Part of Weekend Classics: At The Movies.
Bobby Taylor was on his way to becoming a star, when a funny thing happened…
Aspiring actor and hot dog stand employee Bobby Taylor (Robert Townsend) catches the ire of his grandmother for auditioning for a role in the regrettably titled exploitation film JIVETIME JIMMY’S REVENGE. When Tinseltown Studios casts Taylor in the title role, he loses himself IN a series of conflicted dreams satirizing African-American stereotypes in Hollywood — and has to reconcile his career goals with his desire to remain a positive role model for his little brother.
“Thirty years later, the searing critiques of HOLLYWOOD SHUFFLE still sting…. Though directors like Spike Lee, Melvin Van Peebles, and Michael Schultz were already on the scene when HOLLYWOOD SHUFFLE hit theaters, Townsend and Wayans helped to kick the door wide open for Black talent in the late 80s.” —Garin Pirina, Vanity Fair “An exuberant satire…. The opportunities for Black actors in Hollywood remain as limited as they ever were. But Mr. Townsend has taken aim at the industry's funny bone and struck a solid blow.” —Janet Maslin, New York Times (1987) “Robert Townsend and Keenen Ivory Wayans are true pioneers and godfathers of American Independent Cinema…. It is as funny a work as it is serious, and as serious as it is funny.” —Film Quarterly
