Washington plays Xavier Quinn, the chief of police in a Jamaica-esque town (although filmed there, the locale is never specified). When a well-known white businessman is found gruesomely murdered, Cross finds himself in the middle of strong political forces pitting the haves against the have-nots, with strong undercurrents of the black and white tensions that are deeply embedded in the town's history. The prime suspect is quickly determined to be the town's favorite local career criminal, Maubee, who also happens to be Quinn's childhood friend. The race is on to solve the mystery, amidst exotic scenery and driving reggae music.
Based on the novel Finding Maubee, by A. H. Z. Carr, the film's screenplay was written by Hampton Fancher, who also authored Blade Runner (1982). The film sports an impressive supporting cast, with Robert Townsend as Maubee leading the way. Townsend has established himself as a pioneering force in African-American film with risky and daring projects such as Hollywood Shuffle (1987) and The Five Heartbeats (1991). James Fox, who seems to specialize in snooty and despicable British aristocrats, plays Elgin, the main source of conflict for Quinn; Fox is best known for his performances in Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965) and A Passage to India (1984).
Other standouts in the cast include M. Emmet Walsh as a mysterious new visitor to the island; with roles in films ranging from Serpico (1973) to The Jerk in (1979), Walsh has established himself as one of the most prolific and popular character actors in American films. Movie critic Roger Ebert immortalized him with his "Stanton-Walsh rule", stating that any film with Walsh or Harry Dean Stanton couldn't be all that bad! Mimi Rogers, probably better known for her marriage to Tom Cruise than for her film roles, plays the seductive wife of Elgin. Heated scenes between Washington and Rogers created lots of sexual tension in the original cut but, unfortunately, a kissing scene between the two was deleted out of the film after testing audiences objected to the interracial coupling. Two television veterans round out the cast; Esther Rolle as the island's witch figure, and Sheryl Lee Ralph as Quinn's aspiring singer-wife. Rolle is best known for her work on Good Times (1976), and Ralph appeared for many years in Moesha (1996).
The Mighty Quinn received mixed reviews, but most had favorable feedback for Washington; The New York Times declared he "gives the smooth, funny, laid-back performance that could help make him the first black matinee idol since Sidney Poitier." Indeed, a highlight of the film is watching Washington tickle the ivories while singing "Cakewalk into Town." Music plays a major role in the film--a reggae-induced version of Bob Dylan's The Mighty Quinn pops up a couple of times, due in no small part to the influence of members of the late Bob Marley's family. His widow Rita, as well as daughters Cedella and Sharon all have bit parts, and Rita is listed in the credits as the Reggae Music Consultant.
Producer: Dale Pollock, Ed Elbert
Director: Carl Schenkel
Screenplay: Hampton Fancher, based on a novel by A. H. Z. Carr
Art Direction: Gregory Keen
=0DCinematography: Jacques Steyn
Editing: John Jympson
Music: Anne Dudley
Cast: Denzel Washington (Xavier Quinn), Robert Townsend (Maubee), James Fox (Elgin), Mimi Rogers (Hadley Elgin), M. Emmet Walsh (Miller).
C-94m. Letterboxed.
by Eleanor Quin
