Sparkle (1976 Film)
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''Sparkle'' is a 1976 American
musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...
drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
film directed by Sam O'Steen and released by
Warner Bros. Pictures Warner Bros. Pictures is an American film studio and distribution arm of the Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group division of Warner Bros., both of which are owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex ...
. With a plot inspired by the history of
the Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959 as the Primettes. A premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful Amer ...
, ''Sparkle'' is a period film set in
Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...
, New York, during the late 1950s and early 1960s. It presents the story of a musical girl group that ends up breaking apart due to individual issues each member faces. This film not only "recreates the magic of a special period in American history, but it explores the effect of Harlem's musical and social culture on the rest of the world," as well as the linkages to
black power Black power is a list of political slogans, political slogan and a name which is given to various associated ideologies which aim to achieve self-determination for black people. It is primarily, but not exclusively, used in the United States b ...
. The film stars
Irene Cara Irene Cara Escalera (March 18, 1959 – November 25, 2022) was an American singer and actress who rose to prominence for her role as Coco Hernandez in the 1980 musical film '' Fame'', and for recording the film's title song " Fame", which reach ...
, Philip Michael Thomas,
Lonette McKee Lonette Rita McKee (born July 22, 1954) is an American actress and singer. She made her big screen debut starring as Sister Williams in the original 1976 musical-drama film '' Sparkle''. McKee later appeared in films '' Which Way Is Up?'' (1977) ...
,
Dwan Smith Dwan Smith (born January 22, 1944) is an American television and film actress, singer and model. Smith is perhaps best known for her role as Delores Williams in the 1976 musical drama film '' Sparkle''. Biography Early life and education Born on ...
,
Mary Alice Mary Alice Smith (December 3, 1936 – July 27, 2022), known professionally as Mary Alice, was an American television, film, and stage actress. Alice was known for her roles as Leticia "Lettie" Bostic on the sitcom ''A Different World'' (1987β€ ...
,
Dorian Harewood Dorian Harewood (born August 6, 1950) is an American actor, best known for playing Jesse Owens in '' The Jesse Owens Story'' (1984), Det. Paul Strobber on '' Strike Force'' (1981–1982), and Rev. Morgan Hamilton in '' 7th Heaven'' (1996–2003 ...
, and Tony King.
Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Dubbed the " Gentle Genius", he is considered one of the most influential musicians of soul and socially conscious Afric ...
served as the composer and producer of ''Sparkle''s songs and score. Although the film received generally negative reviews at the time of release, it was a minor box office success, making $4 million against a $1 million budget. It has since developed a cult following. The film was remade in 2012 starring
Jordin Sparks Jordin Sparks (born December 22, 1989) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame in 2007 after winning the American Idol (season 6), sixth season of ''American Idol'' at age 17, becoming the youngest winner in the series' history. He ...
, Carmen Ejogo, Tika Sumpter, and
Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the Voice", she is List of awards and no ...
in her final film role.


Plot synopsis

The movie is a
rags to riches Rags to riches (also rags-to-riches) refers to any situation in which a person rises from poverty to wealth, and in some cases from absolute obscurity to heights of fame, fortune and celebrityβ€”sometimes instantly. This is a common archetype i ...
story. It begins in
Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...
, New York, in 1958, and follows the girl group, Sister and the Sisters, which is made up of three sisters: Sister, Sparkle, and Delores Williams. Stix Warren, Sparkle's love interest and the group's manager, is able to help bring the group from "amateur nights to brief stardom before tragedy (dope, melancholia, the wrong man)" ensues and the group splits. Stix gives up on his music career and leaves the city, thus breaking Sparkle's heart. Sister is in an abusive relationship with Satin Struthers and is on drugs, while Delores leaves the city in pursuit of racial equality. In the end, after reconnecting after Sister's funeral, it seems that only Sparkle and Stix climbed the ladder to success (in the entertainment business), however, we don't know what happened to Delores and her career success.


Cast

* Philip M. Thomas as "Stix" Warren, manager of the girl group, Sparkle's love interest, and an initial member of the group. *
Irene Cara Irene Cara Escalera (March 18, 1959 – November 25, 2022) was an American singer and actress who rose to prominence for her role as Coco Hernandez in the 1980 musical film '' Fame'', and for recording the film's title song " Fame", which reach ...
as "Sparkle" Williams, the youngest sister, who becomes the star of the trio and ultimately a solo artist. *
Lonette McKee Lonette Rita McKee (born July 22, 1954) is an American actress and singer. She made her big screen debut starring as Sister Williams in the original 1976 musical-drama film '' Sparkle''. McKee later appeared in films '' Which Way Is Up?'' (1977) ...
as Sister Williams, the initial lead singer of the group, who leaves to be with Satin Struthers during her drug addiction. *
Dwan Smith Dwan Smith (born January 22, 1944) is an American television and film actress, singer and model. Smith is perhaps best known for her role as Delores Williams in the 1976 musical drama film '' Sparkle''. Biography Early life and education Born on ...
as Delores Williams, the middle sister, who gives up everything in order to find equality and freedom. *
Mary Alice Mary Alice Smith (December 3, 1936 – July 27, 2022), known professionally as Mary Alice, was an American television, film, and stage actress. Alice was known for her roles as Leticia "Lettie" Bostic on the sitcom ''A Different World'' (1987β€ ...
as Effie Williams, mother of the sisters, who encourages Sparkle to pursue her dreams and works as a maid. *
Dorian Harewood Dorian Harewood (born August 6, 1950) is an American actor, best known for playing Jesse Owens in '' The Jesse Owens Story'' (1984), Det. Paul Strobber on '' Strike Force'' (1981–1982), and Rev. Morgan Hamilton in '' 7th Heaven'' (1996–2003 ...
as Levi Brown, Stix's cousin with an unrequited crush on Sister, initially was part of the group before he and Stix left; gets imprisoned after he works with Satin. * Tony King as "Satin" Struthers, Sister's love interest and a woman-beating gangster. * Beatrice Winde as Mrs. Waters * Paul Lambert as Max Gerber, Effie's employer, with connections to the Mafia who wants the rights to Sparkle's fame. * Armelia McQueen as "Tune" Ann, cousin of the Williams' sisters and church choir singer, who serves as a background singer to Sparkle after Sister and Delores depart. * Joyce Easton as Lee Gerber *
DeWayne Jessie DeWayne Jessie (a.k.a. "Otis Day") is an American character actor best known for his portrayal of fictional frontman Otis Day of Otis Day and the Knights in '' National Lampoon's Animal House''. In the movie, the songs " Shama Lama Ding Dong" a ...
as "Ham", an associate of Satin's *
Norma Miller Norma Adele Miller (December 2, 1919 – May 5, 2019) was an American Lindy hop dancer, choreographer, actress, author, and comedian known as the "Queen of Swing". Early life Miller was born in 1919 in Harlem, New York City, to mother Alma, a c ...
as Doreen Baker * Talya Ferro as Miss Taylor * Bob Delegall as Mr. Daniels * Armelia McQueen as Tune Ann * Don Bexley as "Bubbles" Sweeney * Ken Renard as Shimmy Dodson * Robert Hanley as Emcee * Renn Woods as " Jim Dandy" Singer


Production


Development

Lonne Elder, writer of the
Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best screenplay adapted from previously established material. The most frequently adapted media are novels, but other adapted narrative formats include stage plays, mus ...
nominee '' Sounder'' drafted ''Sparkle'', which
Joel Schumacher Joel T. Schumacher (; August 29, 1939 – June 22, 2020) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Raised in New York City by his mother, Schumacher graduated from Parsons School of Design and originally became a fashion designe ...
edited to make a 200-page basis for the film that became his screenwriting debut. John Calley was running
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
at the time and said Sam O'Steen had to direct the film. He was the famous editor of '' Carnal Knowledge,'' '' Rosemary's Baby'', and ''
Chinatown Chinatown ( zh, t=唐人著) is the catch-all name for an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, O ...
''. This film was Sam O'Steen's debut film as a film director. The film's story and plot were heavily inspired by the real-life singing group
Diana Ross and the Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959 as the Primettes. A premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful Amer ...
.


Casting

The film mainly introduced newer faces, which kept the budget low. Over 2,000 women auditioned for the role of Sparkle Williams; in the end,
Irene Cara Irene Cara Escalera (March 18, 1959 – November 25, 2022) was an American singer and actress who rose to prominence for her role as Coco Hernandez in the 1980 musical film '' Fame'', and for recording the film's title song " Fame", which reach ...
was cast, at age 17. She became the film's breakout star and went on to act in films such as ''Fame''. With her other cast mates
Lonette McKee Lonette Rita McKee (born July 22, 1954) is an American actress and singer. She made her big screen debut starring as Sister Williams in the original 1976 musical-drama film '' Sparkle''. McKee later appeared in films '' Which Way Is Up?'' (1977) ...
and
Dwan Smith Dwan Smith (born January 22, 1944) is an American television and film actress, singer and model. Smith is perhaps best known for her role as Delores Williams in the 1976 musical drama film '' Sparkle''. Biography Early life and education Born on ...
, the trio "combine their extraordinary freshness and talent to sing to the music of
Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Dubbed the " Gentle Genius", he is considered one of the most influential musicians of soul and socially conscious Afric ...
, who composed the music for the film produced by Howard Rosenman." None of the actors cast were well known at the time and many were newcomers. Lonette McKee actually made her feature film debut in this film.


Filming

Bruce Surtees Bruce Mohr Powell Surtees (July 23, 1937 – February 23, 2012) was an American cinematographer, the son of Maydell and cinematographer Robert L. Surtees. He is best known for his extensive work on Clint Eastwood's films. His cinematography was ...
was the cinematographer. Lester Wilson choreographed the movie; his assistant was Michael Peters, who went on to choreograph "
Beat It "Beat It" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson from his sixth studio album, ''Thriller (album), Thriller'' (1982). It was written and composed by Jackson, produced by Quincy Jones, and co-produced by Jackson. Jones encouraged Jackson to ...
" and " Thriller" for
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
.


Themes


Music

During the 1960s and 1970s, music paralleled black identity and culture. The early 1960s consisted of freedom music, a direct descendant of
gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music vary according to culture and social context. Gospel music is compo ...
. This genre was aimed at building strong relationships during difficult times by connecting people.
Sam Cooke Samuel Cooke (; January 22, 1931  β€“ December 11, 1964) was an American singer and songwriter. Considered one of the most influential soul music, soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred to as the "King of Soul" for his distin ...
and
Freedom Singers The Freedom Singers originated as a quartet formed in 1962 at Albany State College in Albany, Georgia. After folk singer Pete Seeger witnessed the power of their congregational-style of singing, which fused black Baptist ''a cappella'' church sin ...
are an example of these artists. The late 1960s to early 1970s consisted of
soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in African-American culture, African-American African-American neighborhood, communities throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Catchy rhythms, stressed by handclaps ...
which tied in with historical macro events such as: Middle Civil Rights Movement,
Great Society The Great Society was a series of domestic programs enacted by President Lyndon B. Johnson in the United States between 1964 and 1968, aimed at eliminating poverty, reducing racial injustice, and expanding social welfare in the country. Johnso ...
,
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
, and
Black Power Black power is a list of political slogans, political slogan and a name which is given to various associated ideologies which aim to achieve self-determination for black people. It is primarily, but not exclusively, used in the United States b ...
. Soul music encourages everyone to be happy. Some influential artists during this time were
James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by Honorific nick ...
,
the Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959 as the Primettes. A premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful Amer ...
,
Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...
,
Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr. (; April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American Rhythm and blues, R&B and soul singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He helped shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player an ...
, and
Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...
. Next, the mid-1970s consisted of
funk music Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the mi ...
. These songs were political and group focused. Some of these artists include Earth Wind and Fire,
Sly and the Family Stone Sly and the Family Stone was an American band formed in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1966 and active until 1983. Their work, which blended elements of funk, soul music, soul, psychedelic rock, gospel music, gospel, and R&B, becam ...
, Parliament Funkadelic,
Kool & The Gang Kool & the Gang is an American Rhythm and blues, R&B, soul music, soul, and funk band formed in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1964. Its founding members include brothers Robert "Kool" Bell and Ronald Bell (musician), Ronald Bell (also known as " ...
,
Labelle Labelle was an American funk rock band that originated out of the Blue Belles, a girl group who were a popular vocal group of the 1960s and 1970s. The original group was formed after the disbanding of two rival girl groups in the area around ...
, and
Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan ( ), is an American singer. Known as the " Queen of Funk", her career has spanned more than five decades beginning in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of ...
. Finally, the middle to late 1970s consisted of
disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...
which was essentially peppy
dance music Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded dance musi ...
. Stand out artists include
Gloria Gaynor Gloria Fowles (born September 7, 1943), known professionally as Gloria Gaynor, is an American singer, best known for the disco era hits "I Will Survive" (1978), "I Have a Right, Let Me Know (I Have a Right)" (1979), "I Am What I Am (Broadway mus ...
,
Sister Sledge Sister Sledge was an American musical vocal group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formed in 1971, the group consists of sisters Joni, Kim, Debbie, and Kathy Sledge. The siblings achieved international success at the height of the disco era. I ...
,
Diana Ross Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...
, and
Donna Summer Donna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the "Queen of Disco", while her music ...
. Within these genres, there are themes of
self-determination Self-determination refers to a people's right to form its own political entity, and internal self-determination is the right to representative government with full suffrage. Self-determination is a cardinal principle in modern international la ...
, racial pride, and having fun. ''Sparkle'' captured all these themes as it spans musical genres and all the songs were adapted to the sound of the times.
Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...
had a large role with the music that was featured in the film and recorded the hit soundtrack album '' Sparkle''. The other songs in the film were written by Curtis Mayfield.


Gender and sexuality

While analyzing gender and sexuality, the black female protagonists in this film can easily be compared to the women in '' Cleopatra Jones'' and '' Coffy''. Unlike these films, however, ''Sparkle'''s protagonists do not come out on top in the same way as Cleopatra Jones ( Tamara Dobson) and Coffy Coffin (
Pam Grier Pamela Suzette Grier (born May 26, 1949) is an American actress, singer, and martial artist. Described by Quentin Tarantino as cinema's first female action star, she achieved fame for her starring roles in a string of 1970s action, blaxploitati ...
) do. Compared to Coffy and Cleo, these women are much more conservative in their looks and manner. Regarding female empowerment, their physical appearance is the only major attribute they have, and they use it as a tool and their only weapon. Both Coffy and Cleo had men and actual weapons at their disposal to use alongside their physical appearance. Going off of this, the sisters are much weaker when looking at female empowerment, especially when compared to Coffy and Cleo. Jacquie Jones' essay, ''Construction of Black Sexuality'', points out how "the Black male character, as defined through his sexual behavior, is not able to overcome the problematic icof domination, which begins with a denial of dependency. Instead, the Black male character can only define himself through violent separateness" (250). One very disturbing scene in the film is when Sister Williams (McKee) and her boyfriend Satin Struthers ( Tony King) are lying together on a bed. To keep a coat she hasn't satisfactorily been thankful enough for, Sister is ordered by Satin to crawl. Sister does not think he is serious. Satin begins to punch Sister brutally. When Sister goes to her next performance, her other sisters Sparkle (Cara) and Delores (Smith) realize that she has been beaten (again) by Satin. They encourage her to leave him but she just brushes off the violence as no big deal; she believes she can just cover up the bruises with makeup and all will be better. Darlene Clark Hine's ''A Shining Thread of Hope'' brought up the fact that after women joined the Black Power movements, men felt less of themselves, as they could not protect and support their families as forcefully. Hine states that "the Black Power movement reacted to this reality with an extreme emphasis on masculinity and an expectation that women would assume traditional female roles as a way of supporting black manhood. And yet, women in these organizations actually managed to make greater progress in some ways than they had in more traditional civil rights groups" (298). The reading also addresses 1976 as a time when things started to change in regards to sexual harassment as a crime. This all relates to black women and their position of power. "The terrible reality of their oppression by men of their own color €¦was personal and political dynamite" (302). Bringing this all together, Satin might have felt dominated by Sister and her success/potential success. It is unfortunate that Sister decides to brush it off but this goes with how she did not want to "light the fuse" of oppression by black men on black women. Complicating this reasoning is the fact that Satin had previously brutalized a woman ("Taylor") he'd been seeing who posed no enduring threat to his masculinity. "Blaxploitation films are notable for the ways they frequently situate "normative" black male identity amongst a variety of ideological "others" (women, homosexuals, other ethnicities) whose presence cannot simply be seen to solidify black manhood."


Black Power / blaxploitation

The 1970s and the
Women's Movement The feminist movement, also known as the women's movement, refers to a series of social movements and political campaigns for radical and liberal reforms on women's issues created by inequality between men and women. Such issues are women's ...
provide context for Black films like ''Sparkle''. During this time,
Title IX Title IX is a landmark federal civil rights law in the United States that was enacted as part (Title IX) of the Education Amendments of 1972. It prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or any other education program that receiv ...
was instated and provided scholarships for female college athletes. In addition, the
Equal Rights Amendment The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was a proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States, United States Constitution that would explicitly prohibit sex discrimination. It is not currently a part of the Constitution, though its Ratifi ...
of 1972 was a victory for women's suffrage that helped build a dialogue for black women and black women in films. Drugs, the
Mafia "Mafia", as an informal or general term, is often used to describe criminal organizations that bear a strong similarity to the Sicilian Mafia, original Mafia in Sicily, to the Italian-American Mafia, or to other Organized crime in Italy, organiz ...
, self-determination, and the ghetto are all apparent themes in ''Sparkle''.
Black Power Black power is a list of political slogans, political slogan and a name which is given to various associated ideologies which aim to achieve self-determination for black people. It is primarily, but not exclusively, used in the United States b ...
in ''Sparkle'' is interesting in that there are no positive black male figures in the film. Every man is using women for things like sex, success, and their own selfish reasons. At one point, Jones even addresses black male sexuality and how they assume the role of a white man to achieve power over women. Going off of this, whites in this film are on the periphery and the focus is on the inner struggle between blacks. An example of this is the relationship between Sister and her boyfriend. Satin is an abusive man towards Sister who is involved with drugs and the Mafia. He is the source for all of Sister's struggles as he pushes her into doing drugs and making her feel helpless as he beats her time and time again. Delores is an example of self-determination as she sees her sister Sister struggling, which makes her realize that she needs to leave town and do things for herself. She is strong and independent enough to pick everything up and leave town, striving for a decent future. According to the Senior Vice President of Programming for IFC and
Bravo Bravo(s) or The Bravo(s) may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Groups and labels * Bravo (band), a Russian rock band * Bravo (Spanish group), represented Spain at Eurovision 1984 * Bravo Music, an American concert band music publishing compa ...
Frances Berwick, "
Blaxploitation In American cinema, Blaxploitation is the film subgenre of action movie derived from the exploitation film genre in the early 1970s, consequent to the combined cultural momentum of the black civil rights movement, the black power movement, ...
films were some of the most experimental and daring films to come out of both the independent film scene and the studio system, ndis one of the most ignored and under-appreciated." Blaxploitation includes several sub-types, musical being one of them, and where ''Sparkle'' fits in.


Reception


Box office

''Sparkle'' was domestically released on April 7, 1976, with a running time of 98 minutes. The film was considered a minor box office hit, earning only $4 million against a $1 million production budget.


Critical reception

The film received mostly negative reviews from critics, holding an 18% approval rating on
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
. '' Variety'' stated that "somewhere along the line, there was made a decision to cheatβ€”to attempt an honest ghetto drama, but not enough to really go all the way into the characters; to keep the exploitative elements of casual dope and sex, but jump ahead to the convenient tragic results which can be seen on any TV feature; to explore the seedier side of the music business, but not enough to ever get beyond the titillations of pulp storytelling."
Richard Eder Richard Gray Eder (August 16, 1932 – November 21, 2014) was an American film reviewer and a drama critic. Life and career For 20 years, he was variously a foreign correspondent, a film reviewer and the drama critic for ''The New York Times''. ...
said the film was a predictable sob story but that the main themes of the story are serious enough and credible.
Dave Kehr David Kehr (born 1953) is an American museum curator and film critic. For many years a critic at the ''Chicago Reader'' and the ''Chicago Tribune,'' he later wrote a weekly column for ''The New York Times'' on DVD releases. He later became a c ...
stated that the film was " hackneyed, ho-hum 1976 feature about a black
girl group A girl group is a music act featuring two or more women in music, female singers who generally vocal harmony, harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female p ...
, clearly modeled on the Supremes." FilmFour stated that " sdrab as it is, ''Sparkle''s worth renting for Lonette McKee's performance and the cast renditions of Mayfield's songs. But if you're going to buy anything it should be the soundtrack album."
Gene Siskel Eugene Kal Siskel (January 26, 1946 – February 20, 1999) was an American film critic and journalist for the ''Chicago Tribune'' who co-hosted a movie review television series alongside colleague Roger Ebert. Siskel started writing for the '' ...
of the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' gave it a mixed two-and-a-half star review, saying that its music was "excellent, but not of the period", that "its social protest theme is 10 years ahead of its time", and that the plot was loaded with clichΓ©s, but praising the chemistry between McKee and Cara, and preferring it over that of
Diana Ross Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...
and
Billy Dee Williams William December Williams Jr. (born April 6, 1937) is an American retired actor, novelist and painter. He has appeared in over 100 films and television roles over six decades. He is best known for portraying Lando Calrissian in the ''Star Wars ...
in ''
Mahogany Mahogany is a straight- grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropical hardwood species of the genus ''Swietenia'', indigenous to the AmericasBridgewater, Samuel (2012). ''A Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest''. Austin: Universit ...
'' from the year before. However, ''The Onion'''s ''A.V. Club'' gave it a Bβˆ’ grade, calling it "a rags-to-riches story that doesn't miss a stop along the well-trod ghetto-to-musical-charts path, but makes its journey with tuneful conviction." The ''Amsterdam News'' review was mixed: β€œ''Sparkle'' reminds me very much of an uncut diamond not yet perfected for public viewing. Its potentials are boundless, and yet, because of a screenplay by Joel Schumacher that is much too crowded with themes, moods and characters that never fully develop beyond the point of mediocrity, we eventually end up with a highly polished piece of cut glass....The acting is some of the most professional I’ve seen in films that purport an all-Black cast. Lonetta McGee (Sister) has a strong screen presence that is hard to ignore and Irene Cara (Sparkle) portrays the ingenue with more conviction than this film can handle. But this is a small occurrence compared to what the rest of the film has to offer.”


Legacy

Of the people who appeared in the film, Irene Cara became the film's breakout star: she went on to record many chart-topping singles. Lonette McKee went on to other TV and film appearances with
Richard Pryor Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor Sr. (December 1, 1940 β€“ December 10, 2005) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Known for reaching a broad audience with his trenchant observations and storytelling style, he is widely regarded ...
, including playing
Malcolm X Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an African American revolutionary, Islam in the United States, Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figur ...
(
Denzel Washington Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor, producer, and director. Known for his dramatic roles Denzel Washington on screen and stage, on stage and screen, Washington has received List of awards and nominations ...
)'s on-screen mother Louise Little in ''
Malcolm X Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an African American revolutionary, Islam in the United States, Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figur ...
'', and
Dorian Harewood Dorian Harewood (born August 6, 1950) is an American actor, best known for playing Jesse Owens in '' The Jesse Owens Story'' (1984), Det. Paul Strobber on '' Strike Force'' (1981–1982), and Rev. Morgan Hamilton in '' 7th Heaven'' (1996–2003 ...
and Philip Michael Thomas did more TV and film appearances. Thomas would be famous as
Ricardo Tubbs Detective Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs is a fictional character from the ''Miami Vice'' television series. Tubbs was originally portrayed by Philip Michael Thomas in the television series from 1984 to 1990, and later by Jamie Foxx in the feature film i ...
on the TV show ''
Miami Vice ''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo Tubbs, Ricardo "Rico" Tub ...
''. ''Sparkle'' was previewed by an appreciative audience in
Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
in March 1976. The crowd of 1300 is said to have applauded, screamed and displayed loud attestation to their feelings that it was a good movie. It was viewed as a rather atypical Blaxploitation film for the day, illustrating "that based on the nature, dignity, interests and ideals of man even blacks from the ghetto are capable of self-fulfillment and ethical conduct without recourse to supernaturalism; in this case the super-stud, super-chick theory that is so common in the movies made primarily for the black movie goers today." ''Sparkle'' went on to become a
cult classic A cult following is a group of Fan (person), fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some List of art media, medium. The latter is often cal ...
among African-American audiences, and was remade in 2012 as a
TriStar Pictures TriStar Pictures, Inc. (spelled as Tri-Star until 1991) is an American film studio and production company that is part of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, which is part of the Japanese conglomerate Sony, Sony Group Corporation. The compan ...
release starring
Jordin Sparks Jordin Sparks (born December 22, 1989) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame in 2007 after winning the American Idol (season 6), sixth season of ''American Idol'' at age 17, becoming the youngest winner in the series' history. He ...
and
Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the Voice", she is List of awards and no ...
. Directed by Salim and Mara Brock Akil and produced by
Stage 6 Films Stage 6 Films, Inc. is an American film division of Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions that acquires and produces feature films to be released either theatrically, on demand, or through streaming services. Once a film is finished, Sony Picture ...
, the film, despite once again receiving mixed to negative reviews, was considered by some to be an improvement over the original. Sparks, Houston, and
Mike Epps Michael Elliot Epps (born November 18, 1970) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He played Day-Day Jones in '' Next Friday'' and its sequel, '' Friday After Next'', and also appeared in ''The Hangover'' and '' The Hangover Part III'' as ...
were all praised individually for their performances. The remake also brought new different aspects to the story which were said to have enhanced the drama of the film. For example, the evil Satin, played by Epps, was turned into a comedian instead of a gangster. Ultimately, the writing and performances were considered captivating and multidimensional. In regards to the music, R. Kelly wrote several new songs for the soundtrack which were used alongside the songs composed in the original film by Curtis Mayfield. This film was released later than anticipated, due to the sudden death of Houston. Some have considered the film to have been a huge comeback for Houston in the industry, albeit one achieved posthumously. Irene Cara had met Houston a couple of times. She said, "I remember seeing her mother, Cissy, when I was little, ..I remember seeing her sing in New York. They were doing a tribute to
Burt Bacharach Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; May 12, 1928 β€“ February 8, 2023) was an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist who is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music. Start ...
. When Whitney came on to the scene, every time I saw her I saw a little bit of her mother in her." Cara expressed a desire to attend the premiere of the film, but was not able due to a recent foot surgery.


See also

* ''Sparkle'' (Aretha Franklin album) * ''Sparkle'' (2012 film) * ''Dreamgirls'' (2006 film), another musical that was heavily influenced by
Diana Ross and the Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959 as the Primettes. A premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful Amer ...
.


References


External links

* * * {{The Supremes 1976 films Blaxploitation films American musical drama films African-American films Films about music and musicians 1976 musical films Warner Bros. films Films set in 1958 Films set in 1959 Films set in the 1960s Films set in Harlem Films with screenplays by Joel Schumacher Films directed by Sam O'Steen 1970s English-language films 1970s American films Films about musical groups Films about girl groups English-language musical films