The Cotton Club (DVD)

Francis Ford Coppola's reconstruction of life in the famous 1920s Harlem jazz club stars Richard Gere stars as Dixie Dwyer, a trumpet player who saves a gangster's life and becomes unwittingly involved in the world of organised crime. Caught between the mobsters and the musicians, Dixie rubs shoulders with the likes of dancer Sandman Williams (Gregory Hines), club owner Owney Madden (Bob Hoskins), and tough guy Frenchy Demange (Fred Gwynne), all the while having a dangerous affair with gangster's moll Vera Cicero (Diane Lane). The film merges the musical with the gangster film and captures the period with detailed sets, lavish costumes, and a rich musical score.