Which Way Is Up? | |
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Theatrical release poster
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Directed by | Michael Schultz |
Produced by | Steve Krantz |
Written by |
Lina Wertmüller (1972 screenplay) Carl Gottlieb Cecil Brown |
Starring |
Richard Pryor Lonette McKee Margaret Avery |
Music by | Mark Davis Paul Riser |
Cinematography | John A. Alonzo |
Edited by | Danford B. Greene |
Production
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Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date
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Running time
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94 minutes |
Language | English |
Budget | $3.2 million (estimated) |
Which Way is Up? is a 1977 American comedy film starring Richard Pryor and directed by Michael Schultz. It is a remake of the 1972 Italian comedy film The Seduction of Mimi starring Giancarlo Giannini and directed by Lina Wertmüller. Richard Pryor plays three roles: an orange picker who has two women at the same time, the orange picker's father, and a Reverend who gets the orange picker's wife pregnant.
When he falls into a union action by mistake, Leroy Jones is laid off from his job picking oranges. The only option given to find work to provide for his wife Annie Mae, their kids, and his father Rufus, is to leave them behind and go to Los Angeles, where more jobs are available. While he is away, Leroy becomes smitten with Vanetta, a beautiful labor activist. When he returns home, he has to juggle his wife, his new romance with Vanetta and his new job. Meanwhile, the Rev. Lennox Thomas takes advantage of Leroy's absence to cavort with Annie Mae, leading Leroy to take revenge with the reverend's wife.
It is set and filmed in Los Angeles and Venice Beach, California in 56 days from January 6 to March 3, 1977.