Little Richard

Rating:
Summary: Enough With The Pancake 31!
Review: I grew up with the music of Little Richard, Fats Domino, Elvis and really never understood the real stories behind these influential rock artists. This made for television movie accurately recreates the life and times of the man who really did put the "rock"in rock and roll. Although I have only watched a portion of the dvd, I can recommend it to anyone who has any interest in this always fascinating artist who still contributes today: check out his performance on "Kindred Spirits", the Johnny Cash tribute album.

Rating:
Summary: Exellent and highly entertaining film...
Review: I saw this on cable, and it really was well produced, and although the film doesn't mention that Little Richard's main influence was Esquirita. This film may not be completely accurate, but it is a lot of fun to watch. The birth of jump blues & r&b started with Esquirita, but Little Richard made it a household name.

Rating:
Summary: Exellent and highly entertaining film...
Review: I saw this on cable, and it really was well produced, and although the film doesn't mention that Little Richard's main influence was Esquirita. This film may not be completely accurate, but it is a lot of fun to watch. The birth of jump blues & r&b started with Esquirita, but Little Richard made it a household name.

Rating:
Summary: je suis le jeune le plus fou de little richard
Review: je suis un garcon qui adord chanter et dancer du little richard jai deja vus votre films et je le recherche a nouveau pour pouvouir chanter et rocker comme lui jàime sa voie car il chantais,criais et pouvais faire vibrer des coeur comme le miens

MERCI

cedrick chapman un veritable fan

Rating:
Summary: Enough With The Pancake 31!
Review: Little Richard had been talking about a movie of his life as far back as 1962. Around the time of his critically acclaimed *book* biography, "The Life & Times of Little Richard" (Charles White, Crown, New York), he mentioned Michael Jackson, Prince, or Eddie Murphy as his celluloid self. About fifteen years later Leon got the job. I'm not familiar with the gentleman's work, but I strongly believe that he did the best possible job of all. Murphy would have been great if the story took us into the late '60s/early '70s, but the younger actor managed to capture the "soul" of the early Penniman, as he achieved worldwide fame on his first major record release, and nearly saw it taken away, or at least tarnished by unfair competition and by a perfectly legal but unfair recording contract. And by his own offstage indulgence. By the way, if you look at the 45 rpm picture cover of LR's "Ooh! My Soul"/"True, Fine Mama" you'd think for a second that it was this actor. The resemblance actually does help here.
In some ways we can compare Richard's biopic with Jerry Lee Lewis' biopic. They both disappointed the deep fan, the historian, but served the purpose of introducing a Legend to those who knew very little about them. The movies got alot of folks interested. "Little Richard" wins out by the strength of the acting.
Those who read the Charles White book need to (almost) forget the book while they watch the movie. There's a large amount of distortion and exaggeration. There's a certain amount of invention: "By The Light of the Silvery Moon" was his first RCA release, complete with *1956* arrangement? - okay...Tutti Frutti" was recorded in 1953? - it may have been first *performed* in 1953, but it sure wasn't recorded that year! (In record business years, *two* years is like two lifetimes!) The lady companion he found after his fame was named...Lucille? More than one source mention a free-spirit named Lee Angel.
Ofcourse most musical biographies exaggerate to make the "story" work. Too bad, however, that in this case we have an incredibly influential musical genius portrayed as an incredibly influential gender-bending eccentric who sent the kids into orbit. How about a minute or two on how he changed the way music sounded and the way musicians performed? In short, the movie is too image conscious.
Another concern is in the portrayal of two Richard contemporaries, Sam Cooke and Pat Boone. Cooke, who was a very close friend of Richard and who wrote for him in the early '60s, for some reason gets a disparaging comment in the dialogue, and Boone, the good Country ballad singer/poor Rock and Roll singer who ofcourse recorded third-rate covers of LR's first two classics, is shown in a crass split-screen: the great "Long Tall Sally" versus the terrible "cover version" as Pat struggles with the intricacies of the composition at a studio mike.
Altogether the real Little Richard did a fine job as Executive Producer. Just like in his recording career, whenever he took the reins as Producer, or Co-Producer, we got something special.
Strangely, however, just as critics and fans have neglected his most important contributions over the years, the Architect himself seems to have gotten caught up in the same confusion.
[Longtime fans and historians note that the soundtrack recording of "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" and an unidentified folk/work song are *new*].

Rating:
Summary: A Moving Tribute to a Living Legend!!
Review: The Little Richard Story is a credible account of the man who, more than any other individual artist, erased the word "race-music" and created popular music. Although only a small part of his life and 55 year (and still counting) career was highlighted, the DVD really captures the essence of the man - the battle between his faith in the Lord and the temptations of the world, and the development of the most important musical art form of the twentieth century - rock music. Leon is amazing in the title role, bringing to the screen the attractive, sensual black musician with the raspy, force-of-nature voice, that racist parents in America fought so hard (and so unsuccessfully) to keep from their children's senses. If you love rock, r&b or rap, and are interested in the roots of the music (the black church), this DVD is a must to add to your collection.

Rating:
Summary: LITTLE RICHARD: Little facts and little significance
Review: This has to be the worst dramatization of a pop/rock singer's life. Opening with one or two insignificant scenes (including an 11 year-old Richard in a dress), it quickly jumps to the "Little Richard" incarnation, complete with flamboyant hair and a penchant for high shrills and signature screams. What the film fails to convey is Richard's infamous meeting with Esquerita (whom he met at the Macon bus stop at one in the morning, doing god-only-knows what). They went back to Richard's pad and stayed up together until the sunrise, with the South Carolinian, Esquerita, showing off his dandified musical act, playing "Mint Julep" over and over, and demonstrating his entirely original screams and shrills. In his autobiography, Little Richard fully gives Esquerita props for this essential element of the Lil Richard act. In this weak dramatization of his life, there is no development of Richard's style or sound. The details are insignificant and the content devoid of important facts or significance.

Rating:
Summary: Little Richard: little facts and little development
Review: This has to be the worst dramatization of a pop/rock singer's life. Opening with one or two insignificant scenes (including an 11 year-old Richard in a dress), it quickly jumps to the "Little Richard" incarnation, complete with flamboyant hair and a penchant for high shrills and signature screams. What the film fails to convey is Richard's infamous meeting with Esquerita (whom he met at the Macon bus stop at one in the morning, doing god-only-knows what). They went back to Richard's pad and stayed up together until the sunrise, with the South Carolinian, Esquerita, showing off his dandified musical act, playing "Mint Julep" over and over, and demonstrating his entirely original screams and shrills. In his autobiography, Little Richard fully gives Esquerita props for this essential element of the Lil Richard act. In this weak dramatization of his life, there is no development of Richard's style or sound. The details are insignificant and the content devoid of important facts or significance.