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

Tagline:

Diana Ross IS Billie Holiday

Plot:

The story of the troubled life and career of the legendary Jazz singer, Billie Holiday.

Plot Keywords:

Strait Jacket | Childhood Trauma | Showbiz | Compassion | 1930s

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 2 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

Art Department
Gene Lauritzen	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
David Dockendorf	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bill Ford	....	sound mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Richard Hart	....	gaffer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Elizabeth Courtney	....	costumes executed by
Norma Koch	....	costumes
Frank Somper	....	furs

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

Music Department
Gil Askey	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Janet Hubbard	....	researcher
Louis McKay	....	technical advisor
Lawrence Schiller	....	montages
Lawrence Schiller	....	title designer
Judy St. Gerard	....	creative consultant

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)

Runtime:

144 min | West Germany:125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

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

Filming Locations:

KEHE Studios - 133 North Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Jobete Productions

Trivia:

Dorothy Dandridge was to star in the role of Billie Holiday in an earlier proposed film version of the singer's autobiography, but died before the film was made.

Quotes:

The Rapist: I see what I want.
[motioning to Billie]
The Rapist: And this is it.
First Madame: Well, you can't always get what you see.
[Pulling him to the door]
First Madame: And since you don't want what you CAN get, you know where you can go. And this is it!

Movie Connections:

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

Soundtrack:

Tain't Nobody's Business

Ross Fantastic but "Lady" coulda, shoulda...

There is no question that no matter how extreme in the past or future Miss. Ross has been or will be (tantrums, bad albums, phoniness, bad publicity, touch me, don't touch me), she will always have this performance to look back on as a moment where everything worked perfectly.

The film is imperfect. Flawed. It could have been more realistic, more harrowing, and less hollywood-fied. Had it been, and had Motown not been so intent on proving itself as a major film force, she would have won the Oscar without question. The rumor had always been that in terms of voting it was "this close" as they say.

Even though she did not win, we are still left with a performance of depth, passion and layers that could only be described as magnificent in an experienced actress. In a neophyte, as Miss. Ross was at the time, it is stunning.

As a singer, She never before or since has sounded as good. The voice, while not really like Billie Holiday, just glows. Her musicality, intonation and idiomatic phrasing indicated a whole type of music she could have sung had she chosen too.

Watch it for her. It will make you think more kindly towards her the next time she, well, acts like Miss. Ross!