Things you never knew About Harlem Nights (1989)

15 Weird Facts About Harlem Nights (1989) You Never Knew

From Richard Pryor secretly battling multiple sclerosis to theaters installing metal detectors after opening night violence, Eddie Murphy's directorial debut was plagued by more real-life drama than its 1930s gangster plot. Behind the glamorous period costumes and star-studded cast lurked lawsuits, feuds, and tragedies that would make even the fictional mobsters blush—including the shocking fact that this comedy sparked actual riots and changed movie theater security forever.