Cornbread, Earl and Me
Encyclopedia
Cornbread, Earl and Me is a 1975 American
drama
film that stars Tierre Turner as Earl Carter, Laurence Fishburne
as Wilford Robinson and Jamaal Wilkes
as Nathaniel "Cornbread" Hamilton. It was directed and produced by Joseph Manduke. The film is loosely based on the novel Hog Butcher by Ronald Fair
.
player from the neighborhood, who also goes by the nickname of "Cornbread." In the movie, he epitomizes the dream of the neighborhood to be successful, as he is about to become the first from the community to enter college
on an athletic scholarship
. He is also a local hero to friends Earl Carter and Wilford Robinson. The plot thickens after a pick-up basketball game ends because of a heavy rain, and all the kids run to the local store and hang out, waiting for the rain to end. All the kids leave, except for Cornbread, Earl and Wilford. Earl and Wilford get into a playful argument about how fast Cornbread can run home. It is decided that Cornbread should make it home in 25 seconds, so he runs off, after buying another soda for himself. Unbeknownst to all of them, an assault suspect is in the area, and is dressed similarly to Cornbread. The police are hot on the suspect's trail, but lose him in the rain. As the police are coming out of an alleyway, they see Cornbread running by and mistake him for the suspect they're looking for. Subsequently, Cornbread is shot in the back, and dies in the middle of the street. Wilford screams hysterically, and a riot ensues. The coroner's inquest is hampered by severe police intimidation, and no one knows anything about anything, except for Wilford, who becomes a man on the witness stand by telling exactly what he saw, in graphic detail.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
film that stars Tierre Turner as Earl Carter, Laurence Fishburne
Laurence Fishburne
Laurence John Fishburne III is an American film and stage actor, playwright, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Morpheus in the Matrix science fiction film trilogy, as Cowboy Curtis on the 1980's television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, and as singer-musician Ike Turner...
as Wilford Robinson and Jamaal Wilkes
Jamaal Wilkes
Jamaal Wilkes is a retired American basketball player who played the small forward position and won four NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. Wilkes was also a key player in the run of NCAA championships accumulated during the John Wooden era of UCLA basketball...
as Nathaniel "Cornbread" Hamilton. It was directed and produced by Joseph Manduke. The film is loosely based on the novel Hog Butcher by Ronald Fair
Ronald Fair
'A/K/A 'Ronald L. Fair is an Afro-American writer known for his experimental and versatile literary forms. He is best known for his 1966 novel "Hog Butcher", set in 1960s Chicago, which was filmed as the 1975 movie Cornbread, Earl and Me. Relocating In Finland he began making sculpture in 1977...
.
Plot
The film focuses on three African-American youths living in an urban neighborhood. Nathaniel Hamilton is a star basketballBasketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player from the neighborhood, who also goes by the nickname of "Cornbread." In the movie, he epitomizes the dream of the neighborhood to be successful, as he is about to become the first from the community to enter college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
on an athletic scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
. He is also a local hero to friends Earl Carter and Wilford Robinson. The plot thickens after a pick-up basketball game ends because of a heavy rain, and all the kids run to the local store and hang out, waiting for the rain to end. All the kids leave, except for Cornbread, Earl and Wilford. Earl and Wilford get into a playful argument about how fast Cornbread can run home. It is decided that Cornbread should make it home in 25 seconds, so he runs off, after buying another soda for himself. Unbeknownst to all of them, an assault suspect is in the area, and is dressed similarly to Cornbread. The police are hot on the suspect's trail, but lose him in the rain. As the police are coming out of an alleyway, they see Cornbread running by and mistake him for the suspect they're looking for. Subsequently, Cornbread is shot in the back, and dies in the middle of the street. Wilford screams hysterically, and a riot ensues. The coroner's inquest is hampered by severe police intimidation, and no one knows anything about anything, except for Wilford, who becomes a man on the witness stand by telling exactly what he saw, in graphic detail.
Release on DVD & HD
- In 2001 it was released on DVD.
- In 2010 it was digitized in High Definition (1080i) and broadcasted on MGM HDMGM HDMGM HD is an all high-definition television channel. It features commercial-free movies from MGM's library of approximately 1,200 movies mastered in a high-definition-compatible format as well as feature films from their library of 4,100 theatrical titles...
.