What I’m watching: ‘Dolemite is My Name’ on Netflix

Date: 11/5/2019

What I’m watching: “Dolemite is My Name” on Netflix.

On Netflix: Dolemite is My Name

I can recall distinctly when I first heard of Rudy Ray Moore. I was watching a compilation of trailers from various low-budget movies hosted by John Carradine. Among the trailers was one from Moore’s second film “The Human Tornado.”

It was crazy and I scoured video rental stores until I found a copy of it to rent.

It didn’t disappoint me in its sheer audacity.

Moore’s humor – he had successfully marketed a string of comedy albums – was very, very politically incorrect. He created a foul-mouth pimp character called “Dolemite.”  The language that he used, the sexual content of his films and the subject matter helped build both a loyal fanbase and a barrier that prevented him from reaching broader audiences such as contemporaries Redd Foxx and Richard Pryor had done.

Through a sheer force of will, he made five films and his first four were hits. His fifth film, “Disco Avenging Godfather” (1979) was his last starring role. Moore was active in show business until his death in 2008 at the age of 81.

Moore once told an interviewer, ”I wasn’t saying dirty words just to say them ... It was a form of art, sketches in which I developed ghetto characters who cursed. I don't want to be referred to as a dirty old man, rather a ghetto expressionist.”

When I see a Moore film I see something that is refreshingly personal. It reflects an actual point of view. Were they competently done? Not always, but they were honest and outrageous and very different. Films with those qualities are very appealing to me.

In interviews, Eddie Murphy, the star of “My Name is Dolemite,” has said that Moore was a hero of his because he was a guy who wanted to succeed in show business and tried many things until one act worked – Dolemite. Murphy had tried to get a Moore biography film off the ground for years and had writers meet with Moore, who shared stories of his life.

I’m sure that 90 percent of the people who have Netflix have never heard of Moore, but they certainly have heard of Murphy. The new film is designed for both Moore loyalists and those who are not fans of his.

I’ve always considered Murphy to be one of the greatest contemporary comic talents and this film shows his great range. It is at times laugh out loud funny and also very touching.

The film tells the story of how Moore developed his comic persona and how he produced his own records that were then sold in urban record stores from behind the counter because their language was so explicit. He realized that records and personal appearances in nightclubs could only push his career along so far, so he decided to bring his character to the screen.

When he could make no headway with studios, he produced the film himself with his own money. The result seemed amateurish but was sincere and engaging.

More importantly, it was well received by audiences during the golden era of the low-budget action and comedy films starring African-Americans of the 1970s.

Murphy’s love and respect for Moore shines in every scene. Murphy’s portrayal is that of a guy whose greatest talent was his belief in himself and his perseverance.

 I love that Murphy took such great care in re-creating scenes from Moore’s first movie and that he included actual scenes from “Dolemite” as part of the closing credits.

Even if you would never watch “Dolemite,” this film is a pleasure – a well-crafted love letter to a fascinating character.

By the way, I had the opportunity of meeting Moore years ago and he was a gracious guy. I cannot repeat the phrase he used to described me as part of his autograph to me, but I’m proud of the distinction because Dolemite himself gave it to me.