Pipe Dreams

The title says it all. Gladys Knight is a mixologist in Valdez, Alaska. Sounds like something Steve Verona dreamed up in the shower and because he's the writer/producer/director there was no one around around to towel him off, so to speak. D plus.

"Pipe Dreams" has pretty much been forgotten today, and seems unlikely to get a DVD release. It's kind of a shame the movie is now in obscurity, because while it's far from perfect, there is some good stuff here. The Alaska setting gives the movie a fresh background and some nice visuals. And the Gladys Knight songs on the soundtrack are a pleasant addition as well. Speaking of Knight, while I didn't think she was a great actress here, she was pretty good for someone who wasn't a professional actress, and on occasion she really acted out the part of a strong independent woman. However, the screenplay is kind of a mess. As others before have said, the story kind of meanders (though it's never boring.) Also, the relationship between the Knight character and her husband makes a few major shifts that seem too sudden and abrupt. This movie is not great, but it has some pleasing elements.

I saw Pipe Dreams when it first came out somewhere in the Hollywood area. Two gals came with me. I really remember little about the movie, since it was so long ago. I think we went to see Gladys Knight. Afterwards, in the lobby, one gal, Susie, said.."That was a boring movie." To which I replied, "Yes, but it took an Academy Award." She looked stunned. The other gal looked at me with dis-belief, along with another couple in the lobby who had overheard. They all turned towards me while Susie asked.."An Academy Award? What for?" And I replied..."Most snow." They looked stunned, and then it sank in. It got a good laugh.

I saw this film when it was released in 1977. At first, I, like many of my African-American friends thought it would be either just another "blaxploitation" film, or just as a showcase for Gladys Knight and the Pips video album. This second idea was closer to the truth except that I don't recall any of the songs from the soundtrack getting any radio play. Many of my friends erroneously misnamed the film "Pips' Dreams".

The plot, as I recall, was rather thin, and thinly veiled as justification of the burgeoning expense of building the pipeline across the Alaskan tundra. It started with Barry Hankerson playing an African-American bush pilot who had flown spotter duty in Viet Nam ferrying prostitutes in and out of remote stations along the pipeline route. He has his problems with funding a new airline for his own purposes and remarries his estranged wife (Gladys Knight's "Maria") who suddenly appears in time to see Hankerson's high jinks with Altovise Davis' character. Cut to the chase and the bad guys who are trying to sabotage the pipeline effort to slow it down and increase the vice-racket profits get their comeuppance, thanks in part to Hankerson's help, and all ends well. It surprises me to know that this low-budget effort with the meandering plot received even one Golden Globe nomination. The acting, including Gladys' stunted grief upon hearing of her dad's demise, was deplorable on all sides. The only saving grace is the fantastic snowscapes of the winter Alaskan mountains. But that is one black man's opinion.

Gladys Knight moves to Alaska, whither husband Barry Hankerson - her real-life husband at the time - has gone to work on a pipeline. She gets a job as a bartender, and. Is a witness and participant in the difficult life the few women in the area suffer. She and Hankerson want to get back together, but he expects to be forgiven for behavior that would be unforgivable in her.

It's Miss Knight's first movie as an actress, and her performance rarely exceeds adequate. She does sing a couple of songs in the soundtrack for her fans, and there seems to be a nice shot of a mountain that is used a few times. It's a decent little movie, but more for people whose love of Miss Knight's abundant talents will justify anything; me, I think she's a greater singer, but that's the limits of my admiration.