When I first saw this film back in the 1970's (I know, I date myself!), I distinctly remember the song "Sparkle" being performed by Lonette and the sisters. In subsiequent (sp) showings, this scene has disappeared. Does anyone else remember this moment? Or am I hallucinating?
shareI went to see this movie in the 70's too but I was very young. I'm not sure if they sang Sparkle but it is on the soundtrack or maybe I should say Aretha Franklin's Album Sparkle. All the songs from the movie are on that album.
shareI also saw the movie, Sparkle, in the 70's. It has remained one of my most favorite films. I was truly disappointed to find the album was not the original soundtrack. The songs were from the movie, but all sung by Aretha Franklin. Being a lover of the movie, I bought the album anyway. I still have it to this day.
shareTo anwser the original question. Unless you were at one of the private movie screenings before the movie was released you might be hallucinating. I say this because I believe that the song "Sparkle" was included in the original private movie screening before the movie was offically released but it was decided by the producers and director to cut the song out because it causes the movie to run too long. I just happen to know this as a family member of one of the people who was in the cast.
shareI saw it in New York at a sneak preview. I distinctly remember them singing the song "Sparkle", because it was the only song I remembered until the album by Aretha came out. Do you know if Dwan Smith did her own singing?
shareHi F111151,
Thank you for your testimony. This is just amazing!!! I had no idea that the song Sparkle was a part of the original film. My sister Lorraine and I saw Sparkle a thousand times back in 1976-1977. And the film version that we saw did not have the song Sparkle as one of the performances. I hope Warner Bros. takes heed to my letter and release the original un-cut, un-edited version on DVD. And, yes, Dwan Smith did her own singing in the movie. Lonette Mckee, Dwan Smith, and Irene Cara were singers as well as actresses. Watch the scene when they perform "Hooked On Your Love". Dwan Smith's voice dominates the background vocals!
Hi Rave4u-1,
Wow! Thank you for this history of the movie Sparkle. I had no idea that the song Sparkle was apart of the original film. Which character did your family member play? Was he or she an extra? Dorian Harewood (the actor who played the character Levi)said, "He felt the best scenes of the movie were taken out in the editing room". I wrote Warner Bros. earlier this year requesting that they release Sparkle as a two disk special edition DVD set, and to give us the fans the original un-cut, un-edited version, and the original theatrical version. I am eagerly awaiting the release of the DVD in January 2007. I just hope Warner Bros. dosen't let me down!!!!!!
That would make a great 2 disk edition Moore.
shareis out now. I just bought a copy in New York.
share