Debbi Morgan, born in 1956, is an American actress known for her compelling performances in cult cinema. In Mandingo (1975), she portrays a character entangled in the brutal realities of the antebellum South, bringing depth to a controversial narrative. Her role in The Monkey Hustle (1976) further showcases her versatility, as she navigates the vibrant streets of Chicago in a story filled with hustle and intrigue. Morgan's contributions to these films reflect her ability to engage with complex characters in gritty, provocative settings.
The Monkey Hustle
The film includes a loose plot centered on the ensemble cast of characters in which Foxx mentors "Baby D" (Calloway), "Player" (Carter), and "Tiny" (Harper) in the ways of small-time hustling. An example of a hustle is the boys apparently stealing some televisions from a truck for Foxx in sight of a local shop owner. The boys then steal the televisions from Foxx's truck and stash them in some trash. The shop owner offers the boys $55 cash for the televisions which they accept. However, when the shop owner returns with his dolly, he finds that the boys have run off with the cash as well as the televisions (which were actually empty boxes). The overarching plotline is to prevent the construction of an expressway through the neighborhood in which all the characters reside. Using facilities that are not adequately described in the film, Foxx and local numbers man "Glitterin' Goldie" (Moore) use potentially corrupt connections within the city government to prevent the construction.
