Aside from the overall plot of the film and elements already present in the stage musical, many direct references to The Supremes, Motown, or R&amp;B/soul history in general are included in the film. In one scene, Effie saunters into Curtis' office and discusses Rainbow Records' latest LP, "The Great March to Freedom", a spoken word album featuring speeches by Martin Luther King Jr. This LP is an authentic Motown release, issued as Gordy 906 in June 1963. A later scene features Curtis and the Dreams recording in the studio, while a riot rages outside. By comparison, Motown's Hitsville U.S.A. studio remained open and active during Detroit's 12th Street Riot in July 1967. The photo shoot montage which accompanies "When I First Saw You", as well as the subplot of Deena being forced to star in Curtis' "Cleopatra" film against her will, reflect both scenes from and the production of "Mahogany", a 1975 Motown film starring Diana Ross and directed by Motown CEO Berry Gordy.