Lady Sings the Blues (1972)

Director:

Sidney J. Furie

Writers:

Chris Clark (screenplay)
Suzanne De Passe (screenplay)
(more)

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:

Singer | Singing | Heroin | Jazz | Drug Addiction

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 6 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
Bert Kramer	...	The Policeman
Paul Micale	...	The Maitre d'
Michelle Aller	...	The Singer
Byron Kane	...	The Announcer
Barbara Minkus	...	Radio Actress
Kay Lewis	...	Angela DeMarco
Helen Lewis	...	Debbie McGee
George Wyner	...	The M.C.
Shirley Melline	...	The Policewoman
Toby Russ	...	The Jail Guard
Larry Duran	...	Hood #1
Ernest Robinson	...	Hood #2 (as Ernie Robinson)
Don McGovern	...	Reporter #1
Dick Poston	...	Reporter #2
Charles Woolf	...	Reporter #3
Denise Denise	...	Denise
Lynn Hamilton	...	Aunt Ida
Victor Morosco	...	Vic
Robert L. Gordy	...	The Hawk
Harry Caesar	...	The Rapist
Paulene Myers	...	Mrs. Edson
Scatman Crothers	...	Big Ben
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Darlene Conley
Jayne Kennedy	...	Louis's Date (uncredited)

Directed by
Sidney J. Furie

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Chris Clark		screenplay
Suzanne De Passe		screenplay (as Suzanne de Passe)
William Dufty		book
Billie Holiday		book
Terence McCloy		screenplay

Produced by
Brad Dexter	....	producer
Berry Gordy	....	executive producer
Eddie Saeta	....	associate producer
Jay Weston	....	producer
James S. White	....	producer

Original Music by
Michel Legrand

Cinematography by
John A. Alonzo		(as John Alonzo)

Film Editing by
Argyle Nelson Jr.		(as Argyle Nelson)

Casting by
Joe Scully

Production Design by
Carl Anderson

Set Decoration by
Reg Allen

Costume Design by
Ray Aghayan
Bob Mackie

Makeup Department
Cherie	....	hair stylist
Don Schoenfeld	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
Millie Moore	....	post-production supervisor
Eddie Saeta	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles Washburn	....	assistant director
Irby Smith	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Gene Lauritzen	....	construction coordinator
Carey Harris Jr.	....	swing gang (uncredited)
Bill Hudson	....	greensman (uncredited)
Jack Iannarelli	....	props (uncredited)
John La Salandra	....	construction supervisor (uncredited)
Maurice Larson	....	painter (uncredited)
Richard M. Rubin	....	props (uncredited)
Fred R. Simpson Jr.	....	leadman (uncredited)

Sound Department
David Dockendorf	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bill Ford	....	sound mixer
Marvin E. Lewis	....	cable person (uncredited)
Don Merritt	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Henry Millar	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Ernest Robinson	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Richard Hart	....	gaffer
Kenneth Adams	....	grip (uncredited)
Sherman Fulton	....	electrician (uncredited)
Randy Glass	....	best boy (uncredited)
Elisha Harris	....	electrician (uncredited)
LeRoy Lydia	....	grip (uncredited)
Sal Orefice	....	electrician (uncredited)
Arnold L. Rich	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Tom Sawyer	....	dolly operator (uncredited)
Thomas Scott	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Orlando Suero	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Joseph M. Wilcots	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Eddie Willis	....	grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Bob Cochran	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Elizabeth Courtney	....	costumes executed by
Norma Koch	....	costumes
Frank Somper	....	furs
Pauline Campbell	....	costumer (uncredited)
Kent James	....	costumer (uncredited)
Cliff Langer	....	costumer (uncredited)
Edna Taylor	....	costumer (uncredited)
Joe Williams	....	costumer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Roberta Adye	....	associate editor
Paul LaMastra	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Gil Askey	....	music supervisor
Ralph James Hall	....	music editor
Ralph James Hall	....	re-cut version
Ben Barrett	....	music contractor (uncredited)
John Collins	....	musician: guitar (uncredited)
June Edgerton	....	music editor (uncredited)
Harry Edison	....	musician: trumpet (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Gene Clinesmith	....	transportation
George Alden	....	mechanic (uncredited)
Edward Baken	....	driver (uncredited)
James D. Brubaker	....	transportation captain (uncredited)
Edward Charles	....	driver (uncredited)
Dale Henry	....	assistant transportation (uncredited)

Other crew
Janet Hubbard	....	researcher
Louis McKay	....	technical advisor
Lawrence Schiller	....	montages
Lawrence Schiller	....	title designer
Judy St. Gerard	....	creative consultant
Michael Cooksey	....	craft service (uncredited)
Stephen J. Fisher	....	auditor (uncredited)
Terence McCloy	....	dialogue coach (uncredited)
Steven P. Saeta	....	assistant auditor (uncredited)
William Smith	....	auditor (uncredited)
Vincent Tubbs	....	unit publicist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Jobete Productions
• Motown Productions
• Paramount Pictures
• Sidney J. Furie Productions
• Weston Productions

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1972) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1980) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)

Other Companies

• Mark Baron Company, The  agency publicity

Also Known As:

Runtime:

144 min | West Germany:125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

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

Filming Locations:

Brownstone Street, Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Jobete Productions

Trivia:

Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson, and Lola Falana were early contenders for the role of Billie Holiday before Diana Ross demanded to Motown head Berry Gordy that she land the role.

Quotes:

Piano Man:What she don't pick up from the top, she can pick up from the bottom.
Billie Holiday:I hope that works both ways!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Growing Pains: Jason Sings the Blues (#7.6)" (1991)

Soundtrack:

Happy

Seriously flawed

Before watching this I knew that it wouldn't be factually correct. I knew that Diana Ross would sing in her own style without trying to imitate the real Billie Holiday. And I knew that this film was hated & protested by Billie's real life associates and family. I watched it anyway expecting to enjoy it the same way I enjoyed Amadeus even though it stepped all over the real Mozart. I mean, c'mon people, if we want history we should go to a library, not a movie theatre.

But with all that said I was still horribly put off by the lack of continuity with the spirit of Billie's life. For one thing, Diana's portrayal made Billie look like a blabbering halfwit. Even in the scenes where she's supposed to be stone cold sober she acts like a flake. If you've ever seen footage of the real Billie, you know that the real Lady was a tough, sharp, smart human being. You don't survive on the streets of New York by being an idiot the way she's shown to be in the film.

Next, the performances were shown totally out of context. For example, the song "My Man" is a chilling song about spousal abuse, but in the movie they gloss it up to be a feel-good homage to her guardian angel of a husband Louis McKay. In real life, Louis was as abusive as all of her husbands (hence the song "My Man"). This is just one example of the many incorrect interpretations this movie presents of Billie's music and her life.

OK, but like I said in my 1st paragraph, I can allow the director some poetic license if the movie is worthwhile. Unfortunately this movie didn't deliver. Instead of focusing on the true hardships and trials that plagued Ms. Holiday, we get a whole bunch of clichés about drug use, trying to make it in the business, and how you're supposed to be good to your friends. I'm not sure if this was supposed to be about Billie Holiday or if it was just an ABC afterschool special with clever packaging.

The acting was good (if you choose to accept the idea of Billie Holiday being a weak minded flake), and there were several dramatic moments that were well staged. But here's my biggest gripe: the musical score KILLED this movie! It's supposed to be a 1940s jazz biopic, so why are we getting 70s "star search" orchestrations? You know, like the cheezy swelling violins and pseudo-disco drums when Ed McMahon reads the winner of the competition. Talk about an anachronism, to say nothing of the way it cheapens some otherwise powerful moments.

Lastly, I have to say that fans of Billie's music will be pretty annoyed at Diana Ross's versions. They are two totally different singers. Billie sang in a lower register (except when hitting those high notes which she always did clean & clear WITHOUT vibrato) whereas Diana prefers theatrics in the upper register and doesn't go very low at all. This is really a movie for Diana Ross fans or for casual jazz listeners who have never heard of Billie Holiday. Like another reviewer suggested, if you're truly interested in Billie, you should buy some of her records or try to find some old films of her performances. Her music is the best biography you'll ever get.