Lady Sings the Blues

Diana Ross Director: Sidney J. Furie Sidney J. Furie

Overview

Diana Ross plays the magnificent, tragic song stylist Billie Holiday, who while writhing in a strait jacket in a prison cell, awaiting sentencing on drug charges, reflects on her turbulent life. Raped in her youth by a drunk (Adolph Caesar), then compelled to work as a domestic in a Harlem whorehouse, Holliday is encouraged to try for a singing career by the bordello's pianist (Richard Pryor). She rises as high as it is possible to go in the white-dominated show business world of the 1930s, but can't handle the pressure and turns to narcotics. The film takes several liberties with the 44-year existence of "Lady Day." Among the Billie Holiday standards performed by Ross are "My Man," "I Cried for You," "Lover Man," "Them There Eyes," and the title song.

Product Details

Release Date:	02/23/2021
UPC:	0032429352644
Original Release:	1972
Rating:	R
Source:	Paramount
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby AC-3 Surround Sound]
Time:	2:24:00
Sales rank:	15,020

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Diana Ross	Billie Holiday
Billy Dee Williams	Louis McKay
Richard Pryor	Piano Man
James Callahan	Reg
Paul Hampton	Harry
Tracee Lyles	Whore
Sid Melton	Jerry
Michelle Aller	Actor
Larry Duran	Actor
Jester Hairston	Actor
Lynn Hamilton	Actor
Byron Kane	Actor
Bert Kramer	Actor
Helen Lewis	Actor
Don McGovern	Actor
Barbara Minkus	Actor
Dick Poston	Actor
Milton Selzer	The Doctor
Clay Tanner	Actor
Charles Woolf	Actor
George Wyner	Actor
Denise Denise	Actor
Paul Micale	Actor
Kay Lewis	Actor
Ernie Robinson	Actor
Virginia Capers	Mama Holiday
Yvonne Fair	Yvonne
Scatman Crothers	Big Ben
Harry Caesar	Rapist
Robert L. Gordy	Hawk
Ned Glass	Agent
Paulene Myers	Mrs. Edson
Isabel Sanford	Madame
Norman Bartold	Detective

Technical Credits

Chris Clark

Suzanne De Passe

Terence McCloy

Sidney J. Furie	Director
Ray Aghayan	Costumes/Costume Designer
Reg Allen	Set Decoration/Design
John A. Alonzo	Cinematographer
Carl Anderson	Production Designer
Gil Askey	Score Composer
Chris Clark	Screenwriter
Suzanne De Passe	Screenwriter
David Dockendorf	Sound/Sound Designer
Berry Gordy	Producer
Norma Koch	Costumes/Costume Designer
Bob Mackie	Costumes/Costume Designer
Terence McCloy	Screenwriter
Michel Legrand	Score Composer
Argyle Nelson	Editor
Don Schoenfeld	Makeup
Charles C. Washburn	Asst. Director
Jay Weston	Producer
James S. White	Producer

Editorial Reviews

You would think that the eventful and exciting life of Billie Holiday would provide more than enough dramatic material for an engrossing, involving, and emotion-packed motion picture, but apparently the creators of Lady Sings the Blues thought otherwise. Rather than concentrate on the fascinating real life of the woman who was arguably the world's most influential jazz vocalist, the screenwriters and directors have fallen back on the same old rise-and-fall showbiz story that Hollywood has churned out for years. Yes, there are differences, such as the explicit role that drugs and sex play in the story, but these are merely trappings that don't change the essential triteness of the story. As a result, what emerges is an entertaining but fairly routine soap opera, enlivened by the musical interludes and by some strong performances. As the lady herself, Diana Ross is a far cry from Billie Holiday, but since the script as written could be about any tortured singer, this doesn't really matter. She plays the big emotional scenes for all they are worth and creates a compelling character that holds the viewer's attention throughout. Despite some valiant attempts, she can't really capture Holiday's unique vocal presence -- and who could? -- but she does work the songs for all they're worth. Her supporting cast is solid, and there's definite chemistry between Ross and Billy Dee Williams. Sidney J. Furie's direction is pedestrian and Michel Legrand's background score is so over-the-top as to become annoying, but as long as Ross is going through her paces, there's plenty there to keep the viewer entertained.

All Movie Guide - Craig Butler