The Old Settler

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93%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 317

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Movie Info

The Harlem Renaissance of the 1940s serves as the backdrop for this small-screen adaptation of John Henry Redwood's play as directed by Debbie Allen. The aptly-named Husband (Bumper Robinson) has come to New York City from down South to find his old flame Lou Bessie (Crystal R. Fox), who has thrown off the shackles of her old life in favor of the pace and excitement of the city. Needing a place to stay, Husband boards with Elizabeth (Phylicia Rashad) and Quilly (Allen), two sisters from the South with family trauma in their past. As he realizes that Lou Bessie no longer has any use for her old life, Husband starts up a May-December romance with Elizabeth, much to the consternation of Quilly. The Old Settler was brought to director Allen's attention by her sister Rashad, who optioned the play and signed on as executive producer. It premiered as part of PBS' Hollywood Presents series in 2001.

Rating:

NR
Genre:

Drama, Television
Directed By:

Debbie Allen
Written By:

Shauneille Perry
In Theaters:

Apr 25, 2001 wide
On Disc/Streaming:

Jun 7, 2005
Runtime:

87 minutes

Cast

Phylicia Rashad
as Elizabeth Barney

Debbie Allen
as Quilly McGrath

Bumper Robinson
as Husband Witherspoon

Crystal Fox
as Lou Bessie/Charmaine

Randy J. Robinson
as Bucket

Eartha Robinson
as Lula Mae

Critic Reviews for The Old Settler

All Critics (1) | Top Critics (1) | Fresh (1)

Old Settler is a decent work, but certainly not an exciting one; it's pretty stodgy and soapish, a quality that's heightened by the limited production values.

Oct 18, 2018 | Full Review…

Steven Oxman
Variety
Top Critic

View All Critic Reviews (1)

Audience Reviews for The Old Settler

Aug 07, 2007

It was really good, pretty much exactly like the play. They didn't really take any liberties with the play to make it more "interesting" and I like that.

Megan S Super Reviewer