Themes: Social Climbing, Ladder to the Top, Fashion World
Main Cast: Diana Ross, Billy Dee Williams, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Beah Richards, Nina Foch
Release Year: 1975
Country: US
Run Time: 109 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
Directed by Berry Gordy, Jr. as a vehicle for his star Diana Ross, Mahogany traces the life of a poor girl who makes it in the fashion world (first as a model, then designer) and deserts her boyfriend (Billy Dee Williams) in the meantime, hooking up instead with a photographer (Anthony Perkins). The song "Do You Know When You're Going To" (Gerry Goffin/Michael Masser) was Oscar-nominated. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
Marisa Mell - Carlotta Gavin; Lenard Norris - Wil; Ira Rogers - Stalker; Kristine Cameron - Instructress; Ted Liss - Sweatshop Foreman; Bruce Vilanch - Designer; Don Howard - Designer; Albert Rosenberg - Designers; Marvin Corman - Cab Driver; E. Rodney Jones - Radio Announcer; Daniel Daniele - Giuseppe; Jacques Stany - Auctioneer; Princess Galitzine - Herself; Anthony Perkins - Sean
Credit
Aurelio Crugnola - Art Director, Leon Ericksen - Art Director, Diana Ross - Costume Designer, Andrew Grieve - First Assistant Director, Piero Amati - First Assistant Director, Berry Gordy, Jr. - Director, Peter Zinner - Editor, Lee Holdridge - Composer (Music Score), Michael Masser - Composer (Music Score), Lee Holdridge - Musical Arrangement, Lee Holdridge - Musical Direction/Supervision, David Watkin - Cinematographer, Rob Cohen - Producer, Jack Ballard - Producer, Kay Rose - Sound/Sound Designer, John Byrum - Screenwriter, Toni Amber - Short Story Author
The film ultimately performed well at the box office upon its release, despite receiving almost uniformly negative reviews from critics. The film includes a Ross-sung theme song, “Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To),” which became a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976. It held the number-one spot for one week (January 17–January 24, 1976), replacing “I Write the Songs” by Barry Manilow and replaced by “Love Rollercoaster” by the Ohio Players. “Theme from Mahogany,” written by Michael Masser & Gerald Goffin and produced by Masser, was the best-reviewed element of Mahogany. The song was later covered by Mariah Carey in 1998 and Sony Music labelmate Jennifer Lopez the following year.
Mahogany was released on VHShome video in the 1990s, and was issued on DVD on May 1, 2007.
