Robert Townsend

Multi-talented figure who graduated from stand-up comedy to eilm, making his screen acting debut in Paul Mazursky's "Willie and Phil" (1980) and contributing a fine dramatic performance in "A Soldier's Story" (1984).

Frustrated at the dearth of significant screen roles for blacks, Townsend scraped together some $100,000 (putting most of it on his assortment of credit cards) to produce, direct, write and star in his witty lampoon of the …