Thursday, October 24, 2019

Godfather of Harlem: A Review



This is a tv series on EPIX which is a prequel to the movie American Gangster. The show is centered around mob boss Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson (played by Forest Whitaker) in Harlem in the early 1960's. Most of the action is centered on pushback from Harlem gangsters to Italian organized crime regarding control of the heroin dealing.

The show so far has Johnson (somewhat) resisting heroin flooding the streets of Harlem--but the reality is Johnson was partnered with the Italian mafia in bringing heroin to Harlem in the first place. Given the current scourge of opioids in America--what started in the sixties was a just the tip of the spear.

It is a good thing Whitaker is a strong actor, because Malcom X (played by Nigél Thatch) comes real close to stealing the show. Rev. Adam Clayton Powell Jr. (played by Giancarlo Esposito) and Cassius Clay (just before his name change to Mohammed Ali and played by Deric Augustine) also make appearances.

So far so good (they are at episode four). It is a fictionalized account based on real life characters. The writing and acting are mostly excellent. Update: Trooper York points out a lot of the mafia details are wrong, but he also likes the show too (thanks for the kudos).


Bumpy Johnson's wife Mayme is played by the effervescent Ilfenesh Hadera:







Rule 5 and FMJRA

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Woodsterman: Meme again

357 Magnum: Sunday Links

Hogewash: Quote of the Day

Bacon Time: Sunday Linkage

AoSHQ: Morning Report 10.21.19

American Power Blog: Tulsi and Hillary

The Right Way: Rule 5 Saturday Link-O-Rama

Animal Magnetism : Saturday Gingermageddon

Political Clown Parade: Flowing Curves Of Beauty

Diogenes Middle Finger News: A Good Monday Morning

Blazing Cat Fur: Does everyone believe Hillary is crazy now?

Proof Positive: Vintage Babe of the week and Best of the Web

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Breitbart: Tulsi Gabbard declares war on Hillary and the Dem Establishment

Pirate's Cove: CNN and Syria, If all you see..., and Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup

EBL: Oh, Canada--you can do better than Justin Trudeau 🇨🇦 and Hillary Hokey Pokey

American Elephants: Guess who is building a wall? and Trump did not betray the Kurds

Ninety Miles From Tyranny: Hot Pick, Girls With Guns, Morning Mistress and Blogs With Rule 5 Links

Mark Steyn: Downton Abbey, Brother From Another Mammy, and Michael E Mann, Loser, Liar, and Scoff Law

TOM: In The Mailbox: 10.25.19, Kathy Griffin: ‘Orchestrated Campaign’ by ‘Older White Men’ Against Her Career, Who Would Marry Dr. Frankenbaby?, Florida Man Raped 15-Year-Old Girl, Posted Videos to Internet, Police Say, AOC: Fossil Fuels Are Racist or Something, Harvard Radicals Boycott the Crimson, In The Mailbox: 10.24.19, UPDATE: Naked Bisexual Democrat’s Scandal Just Got Worse, Believe It or Not, Ace of Spades Is Our Churchill, UPDATE: Naked Bisexual Democrat Is Also a Mentally Ill Drunk (Allegedly), In The Mailbox: 10.23.19, Naked Bisexual Democrat Update, More Red Pill Discourse, In The Mailbox: 10.22.19 (Late Night Edition), In The Mailbox: 10.22.19 (Afternoon Edition), Canadian Pervert Jonathan ‘Jessica’ Yaniv Loses #WaxMyBalls Case in Tribunal, Pagan Idols Thrown in the Tiber River, Trouble in ‘Red Pill’ Land, ‘Naked Democratic Congresswoman’, Emily (a/k/a ‘Ross’) McFarland ‘Harbored Animosity’ Toward Victim, Police Say, ‘You’re White, You Know’, Transgender Teen Charged With Murdering Father’s Finacée in Alabama, Roll Tide!, In The Mailbox: 10.18.19

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2 comments:

  1. You missed out on the best performance in the piece. Vincent "Private Pyle" D'Onofrio as Vinnie the Chin." They get all the Mafia details wrong but it is still the best performance in the show.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree that D'Orofrio rocks at 'Vinnie the Chin.' But I kept gettting distracted whenever Chazz Palminteri (playing Joe Bananas) shows up. Is that make up or his actual face?

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