Sparkle (1976 film)
A musical drama about a girl group's rise and fall.
Sparkle is a 1976 American musical drama film directed by Sam O'Steen and released by Warner Bros. Pictures. Set in Harlem, New York, during the late 1950s and early 1960s, the film follows the rise and breakup of a girl group called Sister and the Sisters, inspired by the history of the Ronettes and other girl groups. It explores the effect of Harlem's musical and social culture on the rest of the world, as well as linkages to black power.
- budget
- $1.5 million
- box_office
- $4.5 million
Quick Facts
- Director
- Sam O'Steen
- Screenplay
- Joel Schumacher · Lonne Elder III (uncredited)
- Story
- Joel Schumacher · Howard Rosenman
- Starring
- Irene Cara · Philip M. Thomas · Lonette McKee · Dwan Smith · Mary Alice · Dorian Harewood · Tony King
- Producer
- Howard Rosenman
- Studio
- RSO
- Distributor
- Warner Bros. Pictures
- Music
- Curtis Mayfield
- Cinematography
- Bruce Surtees
- Editing
- Gordon Scott
- Released
- 1976 · 4 · 7
- Runtime
- 98 minutes
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The film stars Irene Cara as Sparkle Williams, the youngest sister who becomes the star of the trio and ultimately a solo artist. Lonette McKee plays Sister Williams, the initial lead singer who leaves due to drug addiction and an abusive relationship with Satin Struthers. Dwan Smith portrays Delores Williams, the middle sister who leaves the city in pursuit of racial equality. Philip Michael Thomas plays Stix Warren, the group's manager and Sparkle's love interest. Curtis Mayfield composed and produced the film's songs and score. Aretha Franklin recorded the hit soundtrack album Sparkle.
Reader's Guide
Sparkle received generally negative reviews at the time of release but was a minor box office success, making $4 million against a $1 million budget. It has since developed 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 film's story and plot were heavily inspired by women singing groups of the 1960s. It captures themes of self-determination, racial pride, and having fun, spanning musical genres from freedom music to soul, funk, and disco. The film also addresses gender and sexuality, particularly the oppression of black women by men of their own color, as seen in the abusive relationship between Sister and Satin.
Did You Know?
- Over 2,000 women auditioned for the role of Sparkle Williams; Irene Cara was cast at age 17.
- Lonette McKee made her feature film debut in Sparkle.
- The film was Sam O'Steen's debut as a film director; he was previously a famous editor of Carnal Knowledge, Rosemary's Baby, and Chinatown.
- Michael Peters, assistant choreographer on Sparkle, later choreographed 'Beat It' and 'Thriller' for Michael Jackson.
More in Films about girl groups 1-23
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record