Yes, There Really Is ‘Dolemite’ Sex Scene Where The Roof Falls Down

Despite the absurdity that Rudy Ray Moore embraced as an entertainer, Netflix’s Dolemite Is My Name is, for the most part, straightforward and sweet. But there was one scene that truly brought the vulgar camp Moore was known for to the forefront, the scene where Dolemite’s penis destroys a house.

Allow me to provide some context: Directed by Craig Brewer and written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, Dolemite is My Name stars Eddie Murphy as Rudy Ray Moore, a beloved comedian best known for his crass on-stage persona, a rhyming pimp named Dolemite. Dolemite never quite achieved Shaft-levels of fame, but Moore earned his spot in the blaxploitation genre after his 1975 self-funded film, Dolemite, a crime film that is, by all measures, terrible and ridiculous. But people loved it, and it was a huge hit—so big that Dolemite’s rhyming delivery earned him the moniker, “The Godfather of Rap.”

Similar to what The Disaster Artist did for The Room, a decent portion of Dolemite Is My Name is spent recreating the behind-the-scenes of the Dolemite set. And that includes Moore filming a sex scene where his character banged a lady so good, it literally brought the roof down. That’s right: He and his partner are going at so enthusiastically that the entire room shakes, as if in the middle of the earthquake. The pictures on the wall move up in down, the chandelier falls, and, eventually, the roof comes crashing down onto the bed.

Before you ask, yes, that is a real sex scene from a Dolemite movie. However, it is not a scene from the 1975 Dolemite movie, as Dolemite Is My Name suggests. Instead it’s from the sequel that came out a year later, The Human Tornado. You can’t blame Brewer and the writers for reconfiguring the timeline a bit to include this gem, though. Who wouldn’t want to see the BTS of a sex scene that culminates in a “roof” being carefully lowered onto the actors via cable?

In fact, Dolemite Is My Name tones down this sex scene pretty significantly. In The Human Tornado, it’s not just a campy moment, it’s a downright surreal moment. Here are a few key details Dolemite Is My Name left out, perhaps because it would have detracted from the overall tone of the film, or perhaps because there wasn’t time: Naked men posing on giant toy blocks; naked men sliding down a slides; Dolemite and his partner’s feet failing around haphazardly; and the door to the bedroom opening and closing, as if being terrorized by a ghost. Furthermore, the original scene doesn’t end after the roof falls down. Oh, no—they keep at it or at least another 30 seconds. Apparently, Dolemite was using sex as an interrogation method, so the scene continues until she finally cracks. Yep!

So believe it or not, Dolemite Is My Name presents a very grounded version of the sex scene, and even comes up with a good backstory for it. In Brewer’s film, Moore decides to play the love scene for laughs because he’s self-conscious about exposing his body. It’s a nice emotional beat, but that may or may not be true, because there’s a much-less-funny sex scene in the first Dolemite film—pretty much just regular sexy sex with a woman. (With plenty of nudity for the woman and none for Dolemite, of course, a trait Dolemite Is My Name replicates a bit too enthusiastically.)

Again, you can’t blame Brewer and the writers for swapping a boring, straightforward sex-scene for a roof-falling-down sex scene. Watching Moore’s friends-turned-film-crew pulling on ropes to rattle the paintings and shake the bed is a riot, not to mention, I’d imagine, a difficult shot for Brewer to set up. For the grand finale, the crew lights firecrackers and the cable holding the roof catches fire—and yes, that happened in The Human Tornado, too. But if you’re curious to see an even more bonkers version of this scene, it’s streaming for free on Tubi TV. Just maybe don’t try it at home.

Where to stream Dolemite

Watch Dolemite Is My Name on Netflix