A trio of female soul singers cross over to the pop charts in the early 1960s, facing their own personal struggles along the way.

Credits: TheMovieDb.

Film Cast:

• Curtis Taylor Jr.: Jamie Foxx
• Deena Jones: Beyoncé
• James “Thunder” Early: Eddie Murphy
• Marty Madison: Danny Glover
• Effie White: Jennifer Hudson
• Lorrell Robinson: Anika Noni Rose
• C.C. White: Keith D. Robinson
• Michelle Morris: Sharon Leal
• Wayne: Hinton Battle
• Magic: Mariah Iman Wilson
• May: Yvette Cason
• Max Washington: Ken Page
• M.C.: Ralph Louis Harris
• Tiny Joe Dixon: Michael-Leon Wooley
• Jazz Singer: Loretta Devine
• Jerry Harris: John Lithgow
• Sam Walsh: John Krasinski
• Ronald White: Alexander Folk
• Aunt Ethel: Esther Scott
• Miami Comic: Bobby Slayton
• Teddy Campbell: Jordan Wright
• Melba Early: Dawnn Lewis
• Talent Booker: Jaleel White
• Joann: JoNell Kennedy
• Charlene: Sybyl Walker
• Stepp Sister: Lesley Nicole Lewis
• Stepp Sister: Eboni Nichols
• Stepp Sister: Arike Rice
• Stepp Sister: Fatima Robinson
• Little Albert: Aakomon Jones
• Tru-Tone: Bernard Fowler
• Tru-Tone: Anwar Burton
• Tru-Tone: Tyrell Washington
• Dave: Rory O’Malley
• Sweetheart: Laura Bell Bundy
• Sweetheart: Anne Elizabeth Warren
• David Bennett: Ivar Brogger
• Jimmy’s Piano Player: Daren A. Herbert
• Elvis Kelly: Jocko Sims
• Rhonda: Pam Trotter
• Janice: Cleo King
• Club Manager: Eddie Mekka
• Case Worker: Alejandro Furth
• TV Reporter: Dilva Henry
• American Bandstand Producer: Vince Grant
• Nicky Cassaro: Robert Cicchini
• TV Director: Thomas Crawford
• Carl: Charles Jones
• Technical Director: Robert Curtis Brown
• Tania Williams: Stephanie Owens
• Man with Gun: Gilbert Glenn Brown
• Stagehand: Marty Ryan
• Detroit Reporter: Michael Villani
• Chicago Deejay: Gregg Berger
• L.A. Deejay: Daniel Riordan
• Photographer: David James
• Promo Film Narrator (voice): Paul Kirby
• Security Guard: Derick Alexander
• Curtis’ Secretary: Yvette Nicole Brown
• Go-Go Dancer: Nancy Anderson
• Go-Go Dancer: Joelle Cosentino
• Go-Go Dancer: Lisa Eaton
• Go-Go Dancer: Clare Kutsko
• Go-Go Dancer: Tracy Phillips
• Go-Go Dancer: Kelleia Sheerin
• Campbell Connection Dancer: Mykel Brooks
• Campbell Connection Dancer: Johnny Erasme
• Campbell Connection Dancer: Cory Graves
• Campbell Connection Dancer: J.R. Taylor
• Bad Side Dancer: Corinthea Henderson
• Bad Side Dancer: Craig Hollamon
• Bad Side Dancer: Reginald Jackson
• Bad Side Dancer: Chuck Maldonado
• Bad Side Dancer: Anthony Rue II
• Bad Side Dancer: John Silver
• Bad Side Dancer: Larry Sims
• Bad Side Dancer: Black Thomas
• Bad Side Dancer: Kevin Wilson
• Bad Side Dancer: Adrian Wiltshire
• Bad Side Dancer: Earl Wright
• Bad Side Dancer: Russell “Goofy” Wright
• Disco Dancer: Dominic Chaiduang
• Disco Dancer: Jose Cueva
• Disco Dancer: Omhmar Griffin
• Disco Dancer: Sky Hoffmann
• Disco Dancer: Trevor Lopez-Daggett
• Disco Dancer: Leo Moctezuma
• Disco Dancer: Gabriel Paige
• Disco Dancer: Terrance Spencer
• Disco Dancer: Tony Testa
• Disco Dancer: Quinton Weathers
• Disco Dancer: Jull Weber
• Disco Dancer: Marcel Wilson
• Jimmy’s Band: Stevie Ray Anthony
• Jimmy’s Band: Matthew Dickens
• Jimmy’s Band: Jerohn Garnett
• Jimmy’s Band: Mario Mosley
• Jimmy’s Band: Jimmy R.O. Smith

Film Crew:

• Casting: Debra Zane
• Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh
• Executive Producer: Patricia Whitcher
• Producer: David Geffen
• Foley Artist: Catherine Harper
• Foley Artist: Christopher Moriana
• Producer: Laurence Mark
• Director: Bill Condon
• Musical: Tom Eyen
• Director of Photography: Tobias A. Schliessler
• Editor: Virginia Katz
• Original Music Composer: Henry Krieger
• Production Design: John Myhre
• Costume Design: Sharen Davis
• Digital Intermediate: Stefan Sonnenfeld
• Dialogue Editor: Kimberly Lowe Voigt
• Sound Effects Editor: George Simpson
• Stunts: Dick Ziker
• Makeup Artist: Judy Murdock
• Stunts: John Cenatiempo
• Second Unit Director of Photography: Dino Parks
• Assistant Costume Designer: Lizz Wolf
• First Assistant Editor: Ian Slater
• Casting Associate: Jeremy Rich
• Casting Associate: Tannis Vallely
• Music Arranger: Harvey Mason
• Gaffer: Newton TerMeer
• Assistant Art Director: Jann K. Engel
• Costume Supervisor: Elaine Ramires
• Sound Effects Editor: Donald Flick
• Script Supervisor: Carolyn Tolley
• Choreographer: Aakomon Jones
• Camera Operator: Chris Moseley
• Script Supervisor: Kerry Lyn McKissick
• Construction Coordinator: Stacey S. McIntosh
• Set Costumer: Lori Harris
• Assistant Art Director: John Berger
• Still Photographer: David James
• Set Designer: Luis G. Hoyos
• Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Bob Beemer
• Digital Intermediate: Christine Carr
• Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Michael Minkler
• Set Designer: Rich Romig
• Steadicam Operator: Colin Anderson
• Set Designer: Steven M. Saylor
• Visual Effects Producer: Jennifer Mizener
• Dialogue Editor: Mike Hopkins
• Key Hair Stylist: JoAnn Stafford-Chaney
• Set Costumer: Yvonne Bastidos
• Hairstylist: Erma Kent
• Digital Intermediate: Mike Chiado
• Makeup Artist: LaLette Littlejohn
• Hairstylist: Deidra Dixon
• Choreographer: Fatima Robinson
• Sound Effects Editor: David Esparza
• Property Master: Kirk Corwin
• Hair Department Head: Camille Friend
• Music Editor: Jason Ruder
• Supervising Sound Editor: Richard E. Yawn
• Casting: Jay Binder
• Makeup Designer: Shutchai Tym Buacharern
• Key Hair Stylist: Linda Villalobos
• Rigging Gaffer: Gary Dahlquist
• Wigmaker: Bob Kretschmer
• Hairstylist: Brian A. Tunstall
• Music Supervisor: Randy Spendlove
• Production Sound Mixer: Willie D. Burton
• Gaffer: Anthony ‘Spike’ Simms
• Special Effects Coordinator: Donald Frazee
• Art Department Coordinator: Lisa Vasconcellos
• Visual Effects Supervisor: Gray Marshall
• Gaffer: Brian Bartolini
• Gaffer: Leonard Seagal
• Additional Photography: Brianna Hoskins
• Set Costumer: Demetricus Holloway
• Music Editor: Tim Boot
• Associate Choreographer: Joey Pizzi
• Supervising ADR Editor: Robert Ulrich
• Hairstylist: Kimberly Kimble
• Key Hair Stylist: Andrea Jackson
• Makeup Artist: Vera Steimberg
• Makeup Artist: Francesca Tolot
• Digital Intermediate: Alex Romano
• Music Supervisor: Matthew Rush Sullivan
• Supervising Art Director: Tomas Voth
• Construction Foreman: William ‘W’ Gilpin
• Art Department Assistant: Lorey Hayes

Movie Reviews:

• CinemaSerf: Jennifer Hudson is simply superb in this musical roller-coaster of a film. She is “Effie” whom, along with “Deena” (Beyoncé Knowles) and “Lorrell” (Anika Noni Rose), form a trio of singers aspiring to fame and fortune. Along the way, they encounter the usual suite of difficulties – bigotry, racism and misogyny as well as having to deal with their own personal rivalries. They are signed by Detroit used car salesman “Curtis” (Jamie Foxx) to back his established, womanising, star “James Early” (Eddie Murphy) and soon their star seems fixed. That is, until “Curtis” decides to dispense with the services of the temperamental “Effie” and with those of “Early” as he sees his vision for these talented and enigmatic women really take off. At times, it does stray a little too close to domestic melodrama, but for the most part this is a cracking story of how these women prove their own mettle. They regale against the male-dominated music business; increasingly try to assert themselves not just in the industry but with their management but, towards the end, with there own personal relationships before a powerful and vindicating denouement. Henry Kriegen and Tom Eyon have written some strong and powerful lyrics for the ladies to belt out with aplomb, particularly the title song, “It’s All Over” and the show stopping “One Night Only”. The production detail, photography and general pace of the film really do make for an an engaging watch; the performances are vibrant and frequently the emotion they generate is compelling to watch. Foxx is not the best, to be fair – especially when he bursts into song, but Murphy fares a bit better on that front and all told, this is an entertaining look at just how these women took on and defeated a system and a society that was stacked against them from the start. Parallels with Motown?