Little Richard (film)

Last updated
Little Richard
LittleRichard2000.jpg
Genre Biography, drama
Written by Bill Kerby
Daniel Taplitz
Directed by Robert Townsend
Starring Leon
Jenifer Lewis
Carl Lumbly
Tamala Jones
Mel Jackson
Garrett Morris
Theme music composer Velton Ray Bunch
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Producer Iain Peterson
Editors Sabrina Plisco
Marcelo Sansevieri
Running time120 minutes
Original release
Network NBC
ReleaseFebruary 20, 2000 (2000-02-20)

Little Richard is a 2000 American biographical television film written by Bill Kerby and Daniel Taplitz and directed by Robert Townsend. The film premiered on NBC on February 20, 2000. Based on the 1984 book, Quasar of Rock: The Life and Times of Little Richard, it chronicles the rise of American musical icon Little Richard from his poor upbringing in Macon, Georgia to achieving superstardom as one of the pioneers of rock and roll music and his conflicts between his religion and secular lifestyle, which leads to an early retirement following a 1957 tour of Australia, and later a comeback to secular performing during a concert in London in 1962.

Contents

The cast includes Leon as Little Richard Penniman, [1] Jenifer Lewis as Richard's mother Leva Mae, or as she's listed in the movie credits, Muh Penniman, Carl Lumbly as Richard's stern father, Charles "Bud" Penniman, Tamala Jones as Richard's girlfriend Lucille [2] (actually Audrey Robinson),[ citation needed ] Garrett Morris as Richard's preacher Carl Rainey and Mel Jackson as producer Robert "Bumps" Blackwell. [2]

For his role as Penniman, Leon earned nominations for Best Actor in the Black Reel Awards and the NAACP Image Awards.

Awards and nominations

References

  1. ↑ Otfinoski, Steven (2010). African Americans in the Performing Arts. Infobase Publishing. p. 153. ISBN   978-1-4381-2855-9.
  2. 1 2 "Little Richard (2000)". BFI. Archived from the original on February 26, 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2022.


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