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Lady Sings the Blues (1972)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
12 October 1972 (USA)
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Tagline:
Diana Ross IS Billie Holiday more
Plot:
The story of the troubled life and career of the legendary Jazz singer, Billie Holiday. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Billie Holiday
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Singer
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Drug Addiction
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Jazz
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Drugs
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Awards:
Nominated for 5 Oscars.
Another 2 wins
&
3 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(6 articles)
Turner Classic Movies Has 360 Reasons To Tune In
(From iCelebz. 7 December 2009, 9:18 PM, PST)
Diamond of Hollywood
(From The Guardian - Film News. 7 December 2009, 2:46 AM, PST)
(From iCelebz. 7 December 2009, 9:18 PM, PST)
Diamond of Hollywood
(From The Guardian - Film News. 7 December 2009, 2:46 AM, PST)
User Comments:
An amazing (and I do mean amazing) acting debut. End of story.
more (35 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Diana Ross | ... | Billie Holiday | |
| Billy Dee Williams | ... | Louis McKay | |
| Richard Pryor | ... | Piano Man | |
| James T. Callahan | ... | Reg Hanley (as James Callahan) | |
| Paul Hampton | ... | Harry | |
| Sid Melton | ... | Jerry | |
| Virginia Capers | ... | Mama Holiday | |
| Yvonne Fair | ... | Yvonne | |
| Isabel Sanford | ... | The Madame | |
| Tracee Lyles | ... | The Prostitute | |
| Ned Glass | ... | The Agent | |
| Milton Selzer | ... | The Doctor | |
| Norman Bartold | ... | The Detective #1 | |
| Clay Tanner | ... | The Detective #2 | |
| Jester Hairston | ... | The Butler |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
144 min | West Germany:125 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
When the film was first suggested in the late 60s Abbey Lincoln was the initial casting for the role of Billie Holiday with Diana Sands as second choice. The project was revived a few years later with Diahann Carroll as a suggested lead but after discussions between Jay Weston and director Sidney J. Furie the role was offered to Diana Ross.
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Quotes:
Louis McKay:
[offering Billie a $20 bill] You want my arm to fall off.
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Alice: Carrie Sings the Blues (#5.8)" (1980)
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Soundtrack:
Tain't Nobody's Business
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (35 total)
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Now that I am fortysomething (which amazes even me), I can look back and remember the Supremes final appearance on the Ed Sullivan show...and I can also remember Ed announcing that "Miss Ross is leaving the Supremes to pursue an acting career". An acting career....who does she think she is? I pondered this question for the longest time, and remained disappointed in Diana Ross until the very first moments of "Lady Sings the Blues", which play like a jazz tune that seems, at first, to make no sense until you as the listener finally tune into the music which actually made sense all along. Diana Ross dosen't so much act the part of Billie Holiday -- she crafts an unforgettable performance that both embodies the spirit of Holiday while also demonstrating the simplest but most complicated acting demands....she simply poses the question, "What if this were my life?". She produces an acting performance that, coupled with the personalized Holiday vocal interpretations, pull the audience into a deeper and deeper sense of completely going on the character's complete life journey -- you completely believe Ross is Holiday because she is so sure of herself -- SHE believes it -- completely. The story follows a typical formula, but the true reason to watch this film is the acting lesson that Ross teaches. Watch this one -- and learn a little something about craft -- from a master instructor, way ahead of her time.