The 8 Best Movies About Bumpy Johnson Ever Filmed

Bumpy Johnson is one of the most well-known gangsters of all time, who ruled in Harlem, New York, from the 1930s to the 1960s. Although he was a criminal, Bumpy was an ambiguous figure, as many actually saw him as a role model. Throughout the years, there have been numerous movies and TV shows that depicted Bumpy or at least based some characters loosely on him.

With the Epix/MGM+ hit show, Godfather of Harlem, Forest Whitaker gave us a masterful performance as Bumpy, which made us think – what were the best portrayals of Bumpy Johnson throughout history? We’re bringing you a list of the eight best movies about Bumpy Johnson of all time, ranked based on their IMDb score.

8. Shaft’s Big Score! (1972)

IMDb score: 6.0/10

What it’s about: Shaft is back for a sequel, and he’s back out on the streets, trying to find the murderer of an old friend. That friend ran a money laundering operation throughout a legitimate business, and a quarter of a million dollars was unaccounted for. Every thug in the city wanted dominion over the city and over those $250K, and Shaft is here to find the money and the killers.

Why is it about Bumpy Johnson: While the initial plot doesn’t revolve around Bumpy Johnson, there’s a character in the film called Bumpy Jonas, who was based on Bumpy Johnson. Bumpy Jonas was portrayed by Moses Gunn, just like he did in the first Shaft movie.

7. Hoodlum (1997)

IMDb score: 6.3/10

What it’s about: In the 1930s, Harlem is torn between two gangs fighting for dominion over the illegal gambling business. You have Bumpy Johnson and his gang on one side, and on the other, there’s Dutch Schultz and his gang. The infamous Lucky Luciano proposes negotiations, but they never come to fruition, and an all-out war breaks out with dozens of casualties.

Bumpy gets jailed, but after he gets paroled, his former associate gets imprisoned for racketeering and makes Johnson promise he won’t use violence anymore. But maybe, his hand will be forced…

Why is it about Bumpy Johnson: Hoodlum is a movie based on the true story of Bumpy Johnson, and the lead role of the movie is, indeed, Bumpy. Laurence Fishburne portrayed him. That being said, the film has no historical accuracy, and it was only loosely based on the lives of the aforementioned gangsters.

6. Come Back Charleston Blue (1972)

IMDb score: 6.4/10

What it’s about: Harlem is shaken by gang wars and influences, and two cops, Gravedigger, and Coffin Ed, are here to end it. It appeared that a gangster from the prohibition era, Charleston Blue, was dead and gone for 40 years, but now his signature Blue straight-edge razor murders started happening again. 

Is he back, or is there something else going on? Coffin Ed and Gravedigger are here to find out.

Why is it about Bumpy Johnson: While no characters are named Bumpy Johnson in the film, the titular character, Charleston Blue, is loosely based on Bumpy Johnson. He was gone for a while and was viewed as a role model, trying to rid Harlem of criminals by slitting their throats. Pretty hardcore, right? 

Charleston Blue was portrayed by… well, if I told you, it’d spoil the movie.

5. The Cotton Club (1984)

IMDb score: 6.5/10

What it’s about: This is the story of The Cotton Club, a famous Harlem nightclub that peaked in the 1920s and 1930s. We follow the owner, musicians, and dancers from the club, but also the guests, like Dutch Schultz, Frenchy Demange, Bumpy Rhodes, and others.

Why is it about Bumpy Johnson: Bumpy is a side character in the movie, appearing as one of the guests of The Cotton Club. His role is not big, but it is important. The character in question is Bumpy Rhodes, who was loosely based on Bumpy Johnson. Interestingly, Laurence Fishburne played Bumpy yet again in this film.

4. Shaft (1971)

IMDb score: 6.6/10

What it’s about: John Shaft is a private investigator who a Harlem crime lord hired to find his kidnapped daughter and retrieve her unharmed. Shaft’s journey finds him going up against Bumpy first, but then he helps him find his daughter, who the White Mafia kidnaped to blackmail Bumpy.

Why is it about Bumpy: We’ve already mentioned the Shaft sequel on this list, but Bumpy plays a bigger role in this movie. Moses Gunn portrays Bumpy Jonas, a character based on Ellsworth Bumpy Johnson. He’s the gang leader whose daughter was kidnapped, and he hires Shaft to go find her. 

The story is completely fictional, but during Bumpy’s war against Dutch Schultz in real life, there have been over 40 murders and several kidnappings, so this movie was actually playing into that history to create the story.

3. Life (1999)

IMDb score: 6.8/10

What it’s about: Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence are two complete strangers who were framed for murder in 1932 by a crooked sheriff. They form a strong friendship over the 65-year conviction, and the movie follows them in prison as they hilariously bicker and tries to find ways to escape.

Why is it about Bumpy Johnson: The Harlem crime lord is actually only a side character in this movie, but he plays a great role. The character in question is Spanky Johnson, who was loosely inspired by Bumpy and was portrayed by the famous musician Rick James.

2. Escape from Alcatraz (1979)

IMDb score: 7.6/10

What it’s about: Alcatraz – the most infamous, secure prison of its time, located on an island off the shores of San Francisco. Nobody has ever escaped from it – nobody yet. Three men go for their attempt at freedom and succeed – maybe…

Why is it about Bumpy Johnson: Escape from Alcatraz is an awesome movie, but Bumpy is not one of the main characters in the movie. However, the character named English is portrayed by Paul Benjamin, and he was based on Bumpy.

In real life, there’s a theory that Bumpy Johnson helped the three guys who allegedly escaped Alcatraz get to the shore by arranging a boat to pick them up and drop them off at Pier 13 in the Hunters Point District of San Francisco.

1. American Gangster (2007)

IMDb score: 7.8/10

What it’s about: Frank Lucas is a Harlem drug lord, and an NYC cop is assigned to bring him down. Lucas was a real-life gangster, and his life inspired this movie in Harlem. Frank sold heroin coming directly from the source, making it better than what the competition had while selling it at a lower price. Clearly, it didn’t sit well with the said competition…

Why is it about Bumpy Johnson: The movie isn’t actually about Bumpy Johnson but rather his protege, Frank Lucas. Bumpy was his mentor, and Lucas took over after his mentor died. Bumpy Johnson does appear in the movie and is portrayed by Clarence Williams III. 

The movie is the most closely based on a true story of all the movies on this list, and in my opinion, it is absolutely the best as well. How wouldn’t it be with such an awesome cast, including Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Josh Brolin, Ruby Dee, Carla Gugino, Cuba Gooding Jr., and others?