The Mighty Quinn (film)

Last updated
The Mighty Quinn
The Mighty Quinn.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Carl Schenkel
Screenplay by Hampton Fancher
Based on Finding Maubee
by A. H. Z. Carr
Produced bySandy Lieberson
Marion Hunt
Ed Elbert
Starring
CinematographyJacques Steyn
Edited by John Jympson
Music by Anne Dudley
Production
company
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • February 16, 1989 (1989-02-16)
Running time
98 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$4,557,214

The Mighty Quinn is a 1989 American mystery comedy thriller film starring Denzel Washington in the title role, alongside Robert Townsend, James Fox, Mimi Rogers, M. Emmet Walsh, and Sheryl Lee Ralph. The screenplay by Hampton Fancher is based on A. H. Z. Carr's 1971 novel Finding Maubee . In the film, Washington plays Xavier Quinn, a police chief who tries to help his childhood friend Maubee (Townsend) after he becomes a murder suspect. [1]

Contents

The film takes its name from the Bob Dylan song of the same name, and a reggae cover version performed by Michael Rose, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Cedella Marley and Sharon Marley Prendergast [2] which appears on the soundtrack. Film critic Roger Ebert gave the film an overwhelmingly positive review, calling it one of the best films of 1989. [3] He described the film as "a spy thriller, a buddy movie, a musical, a comedy and a picture that is wise about human nature." [3]

Plot

Xavier Quinn is the chief of police of a small US territory in the Caribbean. When Donald Pater, the millionaire owner of a luxury resort hotel, is found murdered, everyone assumes that the culprit is Maubee, a petty crook who also is Quinn's best friend. Quinn does not believe it and clashes with the island's inept Governor Chalk and his arrogant political fixer Thomas Elgin. Quinn's worries over the murder exacerbate his troubles at home; he is estranged from his wife, Lola, and rarely has time to see his son.

Maubee eludes the police at every turn. Quinn questions a witness, who says that Maubee had a (rare) United States $10,000 bill. Trying to track down Maubee, Quinn questions Ubu Pearl, the local witch and aunt of Maubee's girlfriend, Isola.

Chalk introduces Quinn to Fred Miller, an affable American said to represent Pater's company. Pater had been found floating in a hot tub, decapitated. Against Chalk's instructions, Quinn has the body autopsied and finds that Pater died of a venomous snake bite and was already dead when his head was cut off. Quinn arrests Jose Patina, who claims to be on vacation, but has also been questioning people about Maubee's whereabouts.

After Patina is bailed out of jail, he confers with Miller in a seedy hotel. Miller tells him the "operation" is over, then kills Patina. Miller goes to Ubu Pearl and demands to know where Maubee is. When she refuses, he burns down her house, with her inside.

Quinn discovers that Pater, a close associate of the President of the United States, brought stacks of $10,000 bills to the island to be picked up by Patina. The President wants to fund an anti-Communist revolution in Latin America, but Congress would not support this. The President acts illegally, using the CIA to deliver discontinued currency that is still legal but will not be missed from storage at the US Treasury. The murder interfered with the plan, so the CIA sent Miller to retrieve the money and "plug up the holes."

Quinn tracks Maubee down at their childhood playground in an ancient ruin. Maubee explains that Pater impregnated Isola when she was a maid at his hotel. When Ubu Pearl demanded that Pater support the child, Pater fired Isola. Ubu Pearl instructed Isola to go to the hotel and leave a snake in Pater's room. Maubee sped to the hotel and arrived just as Pater was dying from the snakebite. He cut off Pater's head, put his body into the tub to attempt to conceal the cause of death, and grabbed the sack of money.

Miller appears and holds the pair at gunpoint. Maubee hands over the money and Miller departs in a helicopter. Enraged, Maubee grabs onto the helicopter as it lifts off over the ocean. Miller shoots at Maubee and Quinn watches helplessly as his friend's body falls into the ocean. A snake hidden in the sack of money slithers out and fatally bites the helicopter pilot. Miller struggles to regain control, but the helicopter crashes into the old ruins and explodes.

Grieved at the loss of his friend, Quinn returns home and reconciles with his wife. As he walks on the beach with his son, the camera pans down to show a line of barefoot prints emerging from the water, leading to a rock with a $10,000 bill sitting on it.

Cast

Production

In October 1971, producer Robert Rosenthal enlisted Larry Cohen to pen a screenplay adapted from A. H. Z. Carr's novel, Finding Maubee , which was published posthumously. Actors Sammy Davis, Jr. and Lou Gossett signed on for roles, with Sy Marsh and Robert Rosenthal set to produce. However, this version of the project was shelved. In May 1988, A & M Films secured the movie rights to the book for $75,000. Rita Marley, wife of reggae legend Bob Marley, had a cameo as a wedding band singer. By December 1988, the film's title was changed to The Mighty Quinn, inspired by the Bob Dylan song. This decision came after a test audience mistakenly believed "Finding Maubee" and the credit "Robert Townsend as Maubee" implied Townsend was the lead actor. To adhere to contractual obligations regarding Townsend's character name, the title was altered. Principal photography wrapped in Port Antonio, Jamaica, by June 1988. [4] Interior scenes of Donald Pater's mansion were filmed at Golden Clouds Villa in Oracabessa. [5]

Reception

The Mighty Quinn gained mostly positive reviews from critics. It holds an 89% rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes based on 18 reviews, with an average rating of 6.5/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "A deft hybrid of laughs, espionage, and music, The Mighty Quinn is a smart, pleasant entertainment that offers an early example of Denzel Washington's onscreen magnetism." [6] On Metacritic, the film holds a weighted average score of 71 out of 100 based on 11 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [7]

Roger Ebert gave the film four stars. The high point, he said, was Washington's performance: [3]

The film stars Denzel Washington in one of those roles that creates a movie star overnight. You might have imagined that would have happened to Washington after he starred in "Cry Freedom" as the South African hero Stephen Biko. He got an Oscar nomination for that performance, but it didn't even begin to hint at his reserves of charm, sexiness and offbeat humor. In an effortless way that reminds me of Robert Mitchum, Michael Caine or Sean Connery in the best of the Bond pictures, he is able to be tough and gentle at the same time, able to play a hero and yet not take himself too seriously. [3]

Bob Dylan makes reference to the movie in his 2004 autobiography Chronicles: Volume One :

On the way back to the house I passed the local movie theater on Prytania Street, where The Mighty Quinn was showing. Years earlier, I had written a song called 'The Mighty Quinn' which was a hit in England, and I wondered what the movie was about. Eventually, I'd sneak off and go there to see it. It was a mystery, suspense, Jamaican thriller with Denzel Washington as the Mighty Xavier Quinn a detective who solves crimes. Funny, that's just the way I imagined him when I wrote the song 'The Mighty Quinn,' Denzel Washington. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denzel Washington</span> American actor (born 1954)

Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor, producer, and director. In a career spanning over four decades, Washington has received numerous accolades, including a Tony Award, two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards and two Silver Bears. He was honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016, the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2019, and in 2020 The New York Times named him the greatest actor of the 21st century. In 2022, Washington received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

<i>A Soldiers Story</i> 1984 film by Norman Jewison

A Soldier's Story is a 1984 American mystery drama film directed and produced by Norman Jewison, adapted by Charles Fuller from his Pulitzer Prize-winning A Soldier's Play. It is a story about racism in a segregated regiment of the U.S Army commanded by White officers and training in the Jim Crow South, in a time and place where a Black officer is unprecedented and bitterly resented by nearly everyone, and follows an African-American JAG officer sent to investigate the murder of an African-American sergeant in Louisiana near the end of World War II.

<i>The Hurricane</i> (1999 film) 1999 film by Norman Jewison

The Hurricane is a 1999 American biographical sports drama film directed and produced by Norman Jewison. The film stars Denzel Washington as Rubin "The Hurricane" Carter, a former middleweight boxer who was wrongly convicted for a triple murder in a bar in Paterson, New Jersey. The script was adapted by Armyan Bernstein and Dan Gordon from Carter's 1974 autobiography The Sixteenth Round: From Number 1 Contender To 45472 and the 1991 non-fiction work Lazarus and the Hurricane: The Freeing of Rubin "The Hurricane" Carter by Sam Chaiton and Terry Swinton.

<i>Courage Under Fire</i> 1996 film by Edward Zwick

Courage Under Fire is a 1996 American war drama film directed by Edward Zwick, and starring Denzel Washington and Meg Ryan. It is the second collaboration between Washington and director Zwick. The film was released in the United States on July 12, 1996, to positive reviews and grossed $100 million worldwide.

<i>Remember the Titans</i> 2000 film by Boaz Yakin

Remember the Titans is a 2000 American biographical sports comedy-drama film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Boaz Yakin. The screenplay, written by Gregory Allen Howard, is loosely based on the true story of coach Herman Boone, portrayed by Denzel Washington, and his attempt to integrate the T. C. Williams High School football team in Alexandria, Virginia, in 1971. Will Patton portrays Bill Yoast, Boone's assistant coach. Real-life athletes Gerry Bertier and Julius Campbell are portrayed by Ryan Hurst and Wood Harris, respectively.

<i>The Savage Innocents</i> 1960 film by Nicholas Ray

The Savage Innocents is a 1960 adventure film directed and co-written by Nicholas Ray. Anthony Quinn and Yoko Tani star, with Lee Montague, Marco Guglielmi, Carlo Giustini, Anthony Chinn, and Michael Chow in supporting roles, alongside Peter O' Toole in an early film role. It was adapted from the novel Top of the World by Swiss writer Hans Rüesch.

<i>Eat the Document</i> 1972 American film

Eat the Document is a documentary of Bob Dylan's 1966 tour of parts of Europe with the Hawks. It was shot under Dylan's direction by D. A. Pennebaker, whose groundbreaking documentary Dont Look Back chronicled Dylan's 1965 British tour. The film was originally commissioned for the ABC television series ABC Stage 67.

<i>He Got Game</i> 1998 film directed by Spike Lee

He Got Game is a 1998 American sports drama film written, produced and directed by Spike Lee and starring Denzel Washington and Ray Allen. The film revolves around Jake Shuttlesworth, father of the top-ranked basketball prospect in the country, Jesus Shuttlesworth. Jake, in prison for killing his wife, is released on parole for a week by the state's governor to persuade his son to play for the governor's alma mater in exchange for a reduced prison sentence.

Robert Townsend is an American actor, director, comedian, and writer. Townsend is best known for directing the films Hollywood Shuffle (1987), Eddie Murphy Raw (1987), The Meteor Man (1993), The Five Heartbeats (1991) and various other films and stand-up specials. He is especially known for his portrayal of The WB's sitcom The Parent 'Hood 's main character Robert Peterson, the series he created and directed select episodes of ran from 1995 to 1999. Townsend is also known for his role as Donald "Duck" Matthews in his 1991 film The Five Heartbeats. He later wrote, directed and produced Making the Five Heartbeats (2018), a documentary film about the production process and behind the scenes insight into creating the film. Townsend is also known for his production company Townsend Entertainment which has produced films Playin' for Love, In the Hive and more. During the 1980s and early–1990s, Townsend gained national exposure through his stand-up comedy routines and appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Townsend has worked with talent including Halle Berry, Morgan Freeman, Chris Tucker, Beyoncé, Denzel Washington, Ayo Edebiri, and many more.

<i>Factory Girl</i> (2006 film) 2006 film by George Hickenlooper

Factory Girl is a 2006 American biographical film directed by George Hickenlooper. It is based on the rapid rise and fall of 1960s underground film star and socialite Edie Sedgwick, known for her association with the artist Andy Warhol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quinn the Eskimo (Mighty Quinn)</span> Song by Bob Dylan

"Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)" is a folk-rock song written and first recorded by Bob Dylan in 1967 during the Basement Tapes sessions. The song's first release was in January 1968 as "Mighty Quinn" in a version by the British band Manfred Mann, which became a great success. It has been recorded by a number of performers, often under the "Mighty Quinn" title.

<i>Heart Condition</i> (film) 1990 film by James D. Parriott

Heart Condition is a 1990 American comedy film starring Bob Hoskins, Denzel Washington and Chloe Webb. Denzel Washington stars as Napoleon Stone, a lawyer, and Bob Hoskins stars as Jack Moony, a police officer. The two rivals compete in the same work force area in their community to help bring down drug rate. Their goal would be to find the mysterious men that shot and killed Napoleon Stone.

<i>Im Not There</i> 2007 film by Todd Haynes

I'm Not There is a 2007 musical drama film directed by Todd Haynes, and co-written by Haynes and Oren Moverman. An experimental biographical film, it is inspired by the life and music of American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, with six actors depicting different facets of Dylan's public personas: Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, and Ben Whishaw. A caption at the start of the film declares it to be "inspired by the music and the many lives of Bob Dylan"; this is the only mention of Dylan in the film apart from song credits, and his only appearance in it is concert footage from 1966 shown during the film's final moments.

<i>A Mighty Heart</i> (film) 2007 drama film directed by Michael Winterbottom

A Mighty Heart is a 2007 American drama film directed by Michael Winterbottom from a screenplay by John Orloff. It is based on the 2003 memoir of the same name by Mariane Pearl.

Cedella Marley Minto is a Jamaican singer. She is the daughter of reggae singers Bob Marley and Rita Marley and the mother of Skip Marley. She was in the group Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers along with her sister and brothers. With the group, she has won three Grammy awards.

Sharon Marley is a Jamaican singer, dancer, and curator. She is the biological daughter of Rita Marley and was adopted by Bob Marley when the two married. She was in the group Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers along with her young sister and brothers. With the group, she has won three Grammy awards. Her daughter Donisha Prendergast is a filmmaker and activist.

Finding Maubee is a 1971 detective novel by Albert H. Z. Carr set in a fictional Caribbean island called St. Caro. Published after Carr's death, it earned Carr a posthumous Edgar Award in the category of Best First Novel.

The Mighty Quinn can refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denzel Washington on screen and stage</span>

Denzel Washington is an American actor known for his performance on stage and screen.

<i>The Tragedy of Macbeth</i> (2021 film) Film by Joel Coen

The Tragedy of Macbeth is a 2021 American historical thriller film written, directed and produced by Joel Coen, based on the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare. It is the first film directed by one of the Coen brothers without the other's involvement. The film stars Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Bertie Carvel, Alex Hassell, Corey Hawkins, Harry Melling, Kathryn Hunter, and Brendan Gleeson.

References

  1. Canby, Vincent (February 17, 1989). "The Mighty Quinn (1989) Review/Film; Tropical Murder". The New York Times .
  2. The Mighty Quinn (1989) - IMDb , retrieved 2020-12-27
  3. 1 2 3 4 Ebert, Roger (February 17, 1989). "The Mighty Quinn". Chicago Sun-Times .
  4. "The Mighty Quinn". American Film Institute . Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  5. Schaffner, Franklin J. (1995). Scarecrow Filmmakers Series. Scarecrow Publishing. p. 277. ISBN   978-0-8108-1799-9.
  6. The Mighty Quinn at Rotten Tomatoes
  7. "The Mighty Quinn Reviews". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  8. Dylan, Bob (2004). Chronicles Volume One. Simon & Schuster. p. 187. ISBN   0-7432-3076-0.