RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Found a Bug? Squash It! Report Bugs Here
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Lady Sings the Blues
Lady Sings the Blues

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Lady Sings the Blues (1972)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
75 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:12

Fresh:9

Rotten:3

Average Rating:6.7/10

Runtime: 2 hrs 24 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: Diana Ross made her film debut opposite Billy Dee Williams in this romantic biopic. LADY SINGS THE BLUES captures the essence of Billie Holliday in this semi-biographic sketch of the tragic life of... Diana Ross made her film debut opposite Billy Dee Williams in this romantic biopic. LADY SINGS THE BLUES captures the essence of Billie Holliday in this semi-biographic sketch of the tragic life of the famous blues singer. Academy Award Nominations: 5, including Best Actress--Diana Ross, Best (Original) Screenplay, Best Song Score. [More]

Starring: Diana Ross, Billy Dee Williams, Richard Pryor, James Callahan

Starring: Diana Ross, Billy Dee Williams, Richard Pryor, James Callahan, Paul Hampton, Sid Melton, Virginia Capers, Scatman Crothers

Director: Sidney J. Furie

Director: Sidney J. Furie
Producer: Jay Weston, James S. White
Screenwriter: Terence McCloy, Chris Clark, Suzanne De Passe
Composer: Michel Legrand

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Lady Sings the Blues

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 14 (sorted by rotten rating; UK critics are listed first)
Text View
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
05/24/03
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Geoff Andrew
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Ross and director Sidney J. Furie seem to feel that the slower the song, the more serious the mood, so at times the film seems to be grinding almost to a halt

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
10/07/05
Don Willmott
Don Willmott
Filmcritic.com

Berry Gordy's gift to Diana Ross was this lavish, bloated Billie Holiday biopic.

Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment Comment
10/28/05
Eric Henderson
Eric Henderson
Slant Magazine

How is it possible for a movie that is otherwise so dreadful to contain such a singularly attractive performance in the title role?

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/09/05
Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

View this film about Billie Holiday as a completely fictional story, and you'll enjoy it far more than you would otherwise.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
10/03/06
TV Guide's Movie Guide
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Ross so perfectly captures the essence of Billie Holiday’s vocal style that it sends chills down your spine.

comment Comment
01/25/06
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

Clearly, it's an affront to Holiday's art, but just as clearly, it's a good piece of low entertainment.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
01/01/00
Dave Kehr
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader

Ross conveys the vulnerability and determination of her character across a very believable arc of maturation.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
01/24/06
Douglas Pratt
Douglas Pratt
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
06/29/05
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

comment Comment
03/18/05
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

No review available.

comment Comment
05/03/06
Robert Roten
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope

The movie is filled with many of the great Billie Holiday songs, and Ross handles them in an interesting way. She doesn't sing in her own style, and she never tries to imitate Holiday, but she sings somehow in the manner of Holiday.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
10/23/04
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Great score, great singing, but overdramatic thanks to Ross.

comment Comment
11/01/04
Steve Crum
Steve Crum
Kansas City Kansan
 
 
1 - 14 (sorted by rotten rating; UK critics are listed first)
Text View
all

Latest News for Lady Sings the Blues

December 12, 2005: Richard Pryor Passes Away at 65
Richard Pryor passed away yesterday morning, and while he's probably best remembered for his incendiary stand-up material (as evidenced in 1979's "Live in Concert,"... More...

See All

More DVDs

Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
15% 15% The Ugly Truth
98% 98% Up
36% 36% G.I. Joe: The Rise of …
52% 52% The Taking of Pelham 1…
45% 45% Ice Age: Dawn of the D…

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
36% 36% Angels & Demons
68% 68% Funny People
25% 25% Four Christmases
45% 45% Shorts
53% 53% David & Layla

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Prince of Persia

Prince of Persia

Your first look at the swashbuckler.

Vampires

Vampires

We rank cinema's bloodsuckers.

Avatar

Avatar

The full trailer for Cameron's epic.

2012

2012

12 facts about Emmerich's disaster flick.

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • First Look (Sort Of) at New Nightmare's Freddy Source: ShockTillYouDrop.com
21
  • First Look at Shrek Forever After Source: USA Today
44
  • Woody Harrelson Will Battle Zombies in 3-D Source: Moviehole
26
  • Natalie Portman Says Kat Denning Is in Thor Source: MTV
34
  • Disney Restructuring Has Broad Implications Source: Los Angeles Times
10
  • Joel Silver Talks Ninja Assassin, Sgt. Rock, Lobo, and More Source: Collider.com
1
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
118
  • Idris Elba Joins Thor Source: Hollywood Reporter
112
  • Jackass 3D Coming in 2010? Source: Collider.com
32
  • 6 Reasons 'Twilight' Is Doomed Source: The Wrap
64
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: New Moon Shatters Records
178
  • Critics Consensus: New Moon Wanes
131
  • Total Recall: John Travolta's Best Movies
76
  • Total Recall: Star-Crossed Lovers
75
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
59
  • Critics Consensus: Flee From Ninja Assassin
40
  • Friday Harvest: New Moon, Avatar, and more!
32
  • 5 Facts About The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
26
  • Five Favorite Films With Zombieland Director Ruben Fleischer
20
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
14
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
14
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
10
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
20
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
7
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
20
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
8
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
28
  • Duncan Jones talks Moon, Sam Rockwell, and Mute
14
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Lady Sings the Blues at Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh Links

Featured
RT on YouTube
RT on YouTube External Link

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

RT on Twitter
RT on Twitter External Link

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.