Mahogany: Where Did Our Love Go!

By John Calendo / Thursday, March 1st, 2012

Funny what ages well. And what doesn’t.

Take Diana Ross, she of the one too many wine-coolers.

Her first movie was a moist Billie Holiday biop, and Diana, whose sizzle was being compared to the young Marilyn’s, was actually nominated for an Oscar. Today, you couldn’t pay Jeff Gannon to sit through the leaden Lady Sings the Blues.

It’s Mahogany, her second film, the one denounced as a vanity production and a bomb, that remains The Ultra-Sonic Diana Ross Experience.

And yet even though this QUEER 101 movie is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, there is no two-disc DVD tribute planned. In fact, there has never been a DVD of Mahogany at all. Go do a search on Amazon. Go tell it on the mountain. VHS ONLY!. Oh, the Scandal!

No matter. Mahogany remains ENDLESSLY watchable. This shameless star-vehicle not only gave us Diana in the icon-freezing role of a too-much-too-soon fashion designer, it allowed the singer to actually design her own too-much-too-soon costumes. "Mahogany was my debut in the fashion business," Ross said, according to Dick’s Diana Ross Website (a mad event all on its own.) "Paramount gave me an entire floor to use when I went about making my patterns."

For those of you who somehow missed this seminal event in your education, we found a review by Stephen Moser of the Austin Chronicle that nails Mahogany in about 17 different ways. We stand back in awe and quote at length:

“This is the movie that made me want to be a fashion designer and a drag queen," writes Moser. "Like Mommie Dearest, where you know you’re looking into the heart of Joan Crawford, Mahogany makes you feel you’re looking into the heart of Diana Ross … Diana as ‘Tracy’ is in school to be a fashion designer, and we know this because we see her riding the bus around town sketching big drag queen-y outfits."

While working in a stock room, the beauteous Tracy is naturally mistaken for a fashion model by Scavullo-esque photographer Tony Perkins, who at this point in his career is all scary eyes and pursed lips. Soon Tracy is the toast of Paris and lives in a Roman villa, where she is now both model and designer.

"This leads to a particularly favorite scene," confides Moser. "Ross as the prima-donna couturierre parades through her workroom, issuing demands and dictums, eventually becoming entirely unglued, shrieking and cursing at her workers." [Sounds like a premonition of 2002 when Ross carried right straight on with a traffic cop!]

"The scene," declares Moser, "sums up Ross herself and is utterly delightful — though not exactly pleasant!."

Nightcharm’s Senior Editor John Calendo has his own website, stop by and say hello.

Roland

THANK GOD!!!! someone finally gives this film its dew — I mean due! I own three copies of the VHS in case a DVD version is never released. Remember SUCCESS IS NOTHING IF YOU HAVE NO ONE TO SHARE IT WITH…or some such twitter!
Colin, UK

You will be pleased to learn that Mahogany AND Lady Sings the Blues are both being released on DVD by Paramount later this year. Paramount say it will be August at the earliest, which probably means it will be October at the very least.
http://community.webtv.net/rossfan/DICKSDIANAROSS/ “The Dickman”

Colin is correct in stating that “Mahogany” will be released on November 8th along with “Lady Sings The Blues. Amazon U.S. has both for pre-order. Unfortunately, at this point, there are no plans for a European release. Perhaps Paramount will wait to see if there is a huge demand for both, which I am sure there will be. Diana is very, very popular in Europe! Of course, if one has a multi-region DVD player, then it could still be ordered from Amazon.
http://www.nightcharm.com Nightcharm

Thank you, Dickman.

Dick is the expert we turn to first for all things Diana-Mite! We recommend his tribute website to all our fellow historians and drag queens. You will find it here:

http://community.webtv.net/rossfan/DICKSDIANAROSS/

— Nightcharm
http://community.webtv.net/rossfan/DICKSDIANAROSS/ Dick

I had previously posted that “Mahogany” was to be released on November 8th, the same day as “Lady Sings The Blues” on DVD. Well, I have to report that Amazon is no longer listing “Mahogany” on their website. Outside sources have informed me that “Mahogany” is scheduled for a 2007 release! Why I ask? Have you seen some of the crappy DVD releases out there?! I want Diana holding up her gown with doves flying! I want the butterfly on her beautiful hand! I want her spinning in her Cleopatra garb with those beautiful full lips! I want Diana!! I don’t know what the hell is going on with Paramount. I am not getting any younger. What if I die before 2007? I need “Mahogany” on DVD now! My VHS tape is wearing thin. Of course, it is still green lights for “Lady Sings The Blues.” Now, for some more exciting news… Diana has an upcoming duet with the Irish boy band Westlife with a re-do of her UK hit “When You Tell Me That You Love Me.” And to put the icing on the cake, Diana will be dueting with Rod Stewart on his forthcoming album “Thanks For the Memory… The Great American Songbook, Volume IV” with “I’ve Got A Crush On You.” Three duets in a row including the Ray Charles duet of “Big Bad Love” available on the late Ray’s album “Genius and Friends.” Off topic, but I am still pissed off at that jackass Paul Mooney for the mean-spirited remarks he made at the BET Comedy Awards! Much of it was left on the editing room floor. Personally, they should have omitted his routine from the show altogether. When he cracked on Diana’s late husband Arne Naess with Diana’s daughter Tracee Ellis Ross (“Girlfriends”) in the audience was a low blow. Ok, I feel better now.

P.S. John, when are you going to show the guys the DDRW webmaster’s booty? (-;
ericthewriter

it is my understanding that both ‘flashdance’ and ‘the bodyguard’ were written for miss ross. she passed on the first, and the second fell through.

i do have to imagine, in my black little gay heart, that her cover of ‘i will always love you’ would’ve been better than the bombastic caterwauling one we were forced to listen to when the film was finally made, and again ad nauseum a few weeks ago.

i wonder who will play miss ross in the biopic if her life, and if they will dare give it the perfect title, Lady Slings The Booze.
Jdjimbo

I got the dvd when it was released a few years back. From Amazon. The studio must have made just one batch. But it’s not bad, decent. And, Tony Perkins is just as campy as she is.
http://blunderbussing.tumblr.com Ross

“Mahogany” has perhaps the greatest (campiest) fashion montage ever filmed, all set to the “Theme from ‘Mahogany’.” Who could ask for more, unless it’s Barbara Parkins’ fashion montage from “Valley of the Dolls.”