Mahogany (1975)

Purely Joyful Movie!

Fantastic!

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Being a fan of The Supreme's I heard some of Diana Ross's music on their greatest hits compilations so I'm familiar with Mahogany's theme: "Do you know where you're going to". So I figured I'd watch the movie, especially considering how good Ross was in Lady sings the Blues, that must have jus been a one time thing. Mahogany is NOT GOOD AT ALL. Anthony Perkins' (bit of a hottie in this) and Ross's chemistry is jus weird, frankly the chemistry of EVERYONE was bad: Ross & Williams, Williams & Perkins, EVERYONE. *spoilers ahead* As a fan of 70s fashion, I LOVED THE costumes in this: the rainbow dress during her 1st fashion shoot, the white ensemble with the green & orange hair accessories and necklace, and the beige outfit with the big hat she wore in front of the Italian modeling agency were some of my stand out FAVES. Some of my least favorite parts include: 1)Diana's limited skill set 2)all Ross's parts with Williams, they had soo much chemistry in LSTB but it was Beyond wooden in this. Their banter in the unemployment office, the scene where she tricks him with milk (she thought it was uproarious, it really wasn't), the date scene, their entire relationship: we're supposed to believe they're in love, they hardly knew anything about each other 3) scene btwn Williams & Perkins battling with the gun. One of the funniest things I've ever seen, sad bc it shouldn't have been so. I actually loved this scene but it still Truly Sucked 4) movie as a whole was just very flat and wasn't strong enough to warrant consumer $$. However I must say I laughed sooo hard during Perkins' beginning fashion shoot when he told the brunette model "It looks too horny" for some reason that Cracked me up... And the car crash scene has to be seen to b believed HaHa

I remember this movie when it came out in the 70's....the main song "Do you know where you're going too..." was VERY popular. Did this movie make the same perfection...ehhhhh....Wellll....Okay! the plot is one that has been done over and over in movie history. Tracy, a poor black girl from the Chicago projects dreams of being a super model fashionista designer who wows them in the four corners of Europe. Her super designs gain the attention of a high fashion photographer played by Anthony Perkins....I know I know..in the past there has been some gossip about Mr Perkins real sexuality but supposedly he is playing a heterosexual (he says)and he is VERY interested in Tracy. But Tracy has another admirer played by Billy Dee Williams who aspires to be a helpful Politian for his community. And I do remember Billy Dee was advertised as major dream cake during his period of fame.But when Tracy receives an offer to go to Rome with Anthony Perkins and become a major super model known as Mahogany, she leaps at the chance even though she regrets leaving her boyfriend, Billy Dee behind. But both go to follow their dreams like a moth to a flame. Tracy's career takes off as a super model-her designs are somewhat excepted but it is her modeling as "Mahogany" that is successful. Anthony Perkins becomes obsessed and too controlling and Billy Dee's political career falls flat but he learns to accept and work with failure. It is here we have to ask that same question as they did in Broadway. "Will Success spoil Tracy Hunter?"The acting is very wooden and campy. Diana may belt out a song--look beautiful in fashionable outfits but sorry, the girl is not the best actress. In most films, Anthony Perkins plays the psycho characters---here you will not be disappointed. And Billy Dee Williams is the male dream cake as always.Much better movie than The Wiz, Diana Ross fans will love it. if you are also a fan of the chi chi high fashion model scene--you'll love this Valley of the Dolls type drama. So go enjoy this kitzy campy glossy film---it's good for a soap drama!

Truly one of the most ridiculous and forgettable movies of the 70s' Blaxploitation film genre, and an utterly embarrassing effort on the part of Motown music mogul Berry Gordy to branch out into Hollywood movie directing. A love story so corny that when watching this today on TV, you can't help but to envision three small black silhouette figures at the bottom of your TV screen making wisecracks after each line of the dialogue has been spoken. In "Mahogany," a young woman has aspirations of becoming a successful fashion designer only to learn a life lesson from her wannbe politician boyfriend that success is meaningless without true romantic love (yeah, right).Motown singing legend (and Gordy's onetime lover) Diana Ross stars in the title role as Tracy Chambers, a black woman from the slums of Chicago who's starving for success in the fashion design industry. After suffering repeated rejections of her fashion sketches in her hometown of Chicago, she finally gets her big break when a white fashion photographer extends an invitation to her to work with him as a model in Italy. Torn between her relationship with her boyfriend, along with his political ideals, and the golden opportunity of making a significant step in achieving her dream of becoming a successful fashion designer, she opts for the latter and abruptly departs for Rome.Although a pop singing icon, as the movie's hit theme song ("Do You Know Where You're Going To?") will attest, Ross' acting abilities in this movie however leave a great deal to be desired. Although few would argue that the ostentation of the European fashion industry, the setting for most of this movie, is fitting for her real-life persona as that of the narcissistic Motown diva.Anthony Perkins appears as a prominent but emotionally imbalanced fashion photographer named Sean who under the guise of being Tracy's mentor, and similar to another Italian benefactor that she encounters later in the movie, has lecherous ulterior motives up his sleeve. Obviously typecast in this role, stemming from his legendary performance as the deranged Norman Bates from Hitchcock's classic horror movie "Psycho" a decade-and-a-half before, he plays the movie's psychotic villain. His unrequited attraction for Tracy results in some very unpleasant and devastating consequences, making her start to realize that success in the European fashion industry ain't exactly all that it's cracked up to be.Billy Dee Williams plays Brian, Tracy's altruistic boyfriend, who, with his own aspirations, has ambitions of becoming the alderman of the Chicago ward where Tracy herself resides. As the consummate movie matinée idol, and in somewhat of a reprise from the previous movie in which he co-starred with Ross, "Lady Sings the Blues," he does suffice in "Mahogany" as the handsome leading man. However, in scenes where he's embroiled in altercations with construction workers while conducting political campaigns in the streets of Chicago--and besting the roughnecks in street fights--are a tad "Hollywoodish" to say the least and far more humorously cheesy than action-packed.But above all else, what makes the movie such an unadulterated piece of camp (or crap) is the ludicrous, naive theme it perpetuates—"Success is nothing without someone you love to share it with." In what was presumably meant to be the climax of this movie, and to the background of heavy sentimental orchestral music, Brain emphatically delivers this line to Tracy amid a heated lovers' quarrel. In the original version of the movie, and in Gordy's infinite wisdom as the movie's director, the asinine line was even captioned on the screen at the very end of the film, and also used as a tag line to promote it when it was first released back in the mid-70s. (However, modern-day TV editors have wisely omitted it from the screen at the film's end, presumably because of its inanity.) Recently, this movie has been re-aired regularly on the newly established "Bounce" channel, a TV network that exclusively showcases black programs. (Unfortunately, many of the movies, like "Mahogany," are of B-grade.) However, time has done this movie a great deal of harm. Actually, "Mystery Science Theater 3000" would be a more fittingly venue for "Mahogany," as you could bet the house that the three fellas over there would have undoubtedly had a field day with such absurd cornball.

This film is another vanity piece for the ultimate diva Diana Ross. This film is also a classic example of Berry Gordy's failed attempts to make Motown more than what it was, and that was one of the most influetial record companies in history. Gordy even went as far as to direct this film with mixed results. This is nothing but pure melodrama and Diana Ross overracts throughout the whole film. Only Billy Dee Williams and Jean-Pierre Aumont manage to do credible performances as the two men who love Ross' character and Anthony Perkins is at his creepy best as the psychotic photographer. Unfortunately, Diana Ross is wasted in this role, which tends to prove that she had only one good performance in her and, unfortunately, it was in her debut, Lady Sings the Blues.