Divine Madness **** (1980, Bette Midler, Jocelyn Brown, Ula Hedwig, Diva Gray) – Classic Movie Review 9683

Director Michael Ritchie’s 1980 music documentary Divine Madness is a terrific record of the divine Miss Midler’s one-woman show, filmed over four days at the Pasedena Civic Auditorium, California.

Bette Midler is a total knockout whether telling bawdy jokes, singing ‘Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy’, ‘Big Noise From Winnetka’, ‘Sugar Me Timbers’ (Tom Waites) or her big sentimental torch-song numbers (‘The Rose’, ‘I Shall Be Released’, ‘Stay with Me Baby’), imitatating Sophie Tucker, or being the mermaid Delores DeLago (The Toast of Chicago).

Divine Madness also features Midler’s backup trio, The Harlettes – Jocelyn Brown, Ula Hedwig, and Diva Gray.

‘Since this is the time capsule of my show,’ she says. ‘I may as well do everything I know.’ And to those who don’t like it? ‘Screw ‘em if they can’t take a joke!’

[Crude humour alert] The mermaid Delores DeLago: ‘Don’t you think I get pretty nuts with them bitches [The Harlettes] saying behind my back, “The question before us is where’s her clitoris?” Well, not much to tell… born on the island of Tawanga in the South Pacific, ended up in Chicago via the Panama Canal and the St Lawrence Seaway.’

Top director Ritchie and top cameraman William A Fraker ensure that it is a real feature film, not just a filmed concert.

It is as it says on the tin: ‘Good clean dirty fun.’ Lots of hysterical madness. Just divine!

Midler was Golden Globe nominated as Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9683

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