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A14 PEOPLE & ARTS
Friday 21 april 2023
Film Review: Little Richard biopic celebrates a rock pioneer

By MARK KENNEDY off as a celebration of anal
AP Entertainment Writer sex. (Early lyrics were “Tutti
The king of rock ‘n’ roll Frutti/Good bootie” and “If
didn’t die at Graceland it’s tight/It’s alright.”) That’s
in 1977. He died just three right: One of rock’s great-
years ago in Tullahoma, est hits began life as what
Tennessee, and he never would have then been
really got the crown he de- considered a transgressive
served. record.
That’s the persuasive case A string of hits with double-
made by Lisa Cortés’ doc- entendres followed, provid-
umentary “Little Richard: I ing the foundation of rock
Am Everything,” an insight- music: “Lucille,” “Keep A
ful biography of an unlikely Knockin’,” “Long Tall Sally”
hero who emerged in the and “Good Golly Miss Mol-
buttoned-down Eisenhow- ly.” That Little Richard could
er era. not later feel comfortable
Cortés argues that Little in his queerness emerges as
Richard created the tem- a tragedy.
plate for the rock icon and Perhaps the most interest-
she’s got the receipts, trac- ing part of the film is how
ing his musical and stylistic Little Richard build his own
influences through every- persona. We learn he was
one from the Beatles to Da- part of a drag act early on,
vid Bowie, Elton John and and was influenced by Billy
Lizzo. If there was a king, he This image released by Magnolia Pictures shows Little Richard from the documentary “Little Wright ‘s high pompadour,
was it. Richard: I Am Everything.” pencil mustache and thick
“Sorry, y’all. It wasn’t Elvis,” Associated Press makeup, as well as Esque-
contributor Billy Porter notes course, approval once his the hero for their kids.” In- in the pre-Civil Rights era rita ‘s piano-playing style.
dryly. son was making money to stead, he was covered and was a Black, gay man. To this amalgam, he add-
Appropriate for a member his rise as the under-cele- erased by Pat Boone and His rise was that rare time in ed the piano stylings of
of rock royalty, Little Rich- brated architect of rock. Elvis. The film includes new America when you could Ike Turner and the singing
ard was a personal mess. But Cortés’ film is also the tributes by scholars and fel- ingratiate yourself to the characteristics of such gos-
He alternated from flam- story of American rock itself, low artists like Mick Jagger, mainstream by exagger- pel artists as Marion Wil-
boyant, orgy-attending, the way transistor radios al- Nona Hendryx, Nile Rodg- ating your queerness. But liams, Brother Joe May and
shirtless singer to reserved lowed teens in the ‘50s to ers, Tom Jones and director below that pompadour Clara Ward. With all this
Christian fundamental- rebel against their parents’ John Waters, who says that and pancake makeup was star power, the film is also
ist who declared rock was staid music and how Black his pencil-thin mustache is danger for the status quo. marred somewhat by the
“devil’s music.” This film music was appropriated by a “twisted tribute” to Little Little Richard was making filmmakers’ use of staged
drives directly into the con- white bands. Little Richard Richard. music that broke down the modern-day performances
tradiction. arguably suffered the most Cortés leans into the anal- walls of segregation and by up-and-coming artists in

We go from Richard Pen- his howl absorbed, his pia- ogy of Little Richard as a celebrated sex, all kinds of empty clubs honoring Little
niman’s poor home in Ma- no-pounding adopted, his meteor arriving a comet, sex. Richard, plus the heavy
con, Georgia, as one of androgynous look swiped. a quasar, a Big Bang, his Take his early hit “Tutti Frut- use of swirling star dust as
12 kids, getting his minister “The system didn’t like it,” DNA everywhere. She cel- ti,” with its memorable call graphic motif, a touch of
father’s disapproval for be- he says in an old interview. ebrates the oddity that one of “wop-bop-a-loo-bop-a- magical realism that seems
ing different and later, of “I was not supposed to be of rock’s greatest pioneers lop-bam-boom.” It started unnecessary. q

F. Murray Abraham apologizes after

‘Mythic Quest’ exit

By The Associated Press people. I have grown in my and investigate them thor-
NEW YORK (AP) — F. Mur- understanding from this ex- oughly. As a matter of cor-
ray Abraham is apologizing perience, and I hope they porate policy, we do not
after allegations of sexual will forgive me.” comment on personnel ac-
misconduct led to his de- The apology comes after tions.”
parture from the Apple TV+ a report by Rolling Stone Abraham played the char-
show “Mythic Quest.” magazine that alleged acter C.W. Longbottom on
“This is a sincere and deep- Abraham was fired from “Mythic Quest” during the
ly felt apology,” the actor the series following two al- show’s first two seasons, but
said in a statement issued legations of misconduct. he was not brought back
Thursday. Lionsgate Television, which for the third.
“Though never my inten- produces “Mythic Quest,” He won an Oscar for his
tion to offend anyone, I said Thursday that it had role as Antonio Salieri in the
told jokes, nothing more, no updates on a previous 1984 feature “Amadeus”
F. Murray Abraham appears at the 80th annual Golden Globe that upset some of my col- statement it issued Mon- and starred on the second
Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Jan. 10, 2023. leagues and as a result lost day: “We take allegations season of HBO’s “The White
Associated Press a great job with wonderful of misconduct seriously Lotus.”q