Welcome to Queerty’s latest entry in our series, Queerantined: Daily Dose. Every weekday as long as the COVID-19 pandemic has us under quarantine, we’ll release a suggested bit of gloriously queer entertainment designed to keep you from getting stir crazy in the house. Each weekend, we will also suggest a binge-able title to keep you extra engaged.
The Forgotten: Lady Sings the Blues
Diana Ross scored a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her turn as blues goddess Billie Holiday in this all-but-forgotten biopic from 1972. It’s a shame; though the film omits key details of Holiday’s life–like her bisexuality–Lady Sings the Blues does a very good job of condensing the story of Holiday into a 2-hour runtime. That success comes in large part from Ms. Ross, who gives a terrific performance in the lead. It helps too that she has help from a terrific supporting cast, including Billy Dee Williams (never better), Scatman Crothers and especially Richard Pryor, who hints at the career as a dramatic actor he could have had. The movie also features Holiday’s iconic music, as powerful and sumptuous as ever, re-rendered in Ross’ own voice. Lady Sings the Blues doesn’t exactly break any new ground, but that doesn’t make the film any less entertaining.
Streams on YouTube.
Kangol2
A pretty good movie starring a legendary singer about a true legend. Diana Ross gave one of the greatest performances of her life as Billie Holliday, too.
MISTERJETT
Miss Ross should have won the Oscar for her work in the movie. Liza was very good in Cabaret, but Diana was so much better. i’ll always believe they gave it to Liza because of her family history.
scotshot
At the time “Cabaret” was made Judy Garland was dead and Vincente Minelli who was at his best in the early 60s.
Minelli won for her talented performance.
Ross was at her best in the strait jacket scene.
nm4047
more the colour of her skin being the reason she didn’t win the award. Unlike that recent Netflix production ‘Hollywood’ and the members weren’t as integrated.
scotshot
In reality “Gone With the Wind” portrayed Confederates as heroes and lamented their former life built on the backs and lives of slaves.
“Lady Sings the Blues” is a biography of a drug addicted woman who sang, made very poor life choices and died young at 44.
Get it?