EDITOR’S NOTE: As the journey through Cannon continues, this week we’re exploring the films of 21st Century Film Corporation, which would be the company that Menahem Golan would take over after Cannon. Formed by Tom Ward and Art Schweitzer in 1971 (or 1976, there are some disputed expert opinions), 21st Century had a great logo and released some wild stuff.

Born and raised in Fort Smith, Arkansas and making his living in Akron, Ohio and Milwaukee, Wisconsin as a preacher and dancer named Prince DuMarr before joining the Army and performing as the Harlem Hillbilly, Rudolph Frank Moore recorded R&B albums before becoming a party album pioneer and later found himself working at Dolphin’s of Hollywood record store.

That’s where owner John Dolphin created the center of R&B in the 40s and 50s, presenting live DJs and shows while customers shopped. The store hot its name because Hollywood wouldn’t allow blacks to own or operate any business in Hollywood, so this was Dolphin’s way of bringing the city to South Central Los Angeles, saying “If blacks can’t go to Hollywood, I’ll bring Hollywood to blacks.”

While working there, Moore met a unhoused person named Rico who would do toasts, or tell tall tales, for money to buy food. People loved his stories about Dolemite and eventually, Moore — who had already been doing stand-up and recorded his party albums, paid Rico in weed and wine to allow him to record and use his stories.

By the 70s, Moore was recording albums like Eat Out More Often, This Pussy Belongs To Me and The Dirty Dozens in his apartment and selling them out of his car and under the counter at record stores. These albums became famous with no airplane and just word of mouth in the black community.

At the age of 47, Moore took the money he made from those party records and decided to make his own movie, despite never having made a film before.

Willie Green (D’Urville Martin, who also directed this movie), Detectives Mitchell (John Kerry) and Mayor Daley (Hy Pyke) have all worked together to send Dolemite (Moore) to prison for twenty years. Fellow pimp Queen Bee (Lady Reed) works for what seems like years to free Dolemite with the hopes he can stop all the drugs coming into the city. The odds are against him, but how many pimps have an army of martial arts sex workers at their command? Or a militant preacher named Reverend Gibbs (West Gale) supplying him with weapons and an F.B.I. agent (Jerry Jones) supporting him under cloak and dagger

This movie is beyond amazing, as Moore is just a force. Cinematographer Nicholas Josef von Sternberg had to be covered with a sound blanket during shooting because he couldn’t stop laughing. I can’t even imagine being on set. It took seventeen 18 hours days to make this movie, but it’s worth it. Sure, it’s rough, but it feels real.

“Way down in the jungle deep, the lion stepped on the signified monkey’s feet. The monkey said, “Motherfucker, can’t you see? You’re standing on my goddamn feet?” The monkey lived in a jungle in an old oak tree, bullshittin’ a lion every day of the week.”

Anyone that refers to this movie as cheap, boring, amateur, crude or stupid needs to get fucked up. I judge people based on how they feel about Dolemite.

You can watch this on Tubi.