If You Give a Dance, You Gotta Pay the Band

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.

Directed by Fred Coe

Images

Cast

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

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