"To All My Friends On Shore" presents Bill Cosby in a light you've probably not seen in him before - in a dramatic production with no humor whatsoever. Since I've found many comedians to be effective at drama when given the change, I was looking forward to this. Added to the interest was that Cosby is not only credited with coming up with the basic idea for the movie, he also composed the music score. But in the end, the movie is kind of disappointing. Cosby keeps the same basic tone throughout - even when he learns his on screen son was taken to the hospital, he remains at the same tone! The first half of the movie is somewhat slow as well. Things do improve in the second half of the movie, with Cosby's character forced to change his way of thinking, and that is interesting. But the movie still suffers from technical goofs ranging from seeing the reflection of the cameraman to poorly recorded audio that makes it hard to make out what people are saying at times. Still, while this movie is somewhat disappointing, it's way, way better than "Top Secret", another dramatic turn by Cosby made six years later.

Like many others, I, also, purchased this little gem of a movie for $1 at a Dollar Tree store, not expecting much in the way of production values or story. Wrong on both counts, this is a very sensitive portrayal of a 1980's nuclear family with tight money problems, faced with a dying child. Although Cosby has a few moments of levity, this is a dark drama of a tough, unyielding father trying to bring his small family out of the projects, no matter what it takes, in saving, scrimping, and denying normal activities. Gloria Foster plays the dual-employed maid/nurse-in-training, and displays great range in dealing with her single-minded husband and thwarted child. The lovely nautical settings on the East Coast are good additions to this tale of woe. This might have been a dedicated educational effort on Mr. Cosby's part, during the years he was pursuing Masters and PHD Degrees from Temple University in Philadelphia. It's certainly worth a look and has value far beyond $1.

To all my friends at the shore conjures up all kinds of images of People sailing, which as one comedienne said is not so popular with the brothers after our ancestors first boat trip, Frank Sinatra singing at the casino which is by the shore, Dinah Shore and an odd assortment of other things, none of which would be popular in the inner city. This gritty and well done movie needed a better title. I can not think of a movie thats title did it such an injustice. The title comes from the final words that Cosby says to his son in jest...and it was not even an accurate exact quote. There are topics of Sickle Cell Anemia, Man and Boy (he already took that title) and ghetto that are never alluded to by such an inept title. At least the weak Taxi Driver title actually was named after the star's profession. This older film surprisingly has Cosby moments where he educates his family on the deadly disease and when he schools his son on yesterday, today and tomorrow people which is both poetic and theoretical. I'll leave it to the ladies to comment, but Cosby is leading man Denzel-like in a time that predates that icon. He is fit and trim with a wardrobe that fluctuates from a youthful jeans and muscle sweatshirt to a white collar and tie, hinting at the sense of style he would later show on his hit show.

I also spent $1 at Wal-Mart for this film. I thought it would be interesting to see early Cosby.Wow, was I in for a delightful surprise. Cosby already showed his genius and sensitivity. His film is a masterpiece.The movie may be viewed as a period piece of life in the projects in the early 1970's. However, as with Cosby's later work, universal themes come through so that the film skillfully portrays both its time and also transcends its period.The film has all it needs to become a classic except for publicity. This film should be re-released and given the marketing it deserves to reach a wide audience.