In 1984, Francis Ford Coppola premiered The Cotton Club, starring industry titans like Richard Gere, Laurence Fishburne, Diane Lane, and Nicolas Cage. The film follows Michael "Dixie" Dwyer (Gere), a committed musician colluding with the mob to advance his career. His journey to stardom hangs in the balance after romancing Vera Cicero, already romantically linked to the Jewish-American kingpin Dutch Schultz. Ironically, Dwyer's brother Vincent (Cage) joins Schultz's crew. What would have been a grueling trek toward fame and fortune suddenly turns tumultuous and violent.

Not too far from Dixie's home, dancer Sandman Williams (Gregory Hines) finds himself working at the iconic Cotton Club, a jazz club in Harlem that hosted plenty of legendary Black entertainers. Mainstays included Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, and The Dandridge Sisters.

During his time at the acclaimed establishment, he is met with a dilemma of his own. The club's talent is mainly Black, however the audience was largely white. Furthermore, the club was run by the Hell's Kitchen Irish Mob. Owney Madden and Frenchy DeMange serve as the runner and the right-hand man respectively, conducting business on behalf of the mob. One of those decisions led to Dixie becoming a Hollywood star. Despite his newfound fame, life is anything but a breeze for him.

The film saw critical acclaim after its release, as have many underrated Coppola films from the '80s and beyond. Despite debuting at an upsetting fifth position at the box office, the film earned Academy Awards and Golden Globes nominations. However, a lot of in-fighting occurred behind the scenes. Tragically, the many skirmishes during the production of The Cotton Club resulted in the murder of Roy Radin, a financier for the film. Nevertheless, Radin's contributions to the film would not go forgotten.

Pre-Production Panic

Richard Gere and Diane Lane in The Cotton Club, 1984 
Orion Pictures

The film was conceptualized by the notorious Robert Evans, a producer who wished to make a film that captured Black American lives in the same manner that "Gone with the Wind did for the American Civil War and the Reconstruction era." Evans was the iconic producer behind The Godfather, Rosemary's Baby, and Chinatown, though he was a bit shady.

Paramount Pictures announced Evans as a co-producer of the film on December 12, 1980. Evans sought to finance the film with help from Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khosseigi. However, that decision coupled with Evans' suffering reputation jeopardized the creation of the film. Evans was previously arrested for alleged cocaine trafficking. In hopes of removing his record, Evans reached a plea bargain, producing a mandatory anti-drug advertising campaign.

The casting of the lead role was hectic, to say the least. From Scarface's Al Pacino and Harrison Ford of Star Wars fame, to Rocky's Sylvester Stallone, it took a while until Richard Gere earned the role of Dixie Dwyer. Likewise, writing would prove to be even more difficult. Francis Ford Coppola was brought in to rewrite the film after sixty attempts. It was reported that both Evans and Coppola had an adversarial relationship during the film's planning. Slowly and surely, the control of the film slipped out of Evans' hands and into the embrace of Francis Ford Coppola. By 1984, Robert Evans had effectively been cut off from the final iteration of The Cotton Club. After several lawsuits between Evans, Coppola, and their investors, the film finished production in the same year.

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The Cotton Club finally premiered in theaters on December 14, 1984. With a budget of $58 million (or $167 million in today's dollars) and a box office revenue of $25.9 million, the film did not meet the success that many had hoped. However, the many hiccups along the way provide more than enough context behind the upsetting first week.

Enter Roy Radin

The Cast of The Cotton Club, 1984 
Orion Pictures

Amid the artistic differences, the introduction of Roy Radin, Laine Jacobs, and the Doumani brothers soon proved to complicate the filming process even more. A hectic creative environment soon embroiled in a startling, bloody confrontation.

Roy Radin was an American millionaire who was brought into the film by Evans himself. A vaudeville promoter, Radin was looking for his big break into film and found a film depicting the captivating nature of the iconic jazz club that intrigued him most. Despite his financial issues, Radin was committed to the film. Evans and Radin connected by way of Lanie Jacobs, Evans' then-girlfriend. Jacobs was also noted for her one-time stint as a drug dealer.

The two creatives decided that they would own 45% of the film with the remaining 10% being split between the remaining parties. Jacobs was reportedly offered $50,000 for her contributions to the film, leaving her slighted. Threats were made and much like his past instances with drug traffickers, Radin ignored those threats. Jacobs, who claimed to have overreacted, then initiated contact. Seemingly, hoping to reconcile, Jacobs asked Radin to meet her in Hollywood, arranging his ride for the meeting.

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The decked-out limousine arrived for Roy Radin and so, he entered. However, Radin never arrived at the designated spot. Instead, Radin was announced missing on May 13, 1983, and was later discovered a few weeks after. The four men responsible for the actual murder were found, one of whom was revealed to be contract killer William Mentzer. Through said revelation, the connection between Mentzer and Jacobs was unveiled, and the latter would be found guilty of second-degree murder and kidnapping.

The tragedy reportedly spooked Evans into seeking assistance from the Doumani brothers. Edward Doumani and Fred Doumani were two brothers who owned a hotel in Los Angeles. The two allegedly shared a connection with the Chicago mafia which resulted in extra security provided on set. To make the situation even worse, the new guards allegedly attacked associate producers believed to be a barrier between the Doumani brothers and their promised investments.

The Cotton Club Beyond the Pandemonium

Richard Gere and Diane Lane in The Cotton Club
Orion Pictures

Since the film's release, Francis Ford Coppola and Robert Evans maintained a frenemy dynamic until the latter died in 2019. Coppola reportedly wished that Evans was here to witness the rerelease of the film, entitled The Cotton Club: Encore. After news of his passing reached mainstream media, Coppola famously responded with a heartfelt message for The Wrap. He concluded his condolences with "may the kid always stay in the picture," a quote which seems to capture the millions of emotions experienced throughout the filming process.

From the talented actors on screen to the various talent behind the scenes, The Cotton Club deserves more acclaim today. The story of Robert Evans, Francis Ford Coppola, and Roy Radin have remained staples in the media. The film's various controversies and the murder of Roy Radin have been covered by podcasts such as The Cotton Club Murder and inspired episodes in series such as Law And Order. But the actual film is unfortunately underrated.

Considering a uniquely American fascination with crime and scandal, Roy Radin's story risks being drowned in sensationalism. While the incident can be a cautious reminder of Hollywood's uncertain environment, it would be best to use events like this to examine the enabling factors behind violence in Hollywood and how to best remedy the issue.