Dolemite is a 1975 American blaxploitation crime comedy film and is also the name of its principal character, played by Rudy Ray Moore, who co-wrote the film and its soundtrack. Moore, who started his career as a stand-up comedian in the late 1960s, heard a rhymed toast about an urban hero named Dolemite from a regular at the record store where he worked, and decided to adopt the persona as an alter ego in his act. Plot Dolemite is a pimp, comedian, and nightclub owner who is serving twenty years in prison after being set up by a rival, Willie Green (D'Urville Martin), and framed by detectives Mitchell and White, at the direction of the mayor (Hy Pyke). Released by the governor (thanks to lobbying by fellow pimp "Queen Bee" (Lady Reed), Dolemite is freed in order to discover the source of the out of control drug problem in the "Fourth Ward" of the city, and take revenge on the corruption that put him in prison. He rekindles his reputation on the streets, while trying to get back his "Total Experience" club from the hands of Willie Green. He enlists the help of Queen Bee, and his stable of karate trained prostitutes to settle the score, while an undercover FBI agent (Jerry Jones) lurks in the shadows, viewing the proceedings. Cast Rudy Ray Moore as Dolemite Lady Reed as "Queen Bee" D'Urville Martin as Willie Green West Gale as Reverend Gibbs John Kerry as Detective Mitchell Jerry Jones as Blakely Hy Pyke as Mayor Daley Vainus Rackstraw as "Creeper" Production Moore first developed the character of Dolemite in his stand-up comedy routines, and the character later appeared on Moore's 1970 debut album, Eat Out More Often, which reached the top 25 on the Billboard 200. He released several more comedy albums using this persona. In 1975, Moore decided to create a film about Dolemite, paying for most of the production out of his own pocket, and using many of his friends and fellow comedians as cast and crew. The film was directed by D'Urville Martin, who appears as the villain Willie Green. Release Critical reception On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 57% based on 14 reviews, with an average score of 5/10. On Metacritic, the film received a score of 67 based on 6 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Home media Dolemite was released