Raymond Tyler reflects on Robert Townsend’s beloved film and the late Michael Wright ahead of a special 35mm screening.

PHILADELPHIA — The date was Friday, March 29, 1991. I proudly walked into the Towne movie theater at Shore Mall to buy a ticket for a matinee screening of The Five Heartbeats.

Robert Townsend’s Hollywood Shuffle had already affected me deeply as a creative artist. There was no way I was going to miss his next narrative feature.

I enjoyed The Five Heartbeats so much that I paid to see it in the theater at least three times. Honestly, I lost count. It may have been five, but it was definitely at least three.

Every time, I made sure my ticket read “The Five Heartbeats.”

That mattered to me. I wanted my ticket purchase to count toward the film I had come to support. Supporting Black artists and creators meant more than showing up. It meant making sure my dollars counted.

Thirty-five years later, The Five Heartbeats remains a classic. Its story follows a fictional singing group through the triumphs and hardships of the music business, exploring the friendships, conflicts and bonds that turn fellow performers into family.

The music is a major part of its lasting appeal. The soulful soundtrack features the Dells, one of the groups that inspired the film, alongside songs created for the production.

The cast also includes the iconic Diahann Carroll and dance legend Harold Nicholas of the Nicholas Brothers.

For many fans, Michael Wright’s portrayal of Eddie King Jr. remains one of the film’s most unforgettable performances. Wright died Aug. 19, 2026, at age 70, giving this return to the big screen added meaning.

On Wednesday, Oct. 7, the Philadelphia Film Society will screen The Five Heartbeats on 35mm at 7 p.m. on the Philadelphia Film Center’s Mainstage.

The screening is presented with Be Reel Black Cinema Club and United We Heal Film Festival.

Founded in 2017, Be Reel Black Cinema Club is an advocacy group based in Brooklyn and Philadelphia that supports Black filmmakers and helps audiences discover independent, rare and previously inaccessible Black films through monthly gatherings.

For those of us who remember buying a ticket in 1991, the screening offers a chance to revisit a film that has stayed with us for decades. For newcomers, it is an opportunity to experience its music, performances and storytelling on the big screen.

Visit the Philadelphia Film Society’s screening page for tickets and details.

Editor’s note: On Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, Raymond Tyler spoke with entertainment writer and educator Nathan Davis and musical performer Jay Farmer on his radio show, The Light After Dark, about The Five Heartbeats, films of the 1990s and Michael Wright. Watch the conversation below.

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