Is this STILL a topic of discussion ANYWHERE? Face it, it's over.
Go home, Janet!

For a film project to get off the the ground there has to be MONEY
behind it. For some stupid reason someone put money behind a Janet
Jackson version of Lena Horne's life. THANKFULLY, that's over and
will never happen. Lena's life should be a serious money like "Ray"
or "I Walk the Line" not some silly career enhancing movie for a
limted talent like Janet. I use the word "talent" loosely.

WHY can't black actresses look for real roles like every other
actress? These biopics have gotten out of hand. Just so you know,
there have to be ROLES and people who will hire these black
actresses--THEY DON'T WAIT until they're too old--they must be HIRED
BY OTHERS, just like white actresses. There are opportunites now.
Forget these empty and superficial biopics.

As for the Lena biopic, WAIT until a realistic version of her life
and career can be made with a REAL ACTRESS not a singer posing as an
actress.

--- In lenahorne@yahoogroups.com, "Oliver Penn" <nneprevilo@y...>
wrote:
>
> The problem with most black actresses is that they are NOT like
> Dorothy Dandridge. When Dorothy wanted a part, she went after
it.
> The story of how she got "Carmen Jones" is legendary.
>
> Most of these actresses will wait until they are TOO OLD to play
> these roles. Aretha Franklin fooled around until she got heavy
> again before she made her screen debut in THE BLUES BROTHERS. She
> had been offered numerous roles after she thinned down in the
> early '70s. Now, she's even too old to play Dinah Washington (not
> that anybody has written a script). But look at what happened
with
> Dorothy Dandrige's story. For years, everybody from Janet
Jackson,
> Whitney Houston, etc. expressed interest in the role, but Halle
> Berry was serious. She put her MONEY where her mouth was. For
> years, Diana Ross talked about how much she wanted to play
Josephine
> Baker. She was naive, waiting for Hollywood to call and cast her
in
> the role. By the time the film was made, Ross, too, was much too
> mature for the part. It went to Lynn Whitfield. These actresses
> have the notion that they can sit back and wait for scripts to
> arrive the way they did for Doris Day, Marilyn Monroe and
Elizabeth
> Taylor. It "ain't" gonna happen.
>
> There are many dramatic stories out there for black female
actresses
> to play: Lena Horne, Dinah Washington, Joyce Bryant, Ethel Waters,
> Hattie McDaniel and now, Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross!
>
> I spoke with Joyce Bryant last week and urged her to get on with
> getting her book written. My friend, David Freeland, has express
> interest in writing Joyce's biography. He wrote the critcally
> acclaimed book, LADIES OF SOUL, which told the stories of soul
> singers, Bettye LaVette, Maxine Brown, Timi Yuro, Denise LaSalle,
> Carla Thomas, Barbara Mason and Ruby Johnson. Freeland just
> finished Ruth Bowen's bio. She, along with Dinah Washington
founded
> the Queen Booking Agency.
>
> Oliver
> ________________________________
>
>
> --- In lenahorne@yahoogroups.com, ken h2os <kenh2os_2000@y...>
wrote:
> >
> > now that was well said...i applaud you, sir!
> > like i said give janet and the project a chance...
> > i, too, have waited so very long for lenas' story to be told..
> > thanks to all involved!
> >
> > sbwebmaster <no_reply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
> > This is very surprising news. My initial reaction was "no
f*cking
> > way!", because I have longed to see Lena's story on screen and I
> had
> > a list of the perfect actresses to play her in my mind (Whitney
> > Houston, Vanessa Williams, Lonette McKee. etc.) and Janet
Jackson
> has
> > NEVER been on that list. And it appears that many people share
> that
> > sentiment.
> >
> > However, upon further reflection, I see a definite upside to
Janet
> > being involved in this project. Janet is enormously popular,
she
> > will draw people to this project based on her star power. Her
> > involvement makes it likely that it will be a top-notch
> production.
> > She is a very beautiful woman who can easily embody the physical
> > appeal of Lena. As well, Janet is a very hard worker and she has
> > spent a lot of time creating very impressive onstage
spectacles.
> At
> > her essence, she is a great performer who has a keen sense of
how
> to
> > interact with an audience -- just like Lena. Janet is a smart,
> > reverent woman from a large showbusiness family, who is likely
> very
> > aware of Lena Horne's place in the black entertainment legacy --
> > maybe moreso than her peers. Finally, it is important to
remember
> > that but for us diehard Lena-philes she is not very well-known
to
> the
> > under-60 set. Most 18 to 35 year olds would only recognize her
as
> > Glinda from "The Wiz" movie or as the woman that Soul Train
named
> its
> > Lady Of Soul achievement award after. So while Janet lacks many
of
> > Lena's traits and characteristics, the vast majority of the
people
> > who see this movie will not know that.
> >
> > The reality is that Lena is not like Judy or Barbra. Lena is
> black
> > and her story is a uniquely black story. Biopics on black women
do
> > not top most Hollywood producers' lists of dream projects. The
> fact
> > that the project is being made is good news that should be
> > celebrated. The fact that the Oscar-winning producers
> of "Chicago"
> > have signed on to bring Lena's story to life and have cast one
of
> the
> > biggest-selling and most iconic female artists in popular music
> are
> > reasons to rejoice.
> >
> > Now, I am not too eager to hear Janet sing Lena's songs but I
> could
> > think of much worse things. The irony is that much of the
> discussion
> > on this board has referred to Lena's singing as if she were
Aretha
> > Franklin or Ella Fitzgerald. Lena was a good singer, but she
was
> NOT
> > Sarah Vaughan -- and would be the first person to admit it.
Her
> > legacy is that she was a magnetic, charismatic live performer
who
> > could go from red-hot to icy cool without losing her appeal. I
> > believe Janet Jackson is capable of embodying this part of
Lena.
> > Janet singing Lena's songs is obnoxious but far from
blasphemous.
> >
> > Let's look at the (ample) bright side of this development and
wish
> > Janet and the producers all the best. Let's hope that they can
> > create something that is a worthy celebration of Miss Horne's
> legacy.
> >
> >
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> >
> >
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