Sparkle (1976 film)

Sparkle is a 1976 American film directed by Sam OSteen and released by Warner Bros. Pictures. Inspired by The Supremes, Sparkle is a period film set in Harlem, New York during the late 1950s and early 1960s which follows the rough lives and careers of singer Sparkle Williams and her family and friends.

The movie starts in Harlem, New York in 1958. The Williams sisters Sister Lonette McKee, Dolores Dwan Smith, and Sparkle Irene Cara are singers in their local churchs teenagers choir along with their friends Stix Philip Michael Thomas and Levi Dorian Harewood. The girls mother, Effie Mary Alice, works hard as a maid for the Gerber family at Long Island and struggles to keep her girls, especially the highspirited Sister, safe. Stix, a budding songwriter who is in love with Sparkle, wants to start a group, and arranges the five of them into a quintet called The Hearts. The Hearts enter a local talent show contest, which they win with the help of Sisters stage appeal. Shortly afterwards, however, Levi drops out of the group so that he can become an important man in the operations of local gangster Satin Tony King.Stix decides to repackage the group as an allgirl trio, appointing Sister lead singer and reducing his role in the act to manager and songwriter. The girls, now known as Sister amp the Sisters, debut at the seedy ShanDoo Club their immediate success gains them a position as regular performers there. Satin, invited to the show by Levi, takes up with Sister, who leaves home to move in with him. Sister begins showing up at the ShanDoo with bruises from Satins abuse and begins taking cocaine. When Dolores learns that Satin has gotten her hooked on drugs, she plots revenge, coming on to one of Satins flunkies in order to set up the kingpin. Dolores calls the police to let them know when and where Satins next drug pickup will be, but Levi is the one caught in the sting. Regretful and weary of life in Harlem, Dolores packs up and leaves home in order to pursue her dreams of racial equality. ........

Source: Wikipedia