Mahogany, a morena explosiva

In 1975, Diana Ross was just about the most famous black woman in the world. No other performer of color had ever reached her pinnacle of success and celebrity--not Josephine Baker, not Ella Fitzgerald, not Lena Horne. And so with "Mahogany," her second motion picture, Ross' mentor/lover (and, now, director) Berry Gordy fashioned an extravagant "hymn to how glorious it is to be Diana Ross", as reviewer Rex Reed put it. Not since the glory days of Joan Crawford's dewy-ewed close-ups had a star been so lovingly photographed; never considered a classic beauty, Diana Ross is astoundingly luscious in this film. Like all great screen divas, Ross is in nearly every scene, and when she's not, her presence still is. She plays Tracy Chambers, a spunky Chicago ghetto girl with her eye on becoming a great fashion designer. Tracy falls in love with Brian (Billy Dee Williams), an earnest politician, but his social conscience is at extreme odds with her desire for fame, fortune and the good life. Enter Sean (Tony Perkins), the world's most famous fashion photographer, who discovers Tracy, whisks her off to Rome, and prego! Mahogany, the supermodel, is born. (Sean calls Tracy "Mahogany," you see, because she is also "dark, beautiful, rich and rare.") When in Rome, Tracy/Mahogany indulges in la dolce vita, drips candlewax on her nude body at a Roman orgy, becomes the renowned fashion designer she always dreamed of becoming, and also becomes the kept woman of filthy rich Jean-Pierre Aumont...but, she soon learns, "Success is nothing without someone you love to share it with." If you haven't already guessed, despite the chic Roman locales, there's more corn here than in the state of Kansas. However, Diana Ross simply dominates the screen; it's a shame and a sin that her acting career never fulfilled its promise (due in large part to the mostly negative reviews "Mahogany" initially received), because she's precisely the larger-than-life, iconic figure that Hollywood's been lacking for so long. She's a natural and incredibly likable actress--all the more remarkable, considering her "difficult" off-screen reputation. Having said that, "Mahogany" IS best viewed as camp--the cornball dialogue, outrageous costumes (designed by Diana herself) and over-the-top performances ensure its cult status. But there is a degree of art here, and it lies squarely on the dark, beautiful, rich, rare shoulders of Miss Diana Ross.

This movie is a roller-coaster of camp, from start to finish. It is like a bunch of gay men sat down to figure out how to dress up Diana Ross and put her in different outfits all done to a never-ending loop of Diana's own song. The montage of Diana as fashion model is perhaps one of the funniest and campest scenes in a movie, and of course was copied almost shot for shot for the Beyonce montage scene in "Dreamgirls". It has to be seen to be believed.

But no-one can inspire a drag queen like Ms. Ross who never lets plot or story-line interfere with her chances to soft pout or give us long enigmatic looks. The good thing is the plot and story-line is so thin and transparent, she doesn't have to struggle too much. The storyline is simple....girl from the projects with big dreams leaves behind the bleakness of Chicago as she is "discovered" by Anthony Perkins who can't quite figure out if he is gay in the movie (as he was in real life) or straight. He veers from camp to psychotic misogynist sometimes in the same scene. The result is unintentional hilarity.

Part of the rags to riches subplot (if you can call it that) is the Billy Dee Williams character who we know is the true love of Ms.Ross. He is a local activist in Chicago who runs for political office. This part of the story is boring, because Diana isn't dressed up and mincing though every scene. It is also boring because Billy Dee's character is almost as clichéd as the rest of the story. Fighting the white honky sometimes with words but sometimes with fists. He is down-to-earth and hard-working as well as fearless. We are supposed to want him to win. Ms.Ross makes a decision that happiness trumps fame and glory and that is the end...or kind of the end. Actually I don't remember the story, because the camera barely moves from Ross the whole time.

If you love high camp then this movie is for you. At one point Diana Ross says, "I wonder if I'm doing the right thing.." Oh Diana, you are. You are doing the right thing. Fun fact, some of the frocks on display were designed by Ms. Ross, and the whole camp drag-show was put together by her then lover, Berry Gordy.

This move is camptastic!

Tracy is a secretary and display worker at a large Chicago department store, but she wants to be a fashion designer. Brian is running for alderman hoping he can improve his struggling neighborhood. Photographer Sean thinks Tracy should be a model named Mahogany, and he claims to like her fashions.

I thought Diana Ross did a good job, somewhat charming, very determined to succeed despite obstacles and not willing to let anyone stand in her way. She and Billy Dee Williams were good together. Anthony Perkins started out normal but ended up crazy, which is no surprise considering his most famous role. I liked the theme song and the jazz that was played in some scenes where Sean and Tracy were together. The movie started out good but took a sharp turn downhill about halfway through and showed promise of recovering but didn't really deliver. That's not to say there wasn't quality work, but I just wasn't impressed.

The movie's primary lesson seems to be that success does not always bring happiness. I can say this without a warning because the movie starts with Tracy being a success at something (it's not clear just what) and returns to her days before being 'discovered'.

Poor inner-city girl (Diana Ross) just wants to be a successful fashion designer but can't get a big break. She finally does get a break, not as a designer but as a model. She becomes world famous and eventually gets the chance to show the world her designs. Oh, and there's some stuff about an up-and-coming politician (Billy Dee Williams) she loves and a homosexual photographer (Anthony Perkins) who "understands the needs of a woman."

Cheesy kitsch from Berry Gordy. The story is trite and the performances are mostly unimpressive. Anthony Perkins does ham it up, which is the primary reason to recommend this. Once his character is gone the movie goes downhill fast. Also features B-movie legend Nina Foch and the film debut of Bruce Villanch. Diana Ross shows her limitations as an actress but at least she does so in hilariously awful fashion. Speaking of fashion, don't eat before seeing this movie or you might lose your lunch at the sights of some of the terrible dresses on display. It was the '70s, baby. Diana sings the theme song ("Do You Know Where You're Going To") that plays throughout the movie. It didn't impress me much at first but damned if it wasn't stuck in my head by the end. It's not a good movie but there is so-bad-it's-good value.

Watch for the ghetto photo shoot scene. As Diana and Billy Dee argue there's this background actor in between them whose eyes just go from one actor to the other as they say their lines like he's watching a tennis match. All of the other actors behind them look away from them, pretending they aren't talking loudly right in front of everybody. But not this guy. I don't know if he was an actual actor or an extra or what but sticking him in the middle of the scene turns a dramatic scene into comedy. A perfect example of the kind of quality that went into making this.

"Mahogany" is one of those movies you don't necessarily want to go out of your way to see, but want to <have seen>. Fortunately, late night cable frequently provides one with the opportunity to catch up on the classics. The plot is straight out of 1937, with the slightly disturbing--to modern ears--message that one's own personal ambition should always take a back seat to love. Diana Ross is luminous, funny, charming and beautiful in a role that doesn't ask much of her but to pose - her delivery and timing are good, but the dialogue she's asked to utter sounds pretty campy today. Anthony Perkins as a creepy, dangerous character - wow, big stretch. Billy Dee Williams as the Honest Politician Who Loves Her - well, he's good, but you could have hired a Steiff teddy bear to play that role. Love those costumes. Have to wonder whether Tracy's designs were set up to be appallingly bad (and they are) so that the audience would object less to her decision to give up on the fashion world.

In my view, the best quote is not the oft-trotted out one about success, but: "You're only young once; you can be immature forever."

The overall "stand by your man" message is singularly abhorrent, but "Mahogany" is such fine kitsch that even the staunchest feminist will laugh, despite herself.