Bet You Didn’t Know: Secrets Behind The Making Of “The Five Heartbeats”

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That Slap

Hawthorne James, the man who played record exec, “Big Red,” had a strong background in Shakespearean theater. In Shakespeare’s play, Richard III, Richard comes in and, as he says, “woos Lady Ann over the casket.” He was the one who suggested that Big Red come to Jimmy’s funeral and try to get with Eleanor, played by Diahann Carroll.

That scene was made awesome, mostly because of the slap Diahann Carroll delivered. In recounting that scene, Hawthorne said that Diahann Carroll slapped him 30 times while they were trying to get that take. Hawthorne said the whole time he was hoping that Carroll wouldn’t hit him in the ear. On the very last take, that’s exactly what she did. Hawthorne said his ear rang for three days afterward.

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