Bet You Didn’t Know: Secrets Behind the Making of “Jungle Fever”

May 21st, 2012 - By Veronica Wells

Source: murderpedia.org

In Memory of Yusuf Hawkins

At the beginning of the movie, there’s a picture of a young, black teenager. That boy was Yusuf Hawkins. Hawkins was a 16 year old teenager when he was killed in the predominately Italian American neighborhood of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn in 1989. Hawkins and his friends went to Bensonhurst to inquire about a car that was for sale. ?While there, they were attacked by a mob of Italian men who incorrectly suspected that Hawkins was dating a white girl in the neighborhood. Yusuf Hawkins was the third black man killed by mobs in the ’80s. Spike Lee later said that Hawkins wasn’t killed because he was black, he was killed because they assumed he was dating a white woman. The real life incident set the tone for this fictional movie.

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  • Nefijones1

    Good article!

  • Cami

    I remember seeing the film in the theater when it first came out.  That opening bedroom window scene between Flipper and Drew was so moving (no pun intended), you could literally hear a pin drop in the theater.  One of my fav scenes is the one where Gator tells Flipper that in leaving Drew for Angie, he’d gone from being with a “Penthouse pet to an outhouse pet”.  Pure hilarity! 

  • SoChi

    I loved when Sam Jackson said “You wanna know where’s the TV??! I SMOKED THE MA-FUKKN TV!”

  • Chanda

    To me that Queen Latifah scene was so unessessary. You know the “I can’t beleive you brought her stringy-haired azz..” Really? It just brings out the stereotype of black women who get mad when they see a black man with a white woman. She didn’t even know them at that. I know this still happens in real life but that scene we could’ve done without. MN you should cover secrets behind the movies Coming to America, Zebrahead, and Lean On Me.

  • Msvonnieg

    Please do the Secrets behind the making of Love Jones! And try to get a lot of facts!!! :-D

  • Missypooh1997

    i remember going to Yusef Hawkins funeral when i was a kid. i loved the mural in the movie

  • Cabbage Patch Kid

    Is anyone else wondering why the black hand in the pic has black fingernails? What’s that about? I’ve never seen a hand look like that ever.  I have nothing substantive to say, that distracted me. . .

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/ANB7LGKYW42SCJPXIIM2CJWIYM Madelyn

    Retracting my statement! I got the wrong person, MLS2698 I don’t know if you are a Guy or A Chick; I was referring to someone else, I Apologize!

  • Mina

    My favorite scene is when Flipper’s father (played by the fabulous Ossie Davis) the Good Reverend Doctor Purify gave his speech about white women on pedestals and how the master would go down to the slave house to get him some “black poontang”. And all at the dinner table, while his wife (played by the equally fabulous Ruby Dee) acted like he was just being silly and making small talk. Wow. 

    And when Lucinda Purify holds her son after the Good Reverend Doctor shot him dead. Who else could do that scene; I cry every time.

    • LaLaLaMeansILoveYou

      Yes!! That part makes me cry INSTANTLY every time…. when she’s just holding her grown, dead son and rocking him saying, “Mama’s here baby, mama’s here…”…total waterworks. 

      Regarding the scene where all the black women are talking, that was my initial reaction to the scene also (and I was just a preteen when it came out), that it was completely improvised. The convo was just TOO real and flowed more naturally than anything I had ever seen in a scripted movie. It sounded just like my mom and her girlfriends sitting around talking to each other. 

      Just an all around great movie

  • Dasweetest1

    I loved this movie.  My favorite scene was when Gator (Samuel L. Jackson) came to Flipper’s (Wesley Snipes) house to get some money and saw that his brother Flipper was dating a white italian woman, he refered to as an ofay with no monay  *LMBAO”, also the scene when Gator was on the playground doing his little jig to get some money out of his brother…..just a memorable scene.

    • Redvelvet321

      You know the youngins don’t know what “ofay” means! They always use this term in the movies where black music groups break the color lines! I believe Sam improvised that line. You can’t write stuff like that!

    • sepia830

      OMG those are my two favorite scenes too.  My 3rd favorite is when Flipper takes Angie to dinner at his parents house. 

      Just bring up ‘Jungle Fever’ in a group of black folks and watch them start performing.  LOL

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_PETDV6KY7DULD5LBT6D72NAIOA Soldier

      Gator: “SHE….LOOKS….GOOD!!! She’s Jewish right?”
      Flipper: “No.  She’s Italian.”
      Gator: “Oh Sh|t!…..LHFAO!….You’ve ALWAYS had to do thangs the H-A-R-D W-A-Y!….Listen-here….I’m alittle light.”
      Flipper: “No Gator…..I’m not giving you a dime.”
      Gator: “Well, can I ask the B|tch….”
      Flipper: “Don’t call her a B|tch!”

      CLASSIC!

      • Mls2698

        Best acting Halle Berry ever did! Playing a crack head. And I mean that in a good way; no hating.

  • IllyPhilly

    I saw this as a child and was so disturbed, I have yet to see it again as an adult. However, from this recap, it seems interesting.

  • Mls2698

    I don’t want to know.

    • Madeline Quinones

      Do I detect a little bitterness? LOL! Any consolation I think about you all the time & would LOVE to know all abt u!!!! ;P

      • Mls2698

        Snipes’ character was a punk brother, but I forgive him (his character). *rolling my eyes,  cussing under my breath*

        • LOVEBNBLK

          As a blk man I have to co-sign ur statement. His reasoning was weak, you got a queen at home and you out there trying to get ur rocks off a obvious downgrade (no offense). I thought Spike’s character was more of a man than Flipper.

          • Mls2698

            I have it on dvd, but don’t take it out often. Good to hear from a black man with some sense.

            • LOVEBNBLK

              Thanks but I can’t take credit for knowing the obvious. My queen holds my heart, to hurt her is to hurt myself. What kills me is that he was MARRIED, come on dude, (not that its excuseable when you are single) this is his wife and mother of his children AND they were putting it down in the bedroom -SMH. If you want out man-up, keep it real and tell the person your with you aren’t happy and keep it moving. As far as I’m concerned ALL cheaters are 9u$$ies.

              • Mls2698

                Say it louder.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/FTHIDMNTLTJAIILXEWRQ3UADBY StephanieR

    I love Spike Lee…his films really do make you think.