The Five Heartbeats

In the early 1960's, a quintet of hopeful young African American men form an amateur vocal group called The Five Heartbeats. After an initially rocky start, the group turns pro, and becomes a top flight music sensation. Along the way however, the guys learn many hard lessons about the reality of the music industry with its casual racism and greed while the personal weaknesses of the members threaten to destroy the integrity of the band. Stars Robert Townsend, Leon Robinson, Michael Wright, Tico Wells, Harry J. Lennix, Diahann Carroll and Theresa Randle, and the film was written by Robert Townsend and Keenan Ivory Wayans. The Five Heartbeats is rooted in the lore of the Temptations, the Four Tops, James Brown, Sam Cooke and others.