Sparkle (1976 film)
| Sparkle | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Sam O'Steen |
| Produced by | Howard Rosenman |
| Written by |
Joel Schumacher Howard Rosenman |
| Starring |
Irene Cara Philip M. Thomas Lonette McKee Dwan Smith Mary Alice Dorian Harewood Tony King |
| Music by | Curtis Mayfield |
| Cinematography | Bruce Surtees |
| Edited by | Gordon Scott |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
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Release date
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April 7, 1976 |
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Running time
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98 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1 million |
| Box office | $4 million |
Sparkle is a 1976 American musical drama 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. It presents the story of a musical girl group that ends up breaking apart due to individual issues each one faces. This film not only "recreates the magic of a special period in American history, but it explores the impact of Harlem's musical and social culture on the rest of the world," as well as the linkages to black power.
The film stars Irene Cara, Philip Michael Thomas, 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.
The film received generally negative reviews at the time of release and was a Box office bomb, barely making $4 million against a $1 million budget. It since received a cult following. The film was remade in 2012 starring Jordin Sparks, Carmen Ejogo, Tika Sumpter, and Whitney Houston in her final film role.
The movie begins in Harlem, New York in 1958, and follows the girl group, Sister and the Sisters, which is made up three sisters: Sister (Lonette McKee), Sparkle (Irene Cara), and Delores (Dwan Smith). Stix (Philip Michael Thomas), Sparkle's love interest and the groups 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 and thus breaking Sparkle's heart. Sister is in an abusive relationship and is hung up on drugs while Delores leaves the city in pursuit of racial equality. In the end, after reconnecting after Sister's funeral, it is only Sparkle and Stix who climb the ladder to success. In short, this is a rags to riches story.
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