PHE Press Release: Lady Sings The Blues (Blu-ray) (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

ACADEMY AWARD®-NOMINATED* BIOPIC OF THE LEGENDARY
BILLIE HOLIDAY ARRIVES ON BLU-RAY™ FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER



Diana Ross Stars in the Original Drama, Arriving February 23, 2021

See It on Blu-ray Before the Debut of the Highly Anticipated New Film
The United States vs. Billie Holiday​

Diana Ross gives a tour-de-force debut performance as legendary singer Billie Holiday in the classic drama LADY SINGS THE BLUES, arriving on Blu-ray for the first time ever February 23, 2021 from Paramount Home Entertainment.



Nominated for five* Academy Awards®, including Best Actress in a Leading Role for Ross, LADY SINGS THE BLUES brilliantly captures the essence of Billie Holiday, one of America’s most loved and memorable blues singers. Filled with the greatest songs of the incomparable "Lady Day," the film won Image Awards for Best Motion Picture, Best Actress (Ross) and Best Actor (Billy Dee Williams), as well as a Golden Globe® for Ross as the year’s Most Promising Newcomer – Female. Richard Pryor also stars as the unforgettable “Piano Man.”



The LADY SINGS THE BLUES Blu-ray includes the following previously released bonus content in standard definition: commentary by executive producer and Motown founder Berry Gordy, director Sidney Furie and artist manager Shelly Berger, a making-of featurette entitled “Behind the Blues: Lady Sings the Blues,” and seven deleted scenes.

# # #​

About Paramount Home Entertainment
Paramount Home Entertainment (PHE) is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. PPC is a unit of ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIAC; VIACA), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The PHE division oversees PPC’s home entertainment and transactional digital distribution activities worldwide. The division is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of home entertainment content on behalf of Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Television Studios, Paramount Players, MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and CBS and applicable licensing and servicing of certain DreamWorks Animation titles. PHE additionally manages global licensing of studio content and transactional distribution across worldwide digital distribution platforms including online, mobile and portable devices and emerging technologies.

LADY SINGS THE BLUES
Street Date: February 23, 2021
U.S. Rating: R

*1973, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Writing, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Music
“ACADEMY AWARD” and “OSCAR” are the registered trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
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[PMF]

Finally, and long overdue.

 

[Dick]

Finally, and long overdue.

Yes, and hopefully this transfer and all future ones will lean more toward the quality of ROMAN HOLIDAY than of A PLACE IN THE SUN.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I never saw this film. Will buy it blindly.

Have to say, Paramount is really pumping these titles out at a rapid pace. Very happy!

 

[Dick]

I never saw this film. Will buy it blindly.

Have to say, Paramount is really pumping these titles out at a rapid pace. Very happy!

Can DRAGONSLYER be far behind?

 

[B-ROLL]

Can DRAGONSLYER be far behind?

I dunno but maybe Dragonslayer ... might be ... though Maiden eating is probably still considered not PC ...

 

[Garysb]

And a pressed disk. Has little or nothing to do with the real Billie Holiday as "Funny Girl" had little to do with the real Fanny Brice, but I enjoy the film. I am more familiar with Billie Holiday's music now than I was when this film was released.

 

[lark144]

It's a somewhat sentimentalized and sanitized view of Billy Holiday, but Diana Ross was in fine voice, and beautifully photographed. The film was a pleasure to look at, as well as listen to. Richard Pryor, I thought, gave an amazing performance. All the emotion and political awareness and anger that was part and parcel of Billy Holiday's life and was excised from the film was expressed, subtly and beautifully, by him. The original dye-transfer prints were stunning, and if this disc comes anywhere close, I'm in.

 

[Thomas T]

Pity that it takes a tie in to a new film to get some of these older titles released.

 

[Garysb]

Probably a more accurate portrayal of Billie Holiday is the play, "Lady Day at The Emerson Bar and Grille" which recently was on HBOMAX.

 

[Mark-P]

I’ll settle for the Blu-ray if that’s all they’re going to offer, but I’d prefer a digital purchase which could be future-proofed for a 4K remaster.

 

[Garysb]

While the press release is long about the merits of the film and Paramount there is no mention about the elements used to produce this upcoming blu ray. This is a red flag to me that Paramount will release what ever elements they have with minimum work . This is an almost 50 year old film . I would think it would need some refresh. It was popular, so presumably many prints were made. I don't know if they still made prints from the original negative in the early 70's. For comparison "Cabaret", released in the same year, was promoted as restored/new restoration when WB released it on blu ray. Hopefully this won't be another "Ordinary People" a later 70's film from Paramount that has looked terrible on the Australia blu ray release and on HD digital per commenters on this forum.

 

[lark144]

It will be what it will be. It's not a movie I need to own, but if it looks good, I''ll probably get it for the phorography, score and Richard Pyror's performance.

 

[B-ROLL]

It will be what it will be. It's not a movie I need to own, but if it looks good, I''ll probably get it for the phorography, score and Richard Pyror's performance.

Don't forget Lando Calrissian is in it also ... !

 

[Matt Hough]

Probably a more accurate portrayal of Billie Holiday is the play, "Lady Day at The Emerson Bar and Grille" which recently was on HBOMAX.

Which is a truly great viewing experience. The brilliant Audra McDonald offers a singing/acting exhibition with few modern peers.

 

[JohnMor]

While the press release is long about the merits of the film and Paramount there is no mention about the elements used to produce this upcoming blu ray. This is a red flag to me that Paramount will release what ever elements they have with minimum work . This is an almost 50 year old film . I would think it would need some refresh. It was popular, so presumably many prints were made. I don't know if they still made prints from the original negative in the early 70's. For comparison "Cabaret", released in the same year, was promoted as restored/new restoration when WB released it on blu ray. Hopefully this won't be another "Ordinary People" a later 70's film from Paramount that has looked terrible on the Australia blu ray release and on HD digital per commenters on this forum.

I sense this will be a very old transfer, a la Day of the Locust and Ordinary People. I hope to be proven wrong.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I sense this will be a very old transfer, a la Day of the Locust and Ordinary People. I hope to be proven wrong.

I doubt it's derived from a new master based on the MSRP.

 

[Garysb]

On one hand it's not a part of it's Paramount Presents line which might be a negative. Most of the Paramount Presents line have gotten positive comments on this forum but "To Catch A Thief" caused fans to seek out the older version of the blu ray. I thought "Barefoot In The Park" looked good on blu ray. It was not part of Paramount Presents and had a cheap price on release day. I am guessing "Barefoot" was an older transfer that managed to look good. "On A Clear Day..." looked terrible on blu ray per comments on this forum. All of which is to say Paramount's track record on older films is spotty and we won't know what we will get for "Lady Sings The Blues" until it is released. So this one is not going to be preordered by me.

 

[randyoh]

Pre-order is now $22.98. Pass.

 

[Thomas T]

I doubt it's derived from a new master based on the MSRP.

Pre-order is now $22.98. Pass.

Well at that price point, it better be a new master!