The Old Settler

The Old Settler

Harlem 1943. Roommates, Romance and Rumors.

2001 · 87 min · ★ 3.8 · Drama, Romance

The Old Settler is the story of two middle-aged sisters, Elizabeth and Quilly, who share an apartment in Harlem in 1943. The sisters quarrel amiably, but they share a wounded history that becomes revealed as the tale unfolds. An earnest but unworldly young man named Husband travels up from the South to board with the sisters while he searches for his beloved Lou Bessie, who left their small town a few years back to find a new life. Husband would like to bring Lou Bessie back home, but she's enamored with the excitement of the city, and her plans are more complicated. In time, Elizabeth and Husband begin a courtship that may or may not overcome their considerable age difference, while Quilly reacts disapprovingly.

Directed by Debbie Allen · Written by John Henry Redwood

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Cast

Phylicia Rashād Elizabeth Barney
Debbie Allen Quilly McGrath
Bumper Robinson Husband
Crystal R. Fox Lou Bessie / Charmaine (as Crystal Fox)
Bebe Drake Geneva
Randy J. Goodwin Bucket
Eartha Robinson Lula Mae
Ella Joyce Waitress
Paul Mooney Man at Counter
Michael Ralph Speaker
Steven Smith Herman

Make it a double feature

3h 7m together

The Old Settler

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