Smokey's smokin' over 'Dreamgirls'

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 1/26/07 at 12:45pm

Smokey's smokin' over 'Dreamgirls'
January 26, 2007

In an interview that aired on Wednesday's NPR "Morning Edition," Motown singer, songwriter and executive Smokey Robinson called the fictional characters in the film "Dreamgirls" "very, very, very offensive to me."

"I am really kind of upset about it ("Dreamgirls") because there's a lot of false information in there, and millions of people are seeing it every day," Robinson said. Specifically addressing the fictional character supposedly inspired by Motown founder Berry Gordy, he noted, "Nobody was paying us. So he (Gordy) borrowed $800 from his family's fund and started Motown so that we could be paid. And for him to be maligned and made out like this villainous character is very, very, very offensive to me."

Robinson believes that the film's stars have tarnished their own history. "Motown is Beyoncé's heritage. Motown is Jamie Foxx's heritage. Motown is Eddie Murphy's heritage ... They're black people. They're young black people. America should be proud of Motown because Motown made a statement all over the world that America could be proud of."

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070126/ENT07/701260386/1046

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/26/07 at 12:49pm

"I am really kind of upset about it ("Dreamgirls") because there's a lot of false information in there,"

It's not supposed to be historically accurate. That's why the names are changed and it's called fiction.

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 1/26/07 at 12:50pm

Smokey must not have read the end where it said that all similarties to real persons: living or dead is meerly coincidence.

Updated On: 1/26/07 at 12:50 PM

[WalkOn]

Posted: 1/26/07 at 12:55pm

Where was he when the show opened almost 30 years ago?

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 1/26/07 at 12:56pm

Seriously. It is called fiction . . . FICTION.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/26/07 at 12:56pm

Someone needs to tell Smokey that DREAMGIRLS is about 85-90% fiction. Yes, there are some similarities to Gordy and Motown and the Supremes, but none of the characters or situations are supposed to be absolutely true-to-life. It's not a documentary and has never claimed to be. I know he's very protective of Berry, because they basically founded Motown together (Smokey wrote several of the label's first hits) and have been friends forever, but Gordy doesn't need Smokey to stand up for him.

While Gordy perhaps wasn't as villainous as the character of Curtis would suggest, he certainly did what he had to do in order for Motown to prosper (including payola -- which he was never convicted for, but was a common practice for every label in those days), ripped off more than his share of artists (as Mary Wilson and several others will attest to), and manipulated and screwed over all sorts of people in order to create and sustain his empire. He's not a bad guy, but he's not Mother Teresa either.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/26/07 at 12:57pm

WalkOn, he was busy being successful then. He didn't have time to notice theater.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 1/26/07 at 12:59pm

"Smokey must not have read the end where it said that all similarties to real persons: living or dead is meerly coincidence."

Ah, but is it, really?

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 1/26/07 at 1:01pm

Here's the NPR segment.



Does 'Dreamgirls Offer Lowdown on Motown?

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 1/26/07 at 1:03pm

He needs to realize it's a movie, based on a musical that opened 25 years ago.

None of it even mentioned Berry.

He is only giving it MORE publicity by whining about it.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/26/07 at 1:22pm

It IS fiction-- sure there are passing resemblances to the Supremes but only passing. I don't want to get into a whole "What was different" thing, but the Supremes rise was VERY different than depicted (They were never marketed as a back-up to a more established artist, for one) and the label depicted was certainly not Motown. One major difference (Which certainly would have changed the plot to 'Dreamgirls') was that Diana Ross was the one having Berry Gordy's baby.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 1/26/07 at 1:38pm

I'm not arguing that it's fiction, but it's hardly coincidental.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 3:30am

"Wednesday, just days before Sunday's Oscar telecast, which will feature "Dreamgirls" performances and presumably, many awards, Dreamworks/Paramount placed an ad in Daily Variety publicly apologizing to Gordy:

"Dreamgirls is a work of fiction. It is also an homage to Motown. We used many wonderful accomplishments that belong to the rich Motown history. For any confusion that has resulted from our fictional work, we apologize to Mr. Gordy and all of the incredible people who were a part of that great legacy. It is vital that the public understand that the real Motown Story has yet to be told."

Speaking about the Taylor character, Motown singer Martha Reeves told The Detroit News in January, "That is not my Berry Gordy."

Singer Smokey Robinson came out with the most biting criticism, stating in a recent interview on the TV show "Access Hollywood" that the producers "owe Berry Gordy a public apology ... rapidly It's like an insult to our intellect and our intelligence and our integrity and our leader and our love for each other and our legacy."

On Tuesday, Gordy's public relations firm PFA Media released a statement from him that said: "For the past 50 years, I have been protecting the integrity, the love and the talent that is and has become Motown's legacy. I applaud Dreamworks and Paramount Pictures for doing their part, to clearly differentiate the fictional movie 'Dreamgirls' from the real Motown. I wish them all the best in the forthcoming Academy Awards."


http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070222/ENT01/702220397/1032/ENT

[DG]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 3:33am

They have attempted to walk a very thin line concerning the piece and the actual Motown history. I can't say that I think they did it with complete success - and I'm not sure that Mr. Robinson was completely over the line in his reaction.

[NiteOwl]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 1:46pm

I have to agree with you DG.
They did walk a thin line between fiction and reality with this movie.
Those of you familiar with the original stage show's book know that The Supremes are actually mentioned in the story and all within maybe the first 15 minutes of the show, which basically draws a distinct line between the fictional Dreams and the reality of The Supremes. The Dreams also originally hailed from Chicago. In the movie they are from Detroit just like the real Supremes.
Also the original Act II open included a mention of "Miss Ross" uttered by "Deena Jones" herself, which again drew a distinct line between the fictional "Deena Jones" and the very real Diana Ross.
The show really didn't go to far out of it's way to copy The Supremes as closely as this film version did. The album covers used in the film were exact duplicates of original Supremes album covers.
So with that said Smokey's gripe isn't exactly someone blowing hot air. Some viewers who are not so savvy or not quite so informed may easily just accept this movie as fact instead of the work of fiction it is, no matter how blurred the lines may be.

Updated On: 2/23/07 at 01:46 PM

[Liverpool]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 3:51pm

There was a thread about this a few months (maybe not few, maybe more like 1.5) and i'll say the same thing that someone else said in that thread. Smokey Robinson is a whiney little bitch.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 4:07pm

I am going to have to listen to my concert cd again, but I don't remember a mention of Diana Ross or the supremes.

[Kringas]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 5:06pm

BC: Well I had seen the original, I was there at opening night in the back row, and then I saw it a number of times after that, I was just blown away by it. And there are a lot of things that were discarded, like I mentioned before, you take something that is operatic and make it into something more real. The original staging was almost abstract, there were no realistic sets, it was a series of rotating lighting towers that kept moving and creating new performance spaces, so you want to take advantage of what film does which is to be a realistic medium, which meant instead of living in an abstract parallel universe, where on stage the ‘Dreams’ say, ‘we’ll have this new sound and one day we’ll be as big as the Supremes’, as though The Supremes existed, I think here, it was really more of setting it in Detroit and reminding everyone of the backdrop of first peaceful civil rights marches, and then the riots and then the destruction of the inner cities that happened in the late 60's and early 70's. Racist comedians that preceded them as they have their first performance in Miami, really making a point for people that don’t know, really reminding them of the fact that this breakthrough happened against very difficult circumstances, and what pioneers these people were. I think the show happened so soon after the events it depicted, it all felt like part of the same thing. We have 25 years distance on it, and that seemed to be an advantage.


Emphasis mine.

I also saw numerous interviews - which I unforutnately have no clips to point to - in which Condon explcity said this movie was based on The Supremes.

I've said this about a million times, but once more, to act like the makers of this film were not blurring the line between fiction and reality (more specifically, The Supremes' reality) is disingenuous and deluded.

An Interview With Bill Condon

[Kringas]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 5:07pm

I am going to have to listen to my concert cd again, but I don't remember a mention of Diana Ross or the supremes.

Lorrell's very first line.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 5:14pm

Did anyone notice (in the film) the announcer at the beginning introduces the girls as "the courageous, the curvaceous Primettes," to which Deena says, "It's The Dreamettes! It's The Dreamettes!"?

Well, the Supremes used to be known as the Primettes and they were the "sister act" to The Primes, who would later become The Temptations.

[Kringas]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 5:16pm

He calls them the Creamettes.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 5:26pm

Everytime I think of Smokey Robinson, I can't help but be reminded of his continued use of extremely old press photos.

[NiteOwl]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 6:01pm

The Diana Ross mention in the stage version of DREAMGIRLS doesn't exist anymore as it was part of the second press conference that followed the Dreams Las Vegas medley in Act II. That second act opener was re-written in 1983 after Bennett reworked it for the LA production it was then implemented into the NY version and the re-written version is the one that has been used ever since.

Now Lorrell's first line which mentions such groups as The Marvelettes, The Chiffons and The Supremes is still used and can be heard on the Actors Fund Concert Cast recording spoken by Miss Heather Headley.

Updated On: 2/23/07 at 06:01 PM