The Stand-in (1985)

The brilliant Danny Glover stars as Apples Finnerty, a low budget film producer whose life is crumbling. Finnerty can't get work, he's been evicted, and his wife is unfaithful. As he drives in to the hills, he gets a flat. A "helpful" stranger turns out to be an armed robber. Apples kills his assailant in self-defense and switches identities with him, escaping his own disastrous past. Unfortunately, his new identity is in hot water with the mob. Despite a bright new love interest, apples looks like a two-time loser until a crime boss creates a surprise ending!