Dreamgirls - Sparkle (1976) Discussion

[–] sherreward 18 years ago

me too!! it's been said that between the supremes (with diana ross) and the movie "sparkle", is where original writer/producer michael bennett got his inspiration for "dreamgirls".

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[–] JoeLoebner 18 years ago

I totally believe it.

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[–] LizaMinelliAteMyFrozenChicken 18 years ago

There's even a character called effie in both.

I went to kelis's yard for some milkshake, it was only O.K.

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[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] mdl555 18 years ago

yeah i was wondering if dreamgirls was a ripoff of this movie

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[–] niteowl_008 18 years ago

Dreamgirls is NOT a ripoff of Sparkle.
You need to get your information straight before making assumptions. Michael Bennett did not create DREAMGIRLS he only directed and choreographed it. The book to DREAMGIRLS was written by Tom Eyen and it evolved after a 2 year period. It was first simply about 3 friends trying to make it big in New York, it later morphed into the show we now know about a trio of singers in the 1960s. DREAMGIRLS draws it's inspiration from many things including the rise of Diana Ross & The Supremes.

The only similarities between Sparkle and DREAMGIRLS is that it features a trio of black women singers after that the similarities stop.

DREAMGIRLS is a far more superior than SPARKLE in just about every department but it's most definitely not a rip off of SPARKLE.

If DREAMGIRLS reminds you of SPARKLE that's one thing but to call it a rip off is unfounded.

Do your research people!

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[–] aeentertianment 18 years ago

"DREAMGIRLS is a far more superior than SPARKLE in just about every department"

That's your opinion. Sparkle is waaaayyyy better than dreamgirls. It's more raw and real. Dreamgirls seems extremely sugarcoated compared to Sparkle.

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[–] dangerouslyxfulfilled 18 years ago

Now I just saw "Sparkle" because I loved Dreamgirls so much and I didn't think "Sparkle" was as good. It was difinately more raw than Dreamgirls was but it didn't wow me. The performance by the actors were good but the story wasn't as clear to me. You can tell the production value of "Sparkle" was low because of the terrible lighting.

Dreamgirls obviously had a lot of money to work with but there's something about Sparkle that was bland compared to Dreamgirls. I think the story could have been a lot stronger and clearer. But for a movie of it's time and with the subjects of it's time it wasn't terrrible.

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dangerouslyxfulfilled
Formerly rysk_e_one

DREAMGIRLS
In Theaters NOW

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[–] murph24 18 years ago

I don't consider either film a classic; DREAMGIRLS had a larger budget but not much else. I was a soul music fanatic during the 60s, and I tend to prefer SPARKLE; it had more of an edge, and - in my opinion - much better songs (thank you, Curtis Mayfield). While watching Sister & the Sisters perform "Hooked On Your Love" the other night, I was knocked out by Lonette McKee - here's an actress with genuine screen presence and charisma!

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[–] dangerouslyxfulfilled 18 years ago

Dreamgirls was definately more of a pop-friendly film, while Sparkle was more urban.

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dangerouslyxfulfilled
Formerly rysk_e_one

DREAMGIRLS
In Theaters NOW

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[–] gameoflife69 18 years ago

That's because it is. It's a complete crappy rip-off.

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[–] gameoflife69 18 years ago

That's because it is. It's a complete crappy rip-off of 'Sparkle'.

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[–] queencity86 18 years ago

Sparkle was the original Dreamgirls.

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[–] dangerouslyxfulfilled 18 years ago

The stories are totally different. Dreamgirls is definately a more complicated story and Sparkle has less twists to it. But emotionally Sparkle barely edges.

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dangerouslyxfulfilled
Formerly rysk_e_one

DREAMGIRLS
In Theaters NOW

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[–] MeNoAngel 18 years ago

sparkle is way better

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[–] mommymccoy 17 years ago

OK ....Let me clarify! Dreamgirls the movie was watered down compared to the actual musical. Dreamgirls storyline was not clear unless you read the book or saw the musical. Dreamgirls storyline about 3 black women trying to make it was not as emotional as Sparkle. Both were stories about an up and coming black female group in the 60's, where was the familiar 60's struggle in Dreamgirls? In the 60's every black person that could sing tried to establish a group, they had to deal with racism, lack of funds, and whatever home life they came from, and the choices they were presented with in thier urban life. Dreamgirls lacked all of this. It displayed more of the record industry, and very little background about the individual women, it was all glitz and glamor. And the music was not soulful at all, short of Jennifers performance. Sparkle had much better performances and a much more compelling plot.

Dont get all mad thats just my opinion.

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[–] SouthernDiva01 17 years ago

I wouldn't worry about it guys. Anybody who claims these movies are the same, must not have even watched it. I agree with one poster, the only thing they have in common with Dreamgirls is that there was 3 African American women who song together during the same time period. The plot itself is different.

There were a few music groups that you could easily argue that the movies got their inspiration from, and not necessarily have to have been from the other movie. That's like saying the Temptations movie is copied from the Five Heart beats movie, when actually there were plenty of groups from the time period who went through the same things.

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[–] msladysoul 16 years ago

I agree with some of you. Loved your post mommymcoy. I personally prefer Sparkle. There are a few similarities between Sparkle and Dreamgirls like the ups and downs of the music business. I think Sparkle is more realistic. Like the poster above me said SouthernDiva01, there were many groups back then besides The Supremes and The Temptations that had problems and tragedies, we just don't hear about it. I think its unfair to compare every movie about a black singing group from the 60's, let each has its own due. I believe Sparkle, like The Five Heartbeats, probably used real life stories from various girl groups to include in Sparkle, including The Supremes.

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[–] bradford-1 13 years ago

If nothing else, DREAMGIRLS had a much bigger budget and bigger stars, as in Ediie Murphy, Beyonce and Jamie Foxx. Also, the three singers in SPARKLE are biological sisters; the three in DREAMGIRLS are so-called friends. Different dynamics at work when people are related and when they aren't.
"We're fighting for this woman's honor, which is more than she ever did."

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