Bessie
The story of legendary blues performer Bessie Smith, who rose to fame during the 1920s and '30s.
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"The year was 1972 and the challenge for director Sidney J. Furie was how to translate the biography of Billie Holliday into something that had "bite" for the mainstream. He succeeded, in large part by his decision to make the story as much about the music as the personal travails of the famous singer. At the time it seemed the obvious choice. Yet, flash forward 43 years and today the team behind this project, faced with the exact same choice, took the road less travelled. It is not as if Queen L. does not have a set of pipes. After years of appearing in a string of "commodity..."
💡 Did You Know?
Mo'Nique was offered the role of Viola, but she refused because she had played that type of character before. Reading the script, she liked Ma Rainey and asked HBO if it was possible to play that character.
📖 Synopsis
The story of legendary blues performer Bessie Smith, who rose to fame during the 1920s and '30s.