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Cooley High

Play trailer Poster for Cooley High PG 1975 1h 47m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
83% Tomatometer 54 Reviews 88% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Richard "Cochise" Morris (Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs), a local basketball hero, and Leroy "Preach" Jackson (Glynn Turman), who dreams of a career in writing, are likable Chicago high school students in Chicago in the 1960s. They're into hanging out with friends, pretty girls and the Motown sounds so popular during the era. Each wants to make it big in his own way, but not everybody they meet is looking out for them, as they learn when a seemingly harmless outing goes awry.
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Cooley High

Cooley High

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Critics Consensus

Cooley High crackles with vibrant energy and authenticity, elevated by an impressively natural cast and Michael Schultz's effortless direction.

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Critics Reviews

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Bryan Johnson Globe and Mail Oct 8
Preach and Cochise have their adventures, a lot of them patently comic or tragic -- but seldom, to me, either very funny or very moving. Go to Full Review Margo Jefferson Newsweek 08/15/2025
It is a smart, very affecting movie. Go to Full Review James Walcott Village Voice 08/15/2025
The surprise of Cooley High is that it is a schlock concept which transcends its limitation by becoming a celebration of black brotherhood. Go to Full Review Christopher Lloyd The Film Yap 4d
4/5
A classic "good hang" movie about some Chicago high school goofs that actually had something to say and influenced a generation of Black cinema and TV. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Stephen C @bob25009 Mar 29 Funny in 01 hour, 47 minutes, and 14 seconds. Rated R. See more Scott M @RT75128960 Sep 14 Tries it's best to be a sentimental coming of age film in inner city Chicago. But it doesn't quite make it. Needed better directing. But it did have a solid core of acting by Glynn Turman and Lawrence Hilton Jacobs. See more Gael C @RT31765110 01/29/2025 ME GUSTO MUCHO COOLEY HIGH 1975 ME GUSTARÍA VERLA OTRA VEZ EN PRIME VIDEO See more Horror fan 4 @Horrorfan4life 12/24/2024 What a great coming of age movie. The soundtrack alone is amazing but the performances were really good to. Heartbreaking movie to say the least. Tim Treakle See more CodyZamboni Z @CodyZamboni 07/06/2024 Pleasant , you are there, realistic depiction of 1964 teenage life in Chicago, An American Graffiti type story, a slice of life, with appealing performances, a good soundtrack, a sobering ending, See more Mike F @RT08031912 09/16/2023 This film is a true classic that I was fortunate enough to discover as a teenager in the early 90's and have enjoyed watching many times. Compelling dramatic story about black teens growing up in a tough Chicago neighborhood with some drizzles of comedy sprinkled in just right. See more Read all reviews
Cooley High

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Cast & Crew

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Michael Schultz

Director

Glynn Turman

Preacher

Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs

Richard "Cochise" Morris

Garrett Morris

Mr. Mason

Cynthia Davis

Brenda

Corin Rogers

Pooter

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Cooley High

Cooley High (1975) Cooley High (1975) Cooley High (1975) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Richard "Cochise" Morris (Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs), a local basketball hero, and Leroy "Preach" Jackson (Glynn Turman), who dreams of a career in writing, are likable Chicago high school students in Chicago in the 1960s. They're into hanging out with friends, pretty girls and the Motown sounds so popular during the era. Each wants to make it big in his own way, but not everybody they meet is looking out for them, as they learn when a seemingly harmless outing goes awry.
Director
Michael Schultz
Producer
Steve Krantz
Screenwriter
Eric Monte
Distributor
American International Pictures
Production Co
American International Pictures (AIP)
Rating
PG
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 1, 1975, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 11, 2017
Runtime
1h 47m
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