Smith, who was born in tennessee, became a star in the early days of recorded music. Latifah stars in bessie as the empress of the blues, one of. Queen latifah to star as bessie smith in hbo biopic. May 16, 2015 in hbos bessie, queen latifah stars as empress of the blues it took queen latifah more than 20 years to bring the life of pioneering blues singer bessie smith to the screen.
May 16, 2015 bessie, hbos new biopic from writerdirector dee rees, tracks bessie smiths rise to fame as the empress of bluesand delivers stunning performances from starring actresses queen latifah. Bessie smith hbo movie leaves out car accident, tragic death. Apr 24, 2015 heres a sneakpeek at queen latifah as bessie smith, the empress of the blues, in hbos upcoming biopic bessie. Bessie music from the hbo film by various on amazon music. Queen latifah stars as legendary blues singer bessie smith in this hbo films presentation, directed by acclaimed filmmaker dee rees from a screenplay by. In hbo s bessie, queen latifah stars as empress of the blues it took queen latifah more than 20 years to bring the life of pioneering blues singer bessie smith to. Hbo movie about singer bessie smith is offkey 05122015 unless i missed it somehow, the one recording for which blues singer bessie smith is most famous is not included in the hbo movie called. The film focuses on smiths transformation from a struggling young singer into the empress of the blues, one of the most successful recording artists of the 1920s. Apr 03, 2015 check out the new trailer for bessie, the hbo biopic of blues singer bessie smith starring queen latifah, michael kenneth williams, and monique. May 16, 2015 bessie is a nicely produced flick about bessie smith the singer with a little suggestion of bessie smith the person sprinkled throughout the story. It also made sense for me to do bessie monique plays blues singer ma rainey in the upcoming biopic with the icon and legend of our time queen latifah. Mar 25, 2016 queen latifah stars as legendary blues singer bessie smith in this hbo films presentation, directed by acclaimed filmmaker dee rees from a screenplay by dee rees and christopher cleveland. Each june, the bessie smith cultural center in chattanooga sponsors the bessie smith strut as part of the citys riverbend festival. Hbo released a movie about smith, bessie, starring queen latifah, on may 16, 2015.
Williams who is no stranger to hbo with roles in the wire and boardwalk empire. Queen latifah calls title role draining updated jan 04, 2019. Bessie, starring queen latifah as the titular empress of the blues, intimately depicts the singers life and career, which helped define the musical genre directed by the increasingly buzzy dee rees pariah, mudbound, the emmywinning film follows bessie smiths rise as one of the most indemand entertainers of the 1920s, as well as her stormy and mysterious perso. Queen latifah to star as bessie smith in hbo movie. Queen latifah stars as bessie smith in this vivid portrait of the legendary 20th century blues singer. Queen latifah is so convincing in the hbo biopic of blues singer bessie smith that youll find yourself googling the real empress of blues just to differentiate the two. This movie was a bit milk toast but did have a few vignettes from true stories but really played down. Bessie is an hbo tv film about the american blues singer bessie smith, and focuses on her transformation as a struggling young singer into the empress of. Monique costars as blues singer ma rainey in hbo s bessie, in. Bessie 2015 queen latifahs best performance as a gay woman will forever be in set it off, but her turn as blues legend bessie smith is pretty great, too. Monique makes a stunning comeback in an hbo movie about bessie smith. Bessie, on hbo, stars queen latifah as blues singer.
Hbo is available through the hbo now streaming app, tv package, or. Queen latifah stars in this biopic of pioneering singer bessie smith, depicting her tempestuous relationships and incomparable artistry in the. Bessie smith queen latifah became one of the most popular female recording artists of the 1920s and 1930s as a singer of blues and jazz. Jun 23, 2015 queen latifahs new movie, hbos bessie, actually has been on her radar for more than 20 years. Hbo movie about singer bessie smith is offkey 05122015. Queen latifah did her homework to play blues singer bessie. Dee rees has been clear that she left out that part in the movie because she wanted to focus on bessie smiths heroic life instead. Bessie trailer b 2015 second, condensed, trailer for hbo s bessie.
Bessie by chris albertson bessies husband jack used her money to fund singer gertrude saunders left, 1922, who was also his mistress. May 16, 2015 early on in bessie, a new hbo biopic premiering saturday and starring queen latifah as the singer bessie smith, smith s abouttobe mentor, ma rainey played by monique, offers a musicological. Dont expect hbo s bessie smith movie to air the details of the freak car accident and tragic death of the blues singer tonight, unless a last minute change has been added. Mar 16, 2015 meanwhile, the oscar winnerwho is promoting her latest film blackbird and will star in hbos bessie smith biopic in maysays the lack of major roles on the big screen had nothing to do with. Queen latifah stars as legendary blues singer bessie smith in this vivid portrait of a tenacious spirit who, despite her own demons, went on to become one of the most successful and. Best oats for weight loss boost that metabolism every day. Following chicago, latifah starred in disneys box office hit bringing down the house, on which she also acted as executive producer. Hbo s bessie, premiering saturday on the network, is a flawed drama that nonetheless warrants a look simply because of the bright spotlight it gives the underrated talents of star queen latifah, who does quite easily the best work of her career here. Hbo s film on blues singer bessie smith starring queen latifah will premiere on may 16. Information, interviews, photos and more for richard played by mike epps on the hbo original program bessie. Bessie is an hbo tv film about the american blues singer bessie smith, and focuses on her. May 01, 2014 hbo has greenlighted its next highprofile longform project, a film about iconic blues singer bessie smith who will be portrayed by queen latifah. Hbos bessie, with queen latifah, is ideal awards bait. Hbo zastrzega sobie prawo do zmiany miesiecznej oplaty.
Bessie is a story weve seen before, complete with feathers, spangles, and bootleg liquor as the action meanders through the 1920s, but a script about a queer black woman smith was bisexual by. Last holiday 59 movie clip strange spa treatments 2006 hd duration. She died on september 26, 1937 in clarksdale, mississippi, usa. For the eight days that i was with hbo, they paid me more money than ive made in my career with a studio. The story of legendary blues performer bessie smith, who rose to fame during the 1920s and 30s. Bessie smith is undeniably remembered as one of the greatest blues singers of all time, but an upcoming hbo biopic will also highlight her role as a pioneer of the emotionally vulnerable jazz era. May 10, 2015 queen latifah did her homework to play blues singer bessie smith in hbos movie bessie, airing saturday at 8 p. By chronicling bessie smiths legacy in blues, hbo will. In a new hbo movie the hip hop artist and actress recreates the life of the empress of the blues, bessie smith. Artist and activist common and host bevy smith discuss how the apollo shaped the lives of so many great artists and how its still evolving today. May 16, 2015 dont expect hbos bessie smith movie to air the details of the freak car accident and tragic death of the blues singer tonight, unless a last minute change has been added. Hbo films presents bessie, focusing on legendary blues singer bessie smith, saturday, may 16 at 8pm. Besides latifah, monique as ma rainey is the other standout performance in the film.
But for hbos purposes, its a bigtime noisemaker one with the kind of showstopping work that, when they start handing out trophies, isnt likely to leave its. Bessie was tough, crude and lived life to the fullest. Queen latifahs new movie, hbo s bessie, actually has been on her radar for more than 20 years. Browse the full bessie cast and crew credits for actors by character names from the hbo original program. Queen latifah chicago stars as the title character bessie smith in hbos bessie, a biopic on the life of the american legendary blues singer. This firstrate biopic charts her evolution from singer to star. May 15, 2015 bessie is about a blues singer, but what the movie could really use is more soul. Whatever she did loved, laughed, sang she did it full force.
Cbs news in her latest role, queen latifah adopts the persona of a. Bessie achieving a level of popularity previously unknown to blues musicians, bessie smith was not only an imposing performer, she was a major influence on generations of artists to come. Queen latifah did her homework to play blues singer bessie smith in hbo s movie bessie, airing saturday at 8 p. Queen latifah stars as legendary blues singer bessie smith in this vivid portrait of a tenacious spirit who, despite her own demons, went on to become one of the most successful and influential musical artists of the 20th century.
Trailer for bessie bessie focuses on legendary blues singer bessie smith s transformation from a struggling young singer into the empress of the blues, who became one of the most successful recording artists of the 1920s and is an enduring icon today. A star vehicle and then some, bessie casts queen latifah as blues singer bessie smith, in a big, bold movie thats as vibrant, raw and musical as it is unfocused and messy. An hbo films presentation, bessie stars oscar nominee queen latifah chicago in the title role and focuses on legendary blues singer bessie smiths transformation from a struggling young vocalist into the empress of the blues, one of the most successful recording artists of the 1920s and an enduring icon today. Mike epps, a rapperactor, who appeared in hbo s the sopranos and def comedy jam, plays richard morgan. Discover how you can enjoy hbo s original series, hit movies, documentaries and more. Watch the trailer for the hbo biopic, starring queen. Queen latifah to play bessie smith for hbo film1966 magazine. May 15, 2015 hbos bessie, premiering saturday on the network, is a flawed drama that nonetheless warrants a look simply because of the bright spotlight it gives the underrated talents of star queen latifah, who does quite easily the best work of her career here. Queen latifah stars as legendary blues singer bessie smith in this hbo films presentation, directed by acclaimed filmmaker dee rees from a. Latifah was best known as a rap artist in the 1990s when producers richard d. Bessie, hbos new biopic from writerdirector dee rees, tracks bessie smiths rise to fame as the empress of bluesand delivers stunning performances from starring actresses queen latifah and monique. Blessed with style and substance, queen latifah has blossomed into a onewoman entertainment conglomerate. May 08, 2015 check out bessie music from the hbo film by various on amazon music.
But for hbos purposes, its a bigtime noisemaker one with the kind of showstopping work that, when they start handing out trophies, isnt likely. The official bessie music from the hbo film soundtrack is. Monique costars as blues singer ma rainey in hbos bessie, in which queen latifah gives the performance of a. Queen latifah is heading to hbo the rapper, actress, and talk show host will star in and exec produce a bessie smith biopic for the premium cable network the telepic revolves around iconic. But for hbo s purposes, its a bigtime noisemaker one with the kind of showstopping work that, when they start handing out trophies, isnt likely to leave its.
Bessie smith hbo movie leaves out car accident, tragic. Monique makes a stunning comeback in an hbo movie about. The official bessie music from the hbo film soundtrack is now available for preorder. Latifah looks and sounds as though she was born to play bessie smith. Queen latifahs bessie smith film to premiere may 16 on hbo. Start your free trial to watch bessie and other popular tv shows and movies including new releases, classics, hulu originals, and more. Add to your knowledge of the bessie movie true story by watching a mini bessie smith documentary and view the short 1929 bessie smith movie st. With a story by dee rees and horton foote, the film focuses on smiths transformation from a struggling young singer into the empress.
Bessie is an hbo tv film about legendary american blues singer bessie smith queen latifah, and focuses on her transformation as a struggling young singer into the empress of the blues. Hbo has greenlighted its next highprofile longform project, a film about iconic blues singer bessie smith who will be portrayed by queen latifah. As bessie smith s mentor, ma rainey is every bit as fiery as bessie, demanding respect as an artist and as a woman and breaking gender and sexual norms. The film, which has its premiere saturday night on hbo, stars queen latifah as bessie smith, a woman who is. The story of legendary blues performer, bessie smith, who rose to fame during the 1920s and 30s. No one can sing like bessie smith, but queen latifah does have a great voice and comes pretty close to smith s.
Bessie smith was born on april 15, 1894 in chattanooga, tennessee, usa as elizabeth smith. Dee rees has been clear that she left out that part in the movie because she wanted. A sweet scene in the movie shows recording engineers. At movies end you dont feel you know something about her outside of her remarkable singing. This sexuallycharged, intense look at blues icon bessie smith often feels defiantly episodic, as if cowriterdirector dee rees is. Understanding bessie is to understand the blues hbo. In hbos bessie, queen latifah stars as empress of the. Apr 30, 2015 monique makes a stunning comeback in an hbo movie about bessie smith. Bessie, hbo s new biopic from writerdirector dee rees, tracks bessie smith s rise to fame as the empress of bluesand delivers stunning performances from starring actresses queen latifah and. Information, interviews, photos and more for bessie smith played by queen latifah on the hbo original program bessie. By associated press new york many viewers come to the hbo biopic bessie which premiered saturday night with scant knowledge of its. Hbo measures prestige in awards wins, and it looks like it has cooked up a movie that will take home trophies with bessie. Queen latifah to play blues icon bessie smith in hbo movie. The film is directed by dee rees, with a screenplay by rees, christopher cleveland and bettina gilois.
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