Lady Sings the Blues (1972)

Director:

Sidney J. Furie

Writers:

Chris Clark (screenplay)
Suzanne De Passe (screenplay)

Release Date:

12 October 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Music | Romance

Tagline:

Diana Ross IS Billie Holiday

Plot:

The story of the troubled life and career of the legendary Jazz singer, Billie Holiday.

Plot Keywords:

Billie Holiday | Singer | Drug Addiction | Jazz | Drugs

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

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

Runtime:

144 min | West Germany:125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:14A | Singapore:NC-16 | West Germany:16 | Finland:K-16 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

KEHE Studios - 133 North Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Jobete Productions

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.

Quotes:

Louis McKay: [offering Billie a $20 bill] You want my arm to fall off.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Alice: Carrie Sings the Blues (#5.8)" (1980)

Soundtrack:

Tain't Nobody's Business

An amazing (and I do mean amazing) acting debut. End of story.

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.