The Oscar-nominated biographical crime film took some creative license with many of the true story's details, including the death of Bumpy Johnson.

Ridley Scott's 2007 biographical crime film American Gangster took some significant creative license in recounting the life and career of gangster Frank Lucas, particularly when it comes to the death of mob boss Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson. The Oscar-nominated biopic detailing the criminal exploits of the man referred to as "Superfly" begins with a major departure from reality in depicting Bumpy Johnson's death.

While Johnson does not have significant screen time in American Gangster, it is his death that kicks off Lucas' career in the heroin trade, setting the events of the movie into motion. In the film's dramatic opening, Johnson has a heart attack in front of Frank Lucas, portrayed by Denzel Washington, in a discount appliance store, as Johnson railed against the store's very existence in Harlem. In reality, Bumpy Johnson's death played out in a very different setting and in a very different manner.

Bumpy Johnson Died Of Heart Failure

Johnson actually died of congestive heart failure in July 1968 at age 62, in the middle of his meal at Wells Restaurant in Harlem. After being served his coffee and food - famously his favorite meal, chicken legs and hominy grits - he clutched his chest and simply fell over. At the time, the real Johnson was under indictment for his drug-related crimes, but he never made it to court due to his sudden death. These details would be inconsequential in American Gangster, as its main focus is on Frank Lucas.

The departure from the true story is likely partially due to the nature of heart failure vs. a heart attack. While a heart attack is caused by a block in the arteries, and therefore much more sudden, heart failure is a progressive condition. A heart attack is more commonly depicted in movies and television, and easier to comprehend for the audience as opposed to congestive heart failure. The setting of Johnson's death in American Gangster vs. his actual death likely played a role as well.

Bumpy Johnson Didn't Really Die In Front Of Frank Lucas

Given that American Gangster depicts the rise and fall of Frank Lucas, Bumpy Johnson's death in the opening minutes serves as a passing-of-the-torch moment for Lucas' character. By collapsing in front of Lucas while essentially teaching him about the Harlem area that they both ruled over, the movie symbolizes how Lucas took on Johnson's role as the top drug trafficker in Harlem. In reality, the nature of Frank Lucas' relationship with Bumpy Johnson was largely changed for the sake of the movie.

In American Gangster, Lucas states that he had been Bumpy's driver for 15 years. The real Bumpy Johnson was in prison until 1963, and died in 1968, making that timeline impossible. In fact, Johnson's widow Mayme Hatcher Johnson stated that Lucas was not present at her husband's death and was nothing more than someone who might have held Bumpy Johnson's coat for him, not the right-hand man that Lucas held himself up to be (per The Philadelphia Inquirer). While American Gangster is considered a classic American crime film, the entire movie's basis in reality should be taken with a grain of salt.