Sparkle (1976 film)

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Sparkle

Directed by	Sam O'Steen
Produced by	Howard Rosenman
Written by	Joel Schumacher Howard Rosenman
Starring	Philip M. Thomas Irene Cara Lonette McKee Dwan Smith Mary Alice Dorian Harewood Tony King
Music by	Curtis Mayfield
Cinematography	Bruce Surtees
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date(s)	April 7, 1976
Running time	98 min.
Language	English
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Sparkle is a 1976 blaxploitation film directed by Sam O'Steen and released by Warner Bros. Pictures. Inspired by The Supremes, Sparkle is a period film set in Harlem, New York during the late 1950s and early 1960s which follows the rough lives and careers of Sparkle Williams (Cara) and her family and friends.

The film stars Philip Michael Thomas (later of Miami Vice fame), Irene Cara, Lonette McKee, Dwan Smith, Mary Alice, Dorian Harewood, and Tony King. Curtis Mayfield served as the composer and producer of Sparkle's songs and score.

1 Plot synopsis
2 History
3 Trivia
4 See also
5 Notes
6 External link

[edit] Plot synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The film beings in Harlem, New York in 1958. The Williams sisters - Sister (Lonette McKee), Dolores (Dwan Smith), and Sparkle (Irene Cara) - are singers in their local church's teenagers' choir along with their friends Stix (Philip Michael Thomas) and Levi (Dorian Harewood). The girls' mother Effie (Mary Alice), works hard as a maid for the Waters family in Long Island, and struggles to keep her girls, especially the "high-spirited" Sister, safe. Stix, a buddling songwriter in love with Sparkle, wants to start a group, and arranges the five of them into a quintet called The Hearts. The Hearts enter a local rock and roll talent contest, which they win with the help of Sister's stage appeal. Shortly afterwards, however, Levi drops out of the group so that he can become an important man in the operations of local gangster Satin (Tony King).

Stix decides to repackage the group as an all-girl trio, appointing Sister lead singer and reducing his role in the act to manager and songwriter. The girls, now known as "Sister & the Sisters", debut at the seedy Shan-Doo Club; their immediate success gains them a position as regular performers there. Satin, invited to the show by Levi, takes up with Sister, who leaves home to move in with him. Sister begins showing up at the Shan-Doo with bruises from Satin's abuse, and begins taking cocaine. When Dolores learns that Satin has gotten Sister hooked on drugs, she plots revenge, coming on to one of Satin's flunkies in order to set the kingpin up. Dolores calls the police to let them know when and where Satin's next drug pick-up will be, but Levi is the one caught in the sting. Regretful and weary of life in Harlem, Dolores packs up and leaves home.

Satin pulls Sister out of The Sisters without telling the others, and a frustrated Stix gives up on music. He leaves Harlem to work in construction upstate, breaking Sparkle's heart in the process. Several months later, Sister dies of a drug overdose, and Stix reconciles with Sparkle after her funeral. By this time, Stix has moved back to New York and gained employment with a record label, and offers to produce Sparkle as a solo star. He borrows money from Effie's employer Lee Waters (Joyce Easton), to fund a recording session, and Sparkle's first single becomes a smash hit. Stix lands Sparkle a gig at Carnegie Hall as Ray Charles' opening act, but finds himself kidnapped by Daniels' partners in the Mafia for merely Waters back instead of accepting a profit-sharing agreement. Despite being threatened with death, however, Stix refuses to give in, and the impressed Waters lets Stix go free. Stix arrives at Carnegie Hall just in time to see Sparkle finish her set.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] History

Sparkle was a successful film, and is something of a cult classic among African-American audiences. Its success was inspirational in the creation of the musical that would eventually debut on Broadway in 1981 as Dreamgirls. The film's soundtrack album, featuring Aretha Franklin in place of the actresses in the film, was also a success.

Warner Bros. and Whitney Houston's BrownHouse Productions had planned a modernized remake of Sparkle at the turn of the 20th/21st century. Aaliyah was signed to star as Sparkle, but died in August 2001 before production began.^[1] Although the film was put on hold following the singer's death, Ashanti was later attached to star as Sparkle in a remake. ^[2] In 2003, Warner Bros. announced plans to go forward with the production with Raven-Symoné in the lead.^[3] No further announcement or development has been made since.

After being long out of print on VHS and unavailable save for television broadcasts, Sparkle was released on DVD on January 2, 2007. An abbreviated edition of the accompanying Aretha Franklin album was included on a bonus disc.