Cornbread, Earl and Me
(1975)

Director: Joseph Manduke

Key Cast: Moses Gunn, Rosalind Cash, Bernie Casey, Madge Sinclair, Jamaal Wilkes, Stefan Gierasch, Charles Lampkin, Vince Martorano, Logan Ramsey, Thalmus Rasulala, Antonio Fargas, Laurence Fishburne, Stack Pierce,
Tierre Turner, Bill Henderson

Rating: PG

Genre(s): Drama

Song Sample:
"Cornbread" by Donald Byrd and
The Blackbyrds

Cornbread (Keith Wilkes) is a hero in his community.  He is a talented basketball player who is about to be the first Black person from his neighborhood to go to college. 

While running home in the rain, Cornbread is tragically shot by a police officer in front of his young friend, Wilford Robinson (Laurence Fishburne) and other people in the neighborhood.  The police officer thought that Cornbread was someone else that they were chasing and shot him by accident.

Now the police are trying to cover up the incident by intimidating people in the neighborhood from testifying, including young Wilford (Laurence Fishburne) and his friend Earl (Tierre Turner).

• "Cornbread, Earl and Me" is based on the book, “Hog Butcher” by African-American author Ronald Fair.  After “Hog Butcher” was made into a movie, it was reissued as “Cornbread, Earl and Me.”

• Keith Wilkes, who plays Cornbread, was in real-life a professional basketball player.  He won four NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors.  He later changed his name to Jamaal Wilkes.

• "Cornbread, Earl and Me" was the big screen, major role debut for actor Laurence Fishburne.  He was 12 years old at the time.  Laurence Fishburne is also in these other Top 100 Black Classic Movies films:  Boyz N The Hood, What’s Love Got to Do With It?, The Color Purple, The Tuskegee Airmen, and Miss Evers’ Boys.

• Jazz legend Donald Byrd composed the soundtrack for Cornbread, Earl and Me. The soundtrack features jazz and funk music by Donald Byrd and The Blackbyrds.

Buy the "Cornbread, Earl and Me" Movie DVD
"Cornbread, Earl and Me" stars a young Laurence Fishburne.
The cast also includes African-American acting greats such as
Madge Sinclair, Rosalind Cash, Bernie Casey
and Moses Gunn.

Professional basketball star, Jamaal Wilkes (also known as
Keith Wilkes) , also stars in this movie.

 
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Cornbread, Earl and Me Movie Poster
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Cornbread, Earl and Me (Movie Soundtrack)
The Cornbread, Earl and Me movie soundtrack is no longer being made for mass distribution and has become somewhat of a collector's item.  However, you can purchase one from resellers at Amazon.com.

The "Cornbread, Earl and Me" soundtrack features jazz and funk music by Donald Byrd and The Blackbyrds.

Buy the Cornbread, Earl and Me (Movie Soundtrack)

 
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for purchase info.