  lady sings the blues is a 1972 american biographical drama film directed by sidney j. furie about jazz singer billie holiday loosely based on her 1956 autobiography which, in turn, took its title from one of holiday's most popular songs. it was produced by motown productions for paramount pictures. diana ross portrayed holiday, alongside a cast including billy dee williams, richard pryor, james t. callahan, and scatman crothers.the afi catalog of feature films:lady sings the blues ==plot==  in 1936, new york city, billie holiday is arrested on a drugs charge. in a flashback to 1928, billie is working as a housekeeper in a brothel where she is raped. she runs away to her mother, who sets up a job cleaning for another brothel in the harlem section of new york. the brothel is run by an arrogant, selfish owner who pays billie very little money. eventually, billie tires of scrubbing floors and becomes a prostitute but later quits and returns to a nightclub to unsuccessfully audition to become a showgirl. after "piano man" (richard pryor) accompanies billie "all of me", jerry, the club owner, books her as a singer in the show. billie's debut is unsuccessful. louis mckay (billy dee williams), arrives for her debut and gives her a fifty dollar tip. billie takes the money and sings "them there eyes". billie takes a liking to louis and begins a relation
1970s_biographical_films 1970s_drama_films 1972_films African-American_films American_biographical_films American_drama_films American_films Biographical_films_about_musicians English-language_films Films_about_drugs Films_about_race_and_ethnicity Films_based_on_books Films_directed_by_Sidney_J._Furie Films_set_in_1928 Films_set_in_1936 Films_set_in_New_York_City Films_set_in_the_1920s Films_set_in_the_1930s Films_shot_in_Los_Angeles,_California Jazz_films Motown_Productions_films Paramount_Pictures_films