Is there a Billie Holiday film?

[catsmeow]

Sorry if there is already a thread for this topic, but I've always liked watching stories to do with real characters. Whether it be documentary or hollywood/european films. I'm actually looking forward to seeing La Vie En Rose- Edith Piaf film currently in Australia at the moment. My question though has anyone made a movie about Billie Holiday? I'm talking hollywood-for eg. Ray? What about even Duke Ellington? If not, why doesn't someone?
I saw the Glenn Miller story with James Stewart and June Allyson. I quite liked that one.

What do you guys think or have any ideas. What about other artists that need to have their story told on the big screen? Do you guys have any particular favourites or any stories you didn't like. For instance did you like the new Bettie Page story that came out. I've heard most didn't like Gretchen Mol as Bettie.

All ideas welcome...

 

[woodyinnyc]

I'm sure that I will be raked over the coals for this, but the only Billie Holliday movie I am aware of is a loosely based film called "Lady Sings the Blues" starring Diana Ross.

W- Ducks and covers his head!

 

[catsmeow]

I'm sure that I will be raked over the coals for this, but the only Billie Holliday movie I am aware of is a loosely based film called "Lady Sings the Blues" starring Diana Ross.

W- Ducks and covers his head!

Was that any good?? It sounds pretty low budget!

 

[woodyinnyc]

It was released in 1972. Stars Diana Ross and Billie Dee Williams. Nuff said.

 

[Mr. Lucky]

There's also a GREAT stage play - Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill. I don't know if it's playing anywhere currently, but it's a wonderful show!

 

[Rafter]

It was released in 1972. Stars Diana Ross and Billie Dee Williams. Nuff said.

What do you mean "nuff said". Ross, Williams & Richard Pryor were great!! And it was the music of this film that first introduced me to Billy Holiday and the Big Band sound.
I even have the double album soundtrack on vinyl. Best tune of the film, "Good Morning Heartache", second best "Gimme A Pig's Feet & A Pocket of Gin"!

 

[catsmeow]

There's also a GREAT stage play - Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill. I don't know if it's playing anywhere currently, but it's a wonderful show!

Stage plays are great. I'd love to see something like that here(Aust).

 

[catsmeow]

It was released in 1972. Stars Diana Ross and Billie Dee Williams. Nuff said.

I'll try and find it here in Australia. I'd still like to see it.
I think it's about time Hollywood gives more tributes to these great jazz artists. Maybe if more people mention it, someone might catch on.

 

[woodyinnyc]

What do you mean "nuff said". Ross, Williams & Richard Pryor were great!! And it was the music of this film that first introduced me to Billy Holiday and the Big Band sound.
I even have the double album soundtrack on vinyl. Best tune of the film, "Good Morning Heartache", second best "Gimme A Pig's Feet & A Pocket of Gin"!

Beleive me, I understand what you are saying, but for me personally, the movies of the late 60's and early 70's leave a lot to be desired. I thought the song was "Gimme a Pig's Foot and a Bottle of Beer".

 

[Rafter]

Beleive me, I understand what you are saying, but for me personally, the movies of the late 60's and early 70's leave a lot to be desired. I thought the song was "Gimme a Pig's Foot and a Bottle of Beer".

Your right about the title. Wrong about the film.

Maybe it was the whole "Big Band Sound" that caught my attention. Never heard anything like that before.

Then I started collecting all the Big Band Greats- Goodman, Dorsey, Shaw, and Miller. So I have that film to thank for introducing me to a whole other genre of music.

 

[woodyinnyc]

I realize I am in the minority here as far as the film is concerned, but you can count me as a huge Billie fan. I truly love her sound and never tire of listening to her.

 

[Mr. Lucky]

I thought the song was "Gimme a Pig's Foot and a Bottle of Beer".

That's the correct title, but the originator of the song was a hero of Billie's, Bessie Smith.

 

[dhermann1]

Personally, I loved Lady Sings the Blues. There are old kinescopes of Billie Holiday singing from the late 1950's. There's one from only a few months before she died, singing with her old friend Lester Young.
I remember seeing a very good documentary on her life at that time. They showed the document charging her with drug addiction and I noticed her address on W 44th St in Manhattan. I went to that address and that building is still standing. No plaque, nuthin', just an anonymous New York building. I believe it was 125 W 44th St.

 

[ShanghaiJack]

Lady had a bit role in the movie "New Orleans" w/ Louis Armstrong.

 

[Doctor Strange]

"Lady Sings the Blues" is okay for what it is - a film that pretends it takes place in the 20s-40s, but is early 70s all the way. (As I recall, the costumes, sets, props, and the production design in general are simply awful.) Diana Ross is WAY out of her league trying to sing Billie's songs, which are mostly badly arranged (at least in terms of recreating the originals well). The film was reasonably successful as human drama - it IS quite a story - but much of the detail was fabricated, and it doesn't reflect Billie's life very accurately.

The film was a hit, and no doubt it did some good by introducing lots of people to Billie's music. But it's essentially just a mediocre biopic with a dash of the time's popular blaxploitation style.

No doubt a much better psuedobiographical film about Billie will be made someday...

 

[Lady Day]

I thought "Lady Sings the Blues" well...sucked. Im not a Ross fan, and I thought she was a horrible choice for Lady Day. But she was the queen of the time when the movie was being made so wha you gonna do.

A new Billie biopic is needed tho.

LD

 

[Rafter]

I thought "Lady Sings the Blues" well...sucked. Im not a Ross fan.

Lady Day,
If you said this about the Wiz or Mahogany, I would have to agree.
Diana Ross was nominated for an Academy Award for her portrayal of Miss Holiday! That is the only Ross film I can tolerate. And I believe she did a mighty decent job with Holiday's musical repertoire.

I do think the important contribution this film had at that time was to introduce little guys like myself to the Big Band Sound.

As for the current Diana Ross, you should sample her new album of late 60's love songs. It may pleasantly surprise you Miss Day.

 

[Lady Day]

Lady Day,
Diana Ross was nominated for an Academy Award for her portrayal of Miss Holiday! As for the current Diana Ross, you should sample her new album of late 60's love songs. It may pleasantly surprise you Miss Day.

The Academy Award nomination, of corse! You have completly changed an opinion I have had on Miss Ross since childhood, because you HAVE to be good to be nominated/win an academy award!

LD

 

[The Wolf]

That almost sounded sarcastic

I agree that a new movie about Billie Holiday is due. One that tries to be true to the period and true to her life. She definately had enough in her life to make a great drama without changing it. i also want the singing to sound like Billie even if they need to dub.

Sincerely,
the Wolf

 

[Baron Kurtz]

generally i hate biopics of musicians. The only decent one i've seen is Round Midnight. And it's probably only good because it stars someone who knows something about the life of a jazz musician.

Clint Eastwood did one on Charlie Parker (called 'Bird'. God how cheesy) which was an absolute turkey. Was it Cuba Gooding Jr.? Terrible, terrible, terrible portrayal of Parker while playing.

A Holiday biopic would be interesting. But i'll bet it would sugar-coat an awful lot. It would reserve all the blame for her self-destructive behaviour for others - her men, 'the whites', overbearing band leaders, etc. - without seriously questioning why she did what she did.

Has anyone noticed that they only make biopics about black jazz musicians who were self-destructive addicts? (I'm thinking Lester Young, Bud Powell, Charlie Parker, Billie Holiday.) And for the white musicians it's the bandleaders, ignoring the self-destructive addicts. Why is that?

Apparently there's a Chet Baker movie in the works - isn't there always? - which may begin to address this issue.

bk