How a 1980 prison comedy broke box office records and made history for black actors.

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Released in 1980, Stir Crazy became a massive financial success, grossing over $100 million. Beyond its commercial performance, the film marked a significant milestone for African-American representation in Hollywood, both in the director's chair and for its star, Richard Pryor, who achieved a historic salary milestone for the industry.

Directed by Sidney Poitier and written by Bruce Jay Friedman, Stir Crazy follows two friends, Skip Donahue and Harry Monroe, who are wrongfully sentenced to 125 years in prison after being framed for a bank robbery. The film reunited stars Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor, who had previously appeared together in the 1976 film Silver Streak. Production took place over 56 days in 1980, with filming locations spanning from New York to Arizona and California.

The film's financial impact was profound. It grossed $101,300,000, making it the third-highest-grossing film of 1980, trailing only The Empire Strikes Back and 9 to 5. This achievement made it the first film directed by an African-American to surpass the $100 million mark. Furthermore, Richard Pryor became the first black actor to earn $1 million for a single film, cementing his status as a major draw. The production itself was a bargain, costing only $10 million to produce.

Critical reception was polarized. While some reviewers, such as Gene Siskel and the team at Variety, praised Pryor's comic energy and the film's high-spirited nature, others were less impressed. Critics like Roger Ebert and Vincent Canby felt the plot became bogged down or lacked humor, with David Ansen noting that the film struggled to settle on a consistent genre. Despite the mixed reviews, the film's cultural footprint was large enough to inspire a short-lived CBS television series in 1985, which was cancelled by early 1986 due to low ratings.

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