Ok, so maybe Billy Dee Williams could have taken out Richard Roundtree.
Anyway, any film that has Billy Dee AND Tony Perkins, has to be cool.
Why the film Mahogany was so trashed by the critics I'll never understand. Granted, Berry Gordy of Motown fame was not a film director, but this is a quite realistic portrait of a woman's rise from the ghetto, and stamped with the great Diana Ross's vocals in the film's theme song, Do You Know Where You’re Going To.
I dug MISS Ross as a kid. It's weird, because, aside from movie stars like Raquel Welch or Tuesday Weld, the female stars I fantasized the most of were singers, and most of the female singers of that era were black- at least the good ones. I mean, ok, I'll say Grace Slick was a babe, but Carly Simon, Linda Ronstadt, Karen Carpenter, Janis Joplin? C'mon, who would you have rather nailed? Those white gals, or Miss Ross?
And, actually, Ross does a fine job in this role. The song is indelible. The film is better than generally accepted, and, as the clip shows, the cinematography was interesting.
And, did I mention Tony Perkins? It's another portrayal by this actor whose career post-Psycho, has been all but dismissed. He was a terrific actor.
And, three words: Billy Dee Williams. Long before he hawked beer or starred in the silly Star Wars crap, he was the epitome of cool in this film, one which solidified an already good career.
Watch the film and enjoy the song.
