When Jennifer Hudson won the Golden Globe for her performance as Effie in the film version ( Dreamgirls (2006)), she dedicated the award to Ballard, describing her as "a lady who never got a fair chance". [31] The presentation of Knowles over Hudson as the sole Best Actress candidate had interesting parallels with the film itself. By 1975, The Dreams give a farewell performance at the Detroit Theater, inviting Effie for the final song. Answer. | Release Dates Filming & Production [82] Dreamgirls also received a record eleven Black Reel Award nominations, and won six of the awards, among them Best Film. Similarities to Aretha Franklin, however, are also hardly coincidental. [74] Some journalists registered shock,[75] while others cited a "backlash". In Motown, founder Berry Gordy aimed to make music with widespread pop charts appeal. The Broadway show had been had been partly financed by music mogul turned film producer David Geffen, who retained rights to produce the movie. SUPREME BEINGS: WHAT 'DREAMGIRLS' GETS RIGHT, Detroit trio known as the Supremes have become a million-dollar enterprise in the space of a year through a combination of glamour trappings and a new rock n roll sound. Deena Jones. "[22] Another Dreamgirls veteran present in the film is Hinton Battle, who was a summer replacement for James "Thunder" Early onstage and here portrays Curtis' aide-de-camp Wayne. But there are things -- much more important than specific details of time or place -- that the film gets very right, such as record label boss Taylor's cold indifference to the act he now realizes is washed up or Early's heroin overdose death. [56], Rolling Stone's Peter Travers gave the film three and a half stars (out of four) and the number-two position on his "best of 2006" list, stating that "despite transitional bumps, Condon does Dreamgirls proud". From the stage, they told the audience what was happening outside. But the success of girl groups had to do with more than harmony and lyrics. The single-disc version of the soundtrack peaked at number-one on the Billboard 200 during a slow sales week in early January 2007. White,[24] but contract negotiations failed; Usher was unable to dedicate half a year to the project. Official Sites The fantastic wigs look right, too. Joyner, Tom, Wilkes, Sybil, and Brown, J. Anthony (Dec. 12, 2006). Deena Jones is based on the Supremes' lead singer Diana Ross and two former Supremes members Scherrie Payne and Jean Terrell. [23], Loretta Devine, who played Lorrell in the original Broadway production, has a cameo as a jazz singer who performs the song "I Miss You Old Friend. In 1960, he founded Motown Records, which went on to become the most successful black-owned company in the country. Who was the main character in Dreamgirls based on? They were able to transition into becoming adults with greater ease.". [68] Three months later, twenty minutes of the film specifically, the musical sequences "Fake Your Way to the Top", "Family", "When I First Saw You", and "Dreamgirls" were screened at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, with most of the cast and crew in attendance. Gaye was not only Motown's chief solo male vocal star, he was married to Gordy's sister. 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They sang to mixed audiences about courtship, boys, parties, parents and parents not letting them go to parties to court boys. [42][52] This version, based on edits done for preview screenings before the film's release, runs ten minutes longer than the theatrical version and features longer musical numbers (including songs and verses cut during previews) and additional scenes. The movie is a big, splashy Hollywood/Broadway treatment of the R&B world, a breathtaking panorama of song, dance, personalities and drama tossed into the centrifuge of '60s black pop music. [35] Meanwhile, the music production crew began work with the actors and studio musicians recording the songs for the film. [16] The completed film had a production budget of $75 million, making Dreamgirls the most expensive film with an all-black starring cast in cinema history. [73] The film's failure to gain a Best Picture or Best Director nod was widely viewed by the entertainment press as a "snub" by the Academy. InWomen of Motown, The Marvelettes' Schaffner says, "I loved going on the road. Similarities to Aretha Franklin, however, are also hardly coincidental. Dreamgirls - Musical. We were into, or going into the Vietnam War. The Effie White character from the Broadway play (and film) "Dreamgirls" is loosely based on Ballard. Cast & Crew; Dreamgirls - Full Cast & Crew. And I'd even thinkand this is where it gets interesting raciallyoh, I want to look like Mary Wilson, she's beautiful. A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials. director of photography (as Tobias Schliessler) Film Editing by Virginia Katz Casting By [76] On the other hand, director Bill Condon stated that "I think academy members just liked the other movies better"[77] and that he believed that "we were never going to win even if we were nominated. Company Credits She died broke, at age 32, in 1976. Yet before girl groups, it was easier for a song to cross over than for artists themselves to do, says Warwick. These grown-up themes contrast with The Shangri-Las singing healsongs about teenage drama. Destructive 'Super Pigs' From Canada Threaten the Northern U.S. Did an Ancient Magnetic Field Reversal Cause Chaos for Life on Earth 42,000 Years Ago? That same year, Motown got its first pop hit with The Marvelettes' "Please Mr. Another Dreams LP seen in the film, Meet the Dreams, is represented by an album cover derived from the designs for the Supremes LPs Meet The Supremes, More Hits by The Supremes and The Supremes A' Go-Go. [53], On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 79% based on 206 reviews, with an average rating of 7.30/10. [49] Both DVD versions featured alternative and extended versions of the musical numbers from the film as extras, including the "Effie, Sing My Song" scene deleted during previews. [7] "Listen", with additional music by Scott Cutler and Beyonc, and lyrics by Anne Preven, is presented as a defining moment for Deena's character late in the film. In 1962 Detroit, Michigan, young car salesman Curtis Taylor Jr. meets a Black girl group known as "The Dreamettes", consisting of lead singer Effie White and backup singers Deena Jones and Lorrell Robinson, at an R&B amateur talent show at the Detroit Theatre. That same year, four teenage girls were killed in the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. In casting Hudson, Condon recalled that he initially was not confident he'd made the right decision, but instinctively cast Hudson after she'd auditioned several times because he "just didn't believe any of the others. For. After Warner's Frankie Lymon biopic Why Do Fools Fall in Love failed at the box office, the studio shut down development on Dreamgirls. The limited edition program guide accompanying the Dreamgirls road show release was made available for retail purchase in February. Like the rest of the cast, Eddie does all his own singing in the film, but even he admits that the pop albums he put out in the '80s weren't a good example of what he could do. Little Richard's song 'Tutti Frutti' [could] access that white suburban middle-class audience, but Little Richard himself [couldn't] do that. Wilson's own film double, character Lorrell Robinson played by Anika Noni Rose, is nothing like her, she says. Character Lorrell Robinson Show Dreamgirls Gender Female Age Range Young Adult, Adult Role Size Lead Dancing Mover Voice Soprano High Note G5 Low Note D#4/Eb4 Vocal Technique Belting, Pop Time & Place Various cities throughout the U.S., 1960s-1970s Tags Cast members of Munopco Music Theatre's "Dreamgirls," left to right: Taylor Hood, Krystle Tate, Arianna Rodriguez and Rebekah Gray. Staged with a mostly African-American cast and originally starring Jennifer Holliday, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Loretta Devine, Ben Harney, Cleavant Derricks, Vondie Curtis-Hall, and Obba Babatund, the musical opened on December 20, 1981, at the Imperial Theatre on Broadway. The character was portrayed in the original 1981 Broadway production of Dreamgirls by Ben Harney and in its 2006 film adaptation by Jamie Foxx, who also played Electro in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Bats in Baby Driver. Hudson was required to be rude and come in late both on set and off, and she and Condon went over Effie's lines and scenes throughout the week. In addition to the original compositions by composer Henry Krieger and lyricist/librettist Tom Eyen, four new songs, composed by Krieger with various lyricists, were added for the film. Laurie, Timothy. Both the Blu-ray and HD DVD versions were issued in two-disc formats. Among the more direct references are the uses of adapted Supremes album cover designs for albums recorded in the film by the Dreams. All of this was part of his effortembraced by the girlsto convey a middle-class respectability. Community actress Yvette Nicole Brown was also in the running for the role but was eventually cast as the legal secretary to Foxxs character. Unbeknownst to them Effie is pregnant with Curtis's child, but she doesn't say anything. The Supreme Beings: What 'DREAMGIRLS' gets right on the big screen Deena Jones, the role played by Beyonc Knowles in "Dreamgirls," was based on the late Diana Ross, while the film's primary character, Effie White, was based on the late Etta James, according to the film's composer Henry Krieger. [17], When Geffen co-founded DreamWorks in 1994 and dissolved Geffen Pictures, the rights to Dreamgirls remained with Warner Bros. Warner planned to go ahead with the film with director Joel Schumacher and screenwriter Tina Andrews[7] in the late 1990s, following the success of Touchstone Pictures's Tina Turner biopic What's Love Got to Do with It. Similarities to Aretha Franklin, however, are also hardly coincidental. The movie, based on the 1981 Broadway play, tells the story of a small black record label and its star singers whose success crosses over to the pop charts. Though Effie defiantly and desperately appeals to Curtis, he, C.C., and The Dreams abandon her, forging ahead to stardom. Because of events like this, says Warwick, the figure of the non-white teenage girl was being politicized in America. [104], The payola scheme used in the film's script, to which Robinson took offense, is identical to the payola scheme allegedly used by Gordy and the other Motown executives, according to sworn court depositions from Motown executive Michael Lushka, offered during the litigation between the label and its chief creative team, HollandDozierHolland. dreamgirls.movie. The plan falls apart, however, as Deena, increasingly angry over how Curtis controls her career, discovers his schemes and contacts Effie, who arrives in Los Angeles with C.C., Marty, and a lawyer. As much as Deena Jones, Beyonc Knowles' character in "Dreamgirls," was modeled on Diana Ross, the film's main character, Effie White, was based on Etta James, according to composer Henry Krieger. As a result, more than fifty high schools, colleges, community theaters, and other non-commercial theater entities staged productions of Dreamgirls in 2006, and DreamWorks spent up to $250,000 subsidizing the licensing. [41], Four new songs were added for the film: "Love You I Do", "Patience", "Perfect World," and "Listen. As such, Hudson became one of the few actresses ever to win an Oscar for a film debut performance. | In any case, neither Franklin nor James ever belonged to the Supremes. Jennifer Kate Hudson was born on September 12, 1981 in Chicago, Illinois to Darnell Donerson (ne Hudson) & Samuel Simpson. URL: Nader, Juli (Nov. 21, 2006). [103] On February 23, a week before the Oscars ceremony, DreamWorks and Paramount issued an apology to Gordy and the other Motown alumni. Early's evolution is also marvelously reflected in his changing tonsorial and sartorial styles. Curtis Taylor, Jr. represents Motown Founder Berry Gordy. The DVD version was issued in two editions: a one-disc standard version and a two-disc "Showstopper Edition". Although loosely based on The Supremes, the movie is a work of fiction. They announced that they were having a talent show. Social Identities: Journal for the Study of Race, Nation and Culture, vol. The film, and the original Broadway musical, are based heavily on The Supremes (later known as "Diana Ross & The Supremes"). [57][58] David Rooney of Variety reported that the film featured "tremendously exciting musical sequences" and that "after The Phantom of the Opera, Rent and The Producers botched the transfer from stage to screen, Dreamgirls gets it right. [101], However, Smokey Robinson was less than pleased about the film's allusions to Motown history. (Black Public Relations Wire) ", Christian, Margena A (Dec. 7, 2006). Terms of Use Many of the other original Dreamgirls Broadway cast members, among them Obba Babatund, Vondie Curtis-Hall, and Cleavant Derricks, were interviewed for a Jet magazine article in which they discussed their varying opinions of both the Dreamgirls film's script and production. By comparison, Motown's Hitsville U.S.A. studio remained open and active during Detroit's 12th Street Riot in July 1967. He writes and produces a comeback single for her, "One Night Only". Inspired by Effie's victory and realizing Curtis' true character, Deena leaves him. American Idol's Jennifer Hudson as the Supremes' Florence Ballard? This seemingly passive attitude and general lack of depth in song subject matter makes it easy to dismiss girl groups music as trivial and, in contemporary terms, less than radical. [61] Ed Gonzales of Slant magazine found the entire picture too glossy, and declared that "the film doesn't care to articulate the emotions that haunt its characters". [20] Condon did not start work on the Dreamgirls script until after making the Alfred Kinsey biographical film Kinsey (2004). [95][96] The photo shoot montage which accompanies "When I First Saw You", as well as the subplot of Deena being forced to star in Curtis' Cleopatra film against her will, reflect both scenes from and the production of Mahogany, a 1975 Motown film starring Diana Ross and directed by Motown CEO Berry Gordy. Based on the rise of the 1960s Motown girl-group trio The Supremes and Motown impresario Berry Gordy Jr., the 1982 Tony-winning hit musical Dreamgirls seemed to be a shoo-in for a movie version. Aside from the overall plot of the film and elements already present in the stage musical, many direct references to The Supremes, Motown, or R&B/soul history in general are included in the film. Initially, Deena is a shy . Gottfried, Marvin (2007). ", In Motown, Berry Gordy had a specific formula for making a hit song. [7] The film marks the acting debut of Hudson, a former American Idol contestant. The kind of dance styles employed by R&B acts hardly lend themselves to the choreography commonly found in Broadway productions. How true is Dreamgirls? Curtis Taylor, Jr., a car salesman, breaks into the music business with big dreams. He signs a trio of young women, the Dreamettes, gets them a job backing an R&B performer, James "Thunder" Early, establishes his own record label and starts wheeling and dealing. This bright, beautiful and booming-voiced talent is a perfect example of how NOT winning the title of American Idol . [7] Willie Reale wrote the lyrics for "Patience," a song performed in the film by Jimmy, Lorrell, C.C., and a gospel choir, as the characters attempt to record a message song for Jimmy. ", In the entertainment world, The Supremesarguably the most successful girl group of all timebegan playing venues that had been hard for black musicians to book. For instance, "Please Mr. Postman" is in some ways a classic girl group song, with a girl waiting for a letter from a boy. The film won the awards for Best Picture Comedy or Musical, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress. [19][34] The scene was felt by everyone involved to be pivotal to the film, as "And I Am Telling You" was Jennifer Holliday's show-stopping number in the original Broadway musical. [19][22], Dreamgirls musical supervisors Randy Spendlove and Matt Sullivan hired R&B production team The Underdogs Harvey Mason, Jr. and Damon Thomas to restructure and rearrange the Henry Krieger/Tom Eyen Dreamgirls score so that it better reflected its proper time period, yet also reflected then-modern R&B/pop sensibilities. 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