Sparkle

"From downtown to uptown"

1976 1h 38m EN

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 23

DramaMusic

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Three sisters start out singing in their church choir in Harlem in the late 1950s and become a successful girl group in the 1960s.

“From downtown to uptown”

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Cast

Philip Michael Thomas
Stix
Irene Cara
Sparkle
Lonette McKee
Sister
Dwan Smith
Delores
Mary Alice
Effie
Dorian Harewood
Levi
Tony King
Satin
Beatrice Winde
Mrs. Waters

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Sam O'Steen
Writers: Howard Rosenman, Joel Schumacher, Joel Schumacher
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America, United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

50 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United States of America, United Kingdom.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Sam O'Steen, shot by Bruce Surtees. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Curtis Mayfield. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Gordon Scott shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Philip Michael Thomas and Irene Cara and Lonette McKee carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "From downtown to uptown".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0075249 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Sam O'Steen directs. Bruce Surtees behind the camera. Curtis Mayfield scores. Gordon Scott cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America, United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

150 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2International production across 2 countries: United States of America, United Kingdom.
3Directed by Sam O'Steen, shot by Bruce Surtees. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Curtis Mayfield. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Gordon Scott shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Philip Michael Thomas and Irene Cara and Lonette McKee carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "From downtown to uptown".
8IMDB entry: tt0075249 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 23 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.