Film

If You Give a Dance, You Gotta Pay the Band

1972 · 1h 13m · TV Movie · Drama · Comedy

The story of ghetto boy and girl trying to raise money for the girl to visit her father in prison.

IMDb

7.6

Life in a black ghetto isn't easy for 14-year-old Billie Jean Sims, who has a father in jail, a blind grandmother, and a brother with a drug habit. Growing up among drug pushers, prostitutes, and pimps, Billie Jean still has some things going for her: fierce pride, a loyal friend named Fish, and, at last, enough savings to visit her father 1200 miles away in prison.

Donna M. Bryan

Billie Jean Sims

James Broderick

Trick

Georgia Burke

Grannie

Laurence Fishburne

Fish

Sonny Jim Gaines

Mr. Sims

Arthur French

Customer

Moses Gunn

Mr. Miller

Albert Hall

T-Bone Sims

Dots Johnson

Jim

John Marriott

Jessie

George Miles

Shake-a-Hand

Haywood Nelson

Ronnie

Jim Pelham

Eddie

Joseph Ray

Walkin' Willie

Dick Sabol

Prison Guard

• Fred CoeDirector
• Stanley L. GrayWriter
• David SusskindProducer
• Michael LiebermanDirector of Photography
• Jake OstroffDirector of Photography
• Arline GarsonEditor

Release date

December 19, 1972

Status

Released

Original language

English

Runtime

1h 13m

Genres

TV Movie, Drama, Comedy