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1991 American TV series or program
The Josephine Baker Story
is an American
television film
that first aired on
HBO
on March 16, 1991. It stars
Lynn Whitfield
as
Josephine Baker
, who was an international
African-American
star, who was especially successful in
Europe
. The film was generally well received by critics and has become a success on
home video
and
DVD
. The original music score was composed by
Georges Delerue
.
Plot
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Born into a poor family in St. Louis,
Josephine Baker
struggles to make a name for herself on the vaudeville circuit. As her career progresses, so does her resentment of racial prejudice, motivating her to move to Paris?where in a short time, her exotic dance routines make her the toast of the town. Swayed by the influence of her manager, she takes the act back to America. It fails, but Josephine perseveres, proving herself as much humanitarian as entertainer.
Cast
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Production
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Lynn Whitfield
was glad to be chosen to play Josephine Baker in this movie, but she was concerned about the scene requiring her to bare her breasts to perform Baker's famous "Banana Dance." "I was nervous about what my grandmother would think," she said, but then she warmed to the idea: "It's what you think Eve would look like."
[1]
Accolades
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At the
43rd Primetime Emmy Awards
, the film won the
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special
for Whitfield and the
Outstanding Directing in a Miniseries or a Special
for
Brian Gibson
. The film was also nominated for
Outstanding Drama/Comedy Special and Miniseries
and the
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special
for both Blades and Dukes.
At the
49th Golden Globe Awards
, the film was nominated for
Best Limited Series, Anthology Series or Television Motion Picture
,
Lynn Whitfield
was nominated for
Best Actress - Limited Series, Anthology Series or Television Motion Picture
, and
Louis Gossett Jr.
won
Best Supporting Actor - Television
.
[2]
References
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External links
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]