Lady Sings the Blues **** (1972, Diana Ross, Billy Dee Williams, Richard Pryor) – Classic Movie Review 9,634

Director Sidney J Furie’s 1972 musical drama film Lady Sings the Blues is Diana Ross’s finest hour in the movies, acting her socks off as the great but tragic blues singer Billie Holiday. The film’s music is too slickly Motown and Seventies, while the story drifts far from the facts (despite being loosely based on Holiday’s own account of her story, written with William Dufty), but this is still a thrilling, powerfully told tale.

Ross sings beautifully in her own style and plays the role with heart-breaking conviction, gaining a deserved Oscar nomination (she lost out to Liza Minnelli in Cabaret). She won the Golden Globe as Most Promising Newcomer – Female. Michel Legrand was rightly a Golden Globe nominee for Best Original Score – Motion Picture.

An elegant, glossy film, slightly overproduced with handsome sets (Carl Anderson’s art direction and Reg Allen’s set decoration), lovely costume designs and gorgeous cinematography (John A Alonzo), it nonetheless deals honestly with the seamier side of the Holiday legend: her drug addiction, her insecurity, and the racism she faced throughout her career.

Lady Sings the Blues is a highly impressive achievement, touching and entertaining. It failed to win the awards it might have expected, because it was the year of Cabaret.

It was nominated for five Oscars but won none. It was nominated for three Golden Globes but only won Most Promising Newcomer – Female. It had only one nomination at the BAFTA Awards 1974: Diana Ross was a nominee for the BAFTA Film Award as Best Actress, but failed to win.

Also in the cast are James T Callahan, Sid Melton, Scatman Crothers, Ned Glass, Milton Selzer, Paul Hampton, Virginia Capers, Yvonne Fair, Isabel Sanford, Tracee Lyles, Robert L Gordy, Paulene Myers, and Norman Bartold.

The screenplay by Terence McCloy, Chris Clark and Suzanne de Passe is loosely based on Holiday’s 1956 autobiography, co-authored by William Dufty, which took its title from Holiday’s song.

It is produced by Motown Productions and distributed by Paramount Pictures.

Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan): April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959.

Billie Holiday was born Eleanora Fagan on April 7, 1915. She died at age 44 on July 17, 1959, of pulmonary edema and heart failure caused by cirrhosis of the liver.

The cast are Diana Ross as Billie Holiday, Billy Dee Williams as Louis McKay, Richard Pryor as Piano Man, James Callahan as Reg Hanley, Paul Hampton as Harry Hanley, Sid Melton as the club owner Jerry, Virginia Capers as Billie’s mother Sadie Fagan Holiday, Yvonne Fair as Yvonne, Isabel Sanford as Madame, Jester Hairston as Fefe, Lynn Hamilton as Aunt Ida, Victor Morosco as Vic, Robert Gordy as The Hawk, Harry Caesar as The Rapist, Paulene Myers as Mrs Edson, Scatman Crothers as Big Ben, and Milton Selzer as The Doctor.

It was released on October 12, 1972.

The running time is 144 minutes.

On a budget of $14 million, it took $19.7 million at the box office.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9,634

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