That's the Way of the World (1975)

Director:

Sig Shore

Writers:

Robert Lipsyte (screenplay)
Robert Lipsyte (story)

Release Date:

June 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Music

Tagline:

The top-selling Grammy-winning album of 1975 brought to you by Earth, Wind & Fire and its founder/writer/producer Maurice White is now a motion picture of all sorts.

Plot:

Record executives want a highly-regarded record producer to focus on a white pop act whom they feel has the sound America wants. To keep his creative integrity, Buckmaster carefully begins to fight the system that has made him the respected producer he has become. |

Plot Keywords:

Record Producer | Band | Record Company | Independent Film

Cast

Harvey Keitel	...	Coleman Buckmaster
Ed Nelson	...	Carlton James
Cynthia Bostick	...	Velour Page
Bert Parks	...	Franklyn Page
Jimmy Boyd	...	Gary Page
Michael Dante	...	Mike Lemongello
Maurice White	...	Early
Earth Wind & Fire	...	The Group (as Earth Wind and Fire)
Ron Gorton	...	Warren
Valerie Shepherd	...	Ellen
Herb Downer	...	Player (as Herb Towner)
Francesca De Sapio	...	Amanda (as Francesca Di Sapio)
Charles McGregor	...	Mantan (as Charles MacGregor)
Fred Versacci	...	Ferrara
Murray Moston	...	Buck's Father

Also Known As:

Shining Star (USA) (reissue title)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Sig Shore Productions

Movie Connections:

Featured in Dusk to Dawn Drive-In Trash-o-Rama Show Vol. 6 (1999) (V)

An excellent look into the "music business"

I haven't seen this film since it came out in the mid 70s, but I do recall it as being a very realistic portrayal of the music business ( right up there with Paul Simons "One Trick Pony " ..another vastly underrated film IMO )

Harvey Keitel does an excellent job as a producer caught between the music he believes in , and the commercial "tripe" the record company "suits" want him to work with.

Since I spent my entire career in the music business as a composer /arranger /producer, I can really vouch for the verisimilitude this film possesses.

If it should ever come out on DVD uncut, I'd buy it!