” and Kevin Costner in “American Flyers.”

Unbridled success continued when Robert Townsend the independent filmmaker was born. Without formal film education or outside funding (used his own credit cards) Robert co-wrote, directed, and starred in his own film.

The result was the critically acclaimed “Hollywood Shuffle,” followed by the inner-city fable: “The Meteor Man” that he also wrote, directed and starred. The popular soul musical, “The Five Heartbeats“, reminiscent of 60’s R&B male groups was his next cinematic accomplishment.

“The Five Heartbeats” theatrical release was on March 29th, 1991.

After doing extensive research with long-lived pop/R&B group the Dells, he painted a cinematic scene of five young friends in the 60s who share the dream of making music.

They journey together through three decades, experiencing all the ups and downs show business had to offer, intensified by the difficulties faces by black acts in the era of civil-rights protest.

Interacting as everything from a close-knit musical family to occasional bitter rivals, the fictional Five Heartbeats experience both success and tragedy in the cult classic. The multi-talented Robert Townsend directed and stared, alongside compelling performances by a cast that includes Leon, Diahann Caroll, Harry Lennix, Tico Wells, and the late great John Witherspoon.

Featuring a mix of original songs and classic Motown material, “The Five Heartbeats” is an irresistible combination of music and drama that captures a unique period in American cultural history.

The film introduces thirteen original songs and features performances of numerous Motown favorites. Also featured are two R&B classics by The Dells, “Stay in My Corner” and “Oh What A Night.”

Robert Townsend did research for his fictional R&B group by hanging out and travelling with The Dells, an R&B group that was together for 40 years. The Dells acted as technical advisors on the film.

The film, “The Five Heartbeats,” essentially became The Dells‘ story. Their tune, “The Heart Is The House Of Love,” was also the soundtracks lead single.

“The Making of The Five Heartbeats” was released in 2018, a documentary that goes behind the scenes of the making of the 1991 musical drama.”The Making of The Five Heartbeats” was nominated for a 2019 NAACP Image Award for outstanding documentary.

In January 2019, Robert received the Living Legend Award at the Trumpet Awards, which celebrates black leaders who have made significant contributions to American life.

In 2019, Aries from UB spoke to THEE Robert Townsend, about “The Five Heartbeats,” his hero Sidney Poitier, what motivates him and more.

UrbanBridgez.com: The Five Heartbeats is one of my all-time favorite films, such a classic!
Robert Townsend: Thank you man, thank you! People ask me all the time, how I made that movie? Because there are people who have seen it, 30, 50, 100 times (both laugh). They always come up to me and say “I still love that movie!” The documentary for the 25th anniversary is really detailed. It gives you the good, bad and ugly and what happened behind the scenes. It’s all beautiful in the end, but it gives you the full journey.
[Available on Vimeo On Demand]

UrbanBridgez.com: What originally motivated you to get into the entertainment industry in and what has kept you in it for five decades now?
Robert Townsend: You know I first started in the industry, because I just really love performing. You know, I’m just a natural fool. I just love having a good time and being silly (laughs). And that’s what started this journey, again because I love performing. Then when my eyes were really opened to the limited roles and stereotypical roles. I became a writer and director because rather than me complain about the negative stuff; I chose to do something about it. I think the reason I stayed in the business, is because I love it! I really love what I do man. I love making movies and I love making TV shows. We all have special gifts that God has given us, one of mine is to tell stories and to be a performer. So that’s why I do what I do.

UrbanBridgez.com: You do it well and the gifts shine through.
Robert Townsend: Thank you! I have to tell you right now, I am having the best time working.

UrbanBridgez.com: For Black History Month, tell us someone who inspired you to do what you do?
Robert Townsend: That would be Sidney Poitier! When I was a kid, I didn’t see that many images of people of color on television. I remember seeing a lot of the shucking and jiving and you know stereotypical roles. The first person I saw on television, that had dignity was Sidney Poitier. When I became an adult and became famous. I called him right away. He educated me and I asked him, how did you get to have dignity in the 50s? When so many people of color had their head down? He said, the power to say no. He said I didn’t except everything that came along. I turned down, more than I excepted. That’s kind of been my mantra since I met him. So he’s my hero.

UrbanBridgez.com: Tell us how the idea for your last film Playin’ For Love” came together.
Robert Townsend: It’s a film I made in Miami and it was very interesting how the film came together. I was at the black film festival. I’ve been associated with it for over 20 years now. I was down there around 2011-2012 and the Commissioner from Overtown, Michelle Spence-Jones. She approached me and said Robert, the kids in Overtown are being hit hard with violence, gangs and drugs. The only thing they respond to is movies and television and rappers. So she said, could you come over and maybe teach them about movies or possibly do a short film with them? Something to give them inspiration. The city will put some money into it, we’ll give you the locations and work with you. So I was like sure, I would love to do it. I took it a step further and said why don’t we just make a whole movie out of it together? So that’s really how Playin’ For Love got started. I had written the script sometime ago, because I love basketball. One of my favorite films as a kid was Claudine. You know a single mother who has six kids and falls in love with a garbageman. It stars Diahann Carroll and James Earl Jones. So that’s how that film came together. And then the city and myself went into the hood and shot the film. I had 20 kids work behind the scene and I taught them about how to make movies. Then the kids worked with the crew, they were in the hair and make-up, wardrobe, so that was how it all came together. So the story behind the movie is a pure labor of love, then we actually made a movie.

UrbanBridgez.com: We love Jenifer Lewis, how was it working with her in that movie?
Robert Townsend: I’ve worked with her like four times now. We did the Little Richard story together. I directed her movie Jackie’s Back. She was in Meteor Man and Playin’ For Love. Jenifer is always a lunatic! I mean when you see her on black-ish she’s funny, but Jenifer is crazy. I just have the best time.