Lady Day: The Many Faces of Billie Holiday (TV) (1990)

This sparkling documentary lets us see and hear the miracle that was Billie Holiday. Featured are rare TV and movie clips, along with commentary by a stellar group of jazz instrumentalists and singers who knew her well. Among those recalling Lady Day are the vocalists Carmen McRae and Annie Ross (who were inspired by her), fellow Count Basie alumni Buck Clayton and Harry "Sweets" Edison, and Billie's last accompanist, pianist Max Waldron. Award-winning actress Ruby Dee reads from Holiday's autobiography Lady Sings the Blues. This film program puts Billie Holiday's often anguished life into perspective: as this program proves, she was a victim and a fighter. Above all, she was a genius of a jazz singer, as can be seen in performance clips of such Holiday standards as "Strange Fruit," "What a Little Moonlight Can Do," "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone," "Fine and Mellow," and others. Discover the many faces of this irresistible woman, this "dark lady of the sonnets"; experience the power of her transcendent art. 60 minutes.