Dead Presidents

Dead Presidents
Theatrical release poster
Directed byThe Hughes Brothers
Screenplay byMichael Henry Brown
Story byAlbert Hughes
Allen Hughes
Michael Henry Brown
Produced byAlbert Hughes
Allen Hughes
Starring
CinematographyLisa Rinzler
Edited byDan Lebental
Music byDanny Elfman
Production
companies
Hollywood Pictures
Caravan Pictures
Underworld Entertainment
Distributed byBuena Vista Pictures Distribution
Release date
  • October 4, 1995 (1995-10-04)
Running time
119 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$10 million
Box office$24.1 million (domestic)[1]

Dead Presidents is a 1995 American crime film co-written, produced and directed by the Hughes Brothers. The film chronicles the life of Anthony Curtis (Larenz Tate), focusing on his teenage years as a high school graduate and his experiences during the Vietnam War as a Recon Marine. As he returns to his hometown in The Bronx, Curtis finds himself struggling to support himself and his family, eventually turning to a life of crime.

Dead Presidents is based partly on the real-life experiences of Haywood T. Kirkland (aka Ari S. Merretazon), whose true story was detailed in the book Bloods: An Oral History of the Vietnam War by Black Veterans by Wallace Terry. Certain characters from the film are based on real acquaintances of Kirkland, who served time in prison after committing robbery in facepaint.[2] The film also is loosely based on several incidents involving the Black Liberation Army, notably the Brink's armored truck robbery.

  1. ^ "Photo Galleries". USA Today.[dead link]
  2. ^ Masters, Kim (October 15, 1995). "'Dead Presidents' Precedent: The Heist Is Only Half of the Story, Says the Man Who Pulled It Off". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 22, 2022. Retrieved July 25, 2022.