Webwhen writing townsend's first studio film the five heartbeats, townsend and wayans kept comedy an important aspect of the film, but also explored complex. Webrobert townsend’s “the five heartbeats” takes the notion of a musical biopic one step further than usual. Webthe five heartbeats (1991) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Websynopsis by hal erickson. Loosely based on the life and times of several r&b artists (the dells, the temptations, frankie lymon, sam cooke and others) the. Webhoward rollins, an actor who was nominated for an academy award in 1981 for his work in the film ''ragtime'' and was written out of the hit television series ''in. Webthe five heartbeats is a timeless gem that masterfully weaves together drama, music, and the pursuit of fame. Here’s a closer look at how the five heartbeats. Webthe story of the rise and fall of an african american vocal group. In the early 1960s, a quintet of hopeful young african american men form an amateur vocal group called the.