Wed 1 Sep 2021
Mystery Movie Review: THE MIGHTY QUINN (1989).
Posted by Steve under Mystery movies , Reviews[10] Comments
THE MIGHTY QUINN. MGM, 1989. Denzel Washington (Xavier Quinn), James Fox, Mimi Rogers, M. Emmet Walsh, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Esther Rolle, Robert Townsend (Maubee). Based on the book Finding Maubee by A. H. Z. Carr. The title of the film is derived from the song “Quinn the Eskimo” by Bob Dylan. Director: Carl Schenkel.
Xavier Quinn has his hands full in this one. Having graduated from the FBI Academy at Quanico in the US, he’s come home to become the chief of police on a small island in the Caribbean, when he’s asked to close up a case of homicide as quickly as possible. Problem: the most obvious suspect is Maubee, a friend of his from childhood. He’s also forced to deal with his estranged wife Lola and he barely has time to see his son.
Over the years Maubee has become a puckish ne’er-do-well who has a knack of just staying one step of the authorities – that is to say, Quinn, and he leads the latter a very merry chase throughout the movie. The governor of the island and the others powers that be are not amused.
There is a detective story behind this rather amusing overlay, but it takes second place behind the general atmosphere of singing, dancing and the beautifully photographed colors of the people, the local shop, the beaches and blue sky. It may seem a little forced at first, but once the story gets underway, it all blends together in very fine fashion.

September 1st, 2021 at 9:34 pm
I had this movie confused with Out Of Time, where he is a small Florida town police chief whose girlfriend scams him out of a bunch of money for a cancer treatment. Watching him work his way out of the mess is a treat. This one sounds well worth watching.
For my money, Denzel, Matt Damon and Tom Hanks can play any type of part and convince you that the part was written for them.
September 1st, 2021 at 10:04 pm
This one came very early in Washington’s career. He has a turn singing in it, not very well, but otherwise, as you say, he’s a natural.
September 2nd, 2021 at 12:25 am
Lightweight and fun!
September 2nd, 2021 at 8:47 am
Jackie has always been a big fan of this (she bought the soundtrack CD), so we’ve seen it several times over the years.
Long before the movie, I read the novel it was based on. The A.H.Z. Carr book (FINDING MAUBEE) won the Edgar for Best First Novel in 1972.
September 2nd, 2021 at 9:36 am
Yes. It’s interesting that MAUBEE was Carr’s only crime novel. He did write a dozen or so short stories, first for the slicks in the 1930s then for EQMM in the 50s on up. Unfortunately he died in 1971, and his Edgar had to be given posthumously.
September 2nd, 2021 at 6:50 pm
The book was important for me to the extent I saw the possibility of doing something more with the detective novel than what I had read previously, and I always liked his shorts.
The movie is mostly just fun. Not as startling when it finally got made as it would have been when the book came out though.
I always assumed Carr had Harry Belafonte in mind when he wrote it.
September 4th, 2021 at 9:42 pm
I guess it is due to the setting not being here in the states, but I always feel the book gets short changed a bit as a fairly early example of a serious Black lead sleuth at a time when there weren’t that many.
September 7th, 2021 at 1:00 pm
A touch of espionage with the character of M. Emmet Walsh.
November 7th, 2022 at 2:40 am
[…] 1973. Edgar Winnerin 1972 for Best First Mystery. Film: MGM, 1989, as The Mighty Quinn (reviewed here […]
May 12th, 2023 at 12:13 pm
[…] seen The Mighty Quinn before (reviewed here by my father several years ago) and thoroughly enjoyed it. It must have been on DVD. This time, […]