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A tedious soap opera that generated many fond memories
for viewers but, in retrospective, was pretty awful "Mahogany"
features Diana Ross in her second starring role after the
success of "Lady Sings the Blues". Why Barry Gordy thought
he had the skills as a film director is beyond me. He may
have shaped the Motown sound but his hands fumble in this
ham-fisted attempt to create a film. The original director
Tony Richardson might have brought some much needed humor
to the film or at least some decent sequences but he was
fired by Barry Gordy who promptly took over direction. The
experience and critical reception of the film luckily kept
Barry from pursuing a career as a film director so in that
regard we were saved. Ross designed some of the awful costumes
in the film (even taking into account this was the mid-70's,
no one would be caught dead wearing Ross' designs) so I
suppose I can say that this film looks very much like a
homemade affair. ***
Ross plays Tracy a young woman who fights to gain a
foothold in the fashion industry as a designer. About the
only worthwhile element of this film are the songs which
are well written, arranged and performed. Anthony Perkins
gives a larger than life performance as the nutty photographer
Sean. It's as if he realizes he's stuck in a bad melodrama
that needs an injection of energy. Billy Dee Williams shows
no chemistry in his role here opposite Ross (although he
did demonstrate some nice chemistry with the actress in
"Lady Sings the Blues"). Certainly the "Cat Woman" of its
day, "Mahogany" has an amazing camp element that demonstrates
what a bad idea it is to cast Divas (whether it is Diana
Ross or Barbra Streisand) in leading roles without a talented
director/writer to rein them in. ---
Image & Sound:
"Mahogany" looks pretty good in its DVD presentation
with nice (if slightly faded) colors. The film occasionally
looks a bit soft but the overall presentation is pleasing.
Audio sounds fine with dialogue at the forefront. ---
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