Name: Adjust Your Color: The Truth of Petey Greene
Director: Loren Mendell
Genre: Documentary
Released: 2008-01-01
Duration: 60 min
Rating: 8.4
Cast: Don Cheadle, Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene, Jr., Robert Hooks, Chuck Brown, Marion Barry

The man who told D.C. to stop rioting after MLK's death — raw, unfiltered, and forgotten.

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Overview

Documentary

Actor Don Cheadle narrates the story of America's first shock-jock, Washington D.C. radio personality Ralph "Petey" Greene.

Content warning

Standout Aspects

Acting

Cheadle's narration carries reverence and urgency.

Editing

Archival footage woven into living, breathing history.

Writing

Greene's own words — profane, poetic, prophetic.

Best for:Solo·Streaming

Heads up:Language

Director

Loren Mendell

ReleasedJan 1, 2008

Runtime1h

StatusReleased

Vibe

Pacesteady

Intensitymedium

Tonemixed

Feelheavy

Virgil Films

Pelagius Film

Top Cast

Don Cheadle

Narrator (voice)

Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene, Jr.

self - television and radio talk-show host (archival footage)

Robert Hooks

self - actor and producer

Chuck Brown

self - musician and former cell mate of Petey Greene

Howard Stern

self

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Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Cultural

Greene's 1968 on-air plea is credited with helping calm D.C. after King's assassination — the mayor later gave him a key to the city.

Trivia

Don Cheadle spent years trying to produce a narrative biopic before narrating this doc; Talk to Me (2007) with Cheadle as Greene was the eventual result.