Lady Sings the Blues (1972)

Best movie of this year hands down!

Too much of everything

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Lady Sings The BluesThe thing that makes jazz musicians different from other musicians is they do their drugs before they perform.In fact, the singer in this drama did drugs constantly.Abused by men most her life, Billie Holiday (Diana Ross) abandons the brothel where she works for a nightclub where she accompanies the piano player (Richard Pryor).Her unique voice quickly attracts a suitor (Billy Dee Williams) as well as A&R types who sign her to a radio tour.Being on the road, however, only exposes Billie to the racial inequality crippling the country and the intravenous drug that will eventually enslave her.With Diana Ross' captivating performance as Billie both on and off the stage, this 1972 adaptation of Holiday's own biography is a heartbreaking account of her arduous life and untimely demise.And while drug use in Jazz may still be rampant no one cares enough to check.Yellow Lightvidiotreviews.blogspot.ca

Sidney J. Furie directed this biographical film about Billie Holiday, starring Diana Ross (who also sings). Billy Dee Williams costars as her love interest and Richard Pryor has a supporting role as a friendly piano player. They're both good. Oh, and the grandpa from Charles in Charge is good, too. Corny at times but nowhere near as ridiculous as the other '70s Ross/Williams collaboration, Mahogany. The junkie scenes are the worst, due to Ross' limited abilities as an actress. Her singing is nice, though. It's based off of Holiday's autobiography which wasn't entirely truthful, so a lot of this is pure fiction. Despite its faults, it's an entertaining movie. If you're familiar with Diana Ross' other movies, you know she isn't the greatest actress. This is easily her best performance, flawed as it is.

Nice movie. Billy Dee a heartthrob; no doubt about it. Richard Pryor a joy to see. Diana did a fine acting job. Even playing the teenage part in the beginning, she essayed it quite well. She brought forth the young-girl-skipping on the sidewalk, all the time the audience knowing that the would-be-rapist was looking for her. This was quite chilling, and only we knew or figured what was about to happen. The Mary Jane shoes, followed by the camera, would lead us to the dastardly deed that would soon take place.I do think Diana did a great job moving through the different age ranges. She also went from innocent looking young girl to well dressed cabaret singer. She went from shy beginning singer to confident entertainer. I think Diana's overall presentation was superlative.Scatman was a hoot. I had seen him in old codger parts, but as "Big Ben" he was quite a character. I realized that this was to shatter his stereotype of the nice old man. As "Big Ben", he was outrageously funny. Billie finally decided she had had enough of these 'tricks'.Scatman playing the john reminds me of Shirley Jones playing the prostitute in Elmer Gantry. Shattering the nice-character stereotypes is always good for the acting resume.I thought that Billie with her mother was good. Her mother really loved her, plus the fancy red hat, too. The mother was kind, and very sweet. She wanted Billie to have success as an entertainer.Best of all, Billie's beginning breakdown in the prison was quite believable and scary. This proves she is an actress who can act in a lot of different emotions. The straitjacket scene was heartbreaking.10/10.

I can remember watching this movie multiple times with my father. As a young black girl I got it!!! I've read opinions that criticize the fact that the movie didn't focus on the music or the other artist of the time. The point is. . .get ready. It was an autobiographical account of Billie's life.I can remember seeing the movie and actually being moved to go to the library to check out a book to find out who this lady really was. I think Diana did a damn good job putting her artistic touch to portraying Billie's life, her struggles, vices, love and yes, her music. The fact is, is that the movie wasn't about Billie's making of jazz as it was about the struggles of a young black woman with a passion for singing moved by segregation and Jim crow and having to constantly adjust and reinvent herself to cope in a society that loved and hated her all at the same time.Heavy. I'm not partial to Diana Ross one way or another. But the lady's got skills. And if the emotion she put into playing this role wasn't enough to tug at your heartstrings, then you ain't human.Some say the film lacked non continuity. Such is life. I get it. We were made to reflect on where she had been in order to know how she got to be who she was. This movie while of course jazz inspired and musical, was a deeper reflection into the cracks and fissures that shaped a life. Billie Holiday.I thank my father for his love of good movies and for sharing movies like, "Lady Sings the Blues" with me.I'm out! Peace.