Whoopi Goldberg makes her motion picture directorial debut here, in presenting a wonderful documentary on the trailblazing comedienne Moms Mabley. I was fortunate enough to have seen some of her performances on 1960's and 70's TV, and this film offers quite a bit of film footage of these comic gems.
In her unique get-up of mismatched clothes, distinctive hat, sans teeth, her one-of-a-kind raspy voice, and of course her incredible comedic timing Mabley was an unforgettable performer. In her own way, she was quite irreverent for the times, and could also get across political messages without you even knowing it.
Mabley, who passed away in 1975 at the age of 81, became a forerunner, especially for female comediennes, and in this film many pay tribute to her including Goldberg, Joan Rivers, Kathy Griffin, and Anne Meara. She influenced many males as well including Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, and Jerry Stiller, among others and they also speak up for her in the doc.
This film is a little different than most of this ilk, in that that there isn't a tremendous amount of information about Mabley's upbringing or personal life. Goldberg specifically states that she resisted putting anything into the movie that she wasn't 100% certain about.
The doc focuses on Mabley's prolific career from the late 1920's through the mid-70's, showing her very successful vaudeville career on the Chitlin Circuit, or black performer circuit, while segregation was in place in America. It goes on to illustrate her transition eventually into mainstream American television in the 60's and 70's, even becoming the first black woman to perform at Carnegie Hall.
In summary, this HBO Documentary Film was well presented and humorously engaging and I would recommend it to anyone interested in its' subject matter.
The film is only 1hr and 11 minutes long.
RATING: A
