The Old Settler 23 years old

Harlem 1943. Roommates, Romance and Rumors.

The Old Settler is the story of two middle-aged sisters, Elizabeth and Quilly, who share an apartment in Harlem in 1943. The sisters quarrel amiably, but they share a wounded history that becomes revealed as the tale unfolds. An earnest but unworldly young man named Husband travels up from the South to board with the sisters while he searches for his beloved Lou Bessie, who left their small town a few years back to find a new life. Husband would like to bring Lou Bessie back home, but she's enamored with the excitement of the city, and her plans are more complicated. In time, Elizabeth and Husband begin a courtship that may or may not overcome their considerable age difference, while Quilly reacts disapprovingly.

Credits

The Old Settler Cast

Name Character
Ella Joyce She was 46, now 70 years old as Waitress
Phylicia Rashād She was 52, now 76 years old as Elizabeth Barney
Bebe Drake as Geneva
Debbie Allen She was 51, now 74 years old as Quilly McGrath
Randy J. Goodwin He was 33, now 56 years old as Bucket
Eartha Robinson as Lula Mae
Michael Ralph He was 38, now 61 years old as Speaker
Crystal R. Fox She was 37, now 60 years old as Lou Bessie / Charmaine (as Crystal Fox)
Paul Mooney He was 59, now 83 years old as Man at Counter
Bumper Robinson He was 26, now 50 years old as Husband

The Old Settler Crew

Name Department
Debbie Allen as Director. She was 51 (now 74) years old Directing
John Henry Redwood as Writer. Writing
The Old Settler (23 years)

Harlem 1943. Roommates, Romance and Rumors.

  • Release day: Wednesday, April 25, 2001
  • Runtime: 87 minutes