Themes: Rise and Fall Stories, Redemption, Drug Addiction
Main Cast: Dennis Farina, Wings Hauser, Richard Pryor, Debbie Allen, Art Evans, Fay Hauser, Barbara Williams
Release Year: 1986
Country: US
Run Time: 97 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Popular African-American comedian Jo Jo Dancer is severely burned while free-basing cocaine. Producer/director/writer Richard Pryor insists that the movie is not autobiographical. While hovering between life and death, Dancer flashes back to his childhood, when he grew up in a brothel. Producer/director/writer Richard Pryor insists that the movie is not autobiographical. Dancer decides to become a comic, but has a great many difficulties rising to stardom until he begins making scatological comments about race relations. Producer/director/writer Richard Pryor insists that the movie is not autobiographical. As he rises to fame, Jo Jo has problems controlling his drug addiction and womanizing. Producer/director/writer Richard Pryor insists.....Well, you've caught on by now. If one were able to excise the excruciatingly boring "introspection" scene, Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling would stand as an excellent testimonial to Richard Pryor's cutting-edge comic brilliance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Carmen McRae - Grandmother; Paula Kelly - Satin Doll; Diahnne Abbott - Mother; Scoey Mitchell - Father; Billy Eckstine - Johnny Barnett; E'lon Cox - Little Jo Jo; Gary Allen - Male Heckler; Jack Andreozzi - 1st Gangster; Martin Azarow - 2nd Gangster; J.J. Barry - Sal; Tanya Boyd - Alicia; Virginia Capers - Emma Ray; Gloria Charles - Lady at Grandmother's House; Frederick Coffin - Dr. Weissman; Mary Bond Davis - Lady at Grandmother's House; Dennis Farina - Freddy; Ken Foree - Big Jake; Michael Genovese - Gino; Rod Gist - Manager; Dennis Hayden - 1st Policeman; Sam Hennings - 2nd Policeman; Michael Ironside - Det. Lawrence; Charles Knapp - Fat Man; Joanna Lipari - Night Club Patron; Valerie McIntosh - Lady at Gradmother's House; Michael Prince - Screening Room Producer; Beau Starr - Vito; Marlene Warfield - Sonja; Ludie Washington - Backstage Manager; Dean Wein - Stage Hand; Michael Williams - Raymond; Wings Hauser - Cliff; Rocco Urbisci - Screening Room Director; Jimmy Binkley Group - Hose Band at Spencer's; Richard Daugherty - 2nd John; Charlie Dell - 1st John; Howard L.W. Fortune - Hotel Bouncer; Sig Frohlich - Ziggy; Dr. Richard Grossman - Dr. Carlyle; Teri Hafford - Olivia; Alicia Shonte Harvey - Waitress; Edwin Hausam - Desk Clerk; Linda Hoy - Emergency Room Nurse; Rashon Kahn - Bodyguard; Jo Ann Mann - Madam; Erika Marr - Showgirl; Geraldine Mason - Showgirl; Dorothy McLennan - Dorothy; Angella Mitchell - Showgirl; Tracy Morgan - Female Heckler; Kiblena Peace - Joy; Deon Pearson - Charlie; Laura Rae - Dawn's Friend; Edy Roberts - Madelyn; Elizabeth Robinson - Secretary; Roxanne Rolle - Showgirl; Erastus Spencer - Mr. Spencer; Dewayne Taylor - Boy on Bus; Robin Torell - Michelle's Dance Partner; Cheri Wells - Lady at Grandmother's House; Reuben Cannon; Bebe Drake - Angry Prostitute
Credit
John G. Wilson - Associate Producer, Jennifer Stace - Choreography, Marilyn Bradfield - Consultant/advisor, Marilyn Vance - Costume Designer, Richard Pryor - Director, Donn Cambern - Editor, Herbie Hancock - Composer (Music Score), Renaldo Benson - Songwriter, Ruby Bloom - Songwriter, Charles Cimmons - Songwriter, Alfred Cleveland - Songwriter, Autry de Walt - Songwriter, Bo Diddley - Songwriter, Lee Gaines - Songwriter, Kenny Gamble - Songwriter, Bruce Hawes - Songwriter, Leon Huff - Songwriter, Anthony Jackson - Songwriter, Chaka Khan - Songwriter, Ted Koehler - Songwriter, Melody London - Songwriter, Fred Long - Songwriter, Warren Moore - Songwriter, McKinley Morganfield - Songwriter, Cleve Reed - Songwriter, William Stevenson - Songwriter, Barrett Strong - Songwriter, Norman Whitfield - Songwriter, Frank Strayer - Songwriter, Tony Lloyd - Makeup, Terry Miles - Makeup, John De Cuir - Production Designer, John A. Alonzo - Cinematographer, Richard Pryor - Producer, Cloudia - Set Designer, Larry Fuentes - Special Effects, Ron Oliney - Stunts, Paul Mooney - Screenwriter, Richard Pryor - Screenwriter, Rocco Urbisci - Screenwriter, Josephine Baker - Featured Music, Count Basie - Featured Music, Duke Ellington - Featured Music, Marvin Gaye - Featured Music, Johnny Mercer - Featured Music, Smokey Robinson - Featured Music, Jimmy Rushing - Featured Music, Billy Stewart - Featured Music, Spencer Williams - Featured Music
Though Pryor insisted the film was not autobiographical, [1] Pryor plays Jo Jo Dancer, a popular stand-up comedian who has severely burned himself in a drug incident. The film came out after Pryor had severely burned himself while freebasingcocaine in 1980. Though he later claimed the incident was not an accident at all, but actually an attempted suicide.
As Dancer lies hospitalized in a coma, his spiritual alter ego revisits his life, from growing up in a brothel as a child and struggling to beat the long odds to become a top-rated comedian. However, his success leads to extensive drug use and womanizing that takes its toll on his life. Jo Jo's spirit watches and attempts to convince his past self to end the cycle of self destruction.
Production
The earlier parts of the film were filmed in Pryor's hometown of Peoria, Illinois.
