Ray Charles Movies
One of the father's of contemporary soul, Ray Charles has become an American musical institution. Born Ray Charles Robinson in a small Georgia town, Charles contacted glaucoma at the age of six and lost his sight, but this has not stopped him from launching an active and productive career that has continued through the 1990s and on. He has often appeared in music documentaries and has performed in feature films, where he usually appears as himself. He has also been on television, either hosting his own specials, or acting as a guest artist on those of others. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
As its title suggests, the release Glen Campbell: Good Times Again actually culls and presents, in a single collection, an hour of the best performances from the now legendary musical variety series Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, which ran on CBS from January 1969 through June 1972. The 11 musical numbers herein find Campbell pairing up with such duettists as Anne Murray (one of the series mainstays), Linda Ronstadt, Ray Charles, Roger Miller, B.J. Thomas and others; Campbell also acts out a comedy sketch with Tom Smothers. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- 1962
Bungling courier Freddie Merkel (Tommy Noonan) dreams of creative success but always manages to botch things up at crucial moments. Shortly after destroying his motorcycle, he decides to become a songwriter. This gives con man Duke (Peter Marshall) the perfect opportunity for his latest scam, one that involves submitting Freddie's song to a contest. Unfortunately, a wind gust blows the finished piece away just before Freddie turns it in. The two scramble to catch the tune, but it ends up in the hands of a priest who is suddenly inspired to enter the contest himself. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tommy Noonan, Peter Marshall, (more)
- 1963
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In 1963, just before he turned 33 years old, Ray Charles brought his band to Sao Paulo, Brazil, for a special show which was filmed for a television special. Forty-one years later, Rhino Home Video discovered the rare footage of the Brazilian concert, which had never been shown in the United States; Ray Charles: O Genio - Live In Brazil presents the special just as originally broadcast, complete with Brazilian television commercials and a superb performance by Charles. Selections include "Hit The Road, Jack," "What'd I Say," "Hallelujah I Love Her So," "I Can't Stop Loving You," "You Don't Know Me," and many more. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1965
This rollicking music film is a compilation of two previous films from the mid-1960s, The T.A.M.I. Show and The Big T.N.T. Show. Chuck Berry hosts the acts which include some of the greatest R&B acts and rock & roll acts of that generation. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1966
Originally titled Blues For Lovers, Ballad in Blue was the last of actor Paul Henreid's theatrical-film directorial efforts. R&B legend Ray Charles plays himself, attempting to help a newly blinded British boy adjust to sightlessness. Charles is no actor, but he has a natural ease and grace that many "real" movie stars might envy. As a bonus, we get to hear him perform such favorites as "What'd I Say?" and "I Got a Woman". Monika Henreid, the daughter of the director, can be seen in a minor role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Charles, Tom Bell, (more)
- 1966
Future Goodbye Columbus director Larry Peerce was still only a few years out of the University of North Carolina when he directed The Big T.N.T. Show. This sequel to 1964's The T.A.M.I. Show is, like its predecessor, little more than a concert film, but a well photographed one (originally on videotape, it was transferred to 35-millimeter film). A wide variety of pop artists show up to do their thing, including Roger Miller, Joan Baez, Ike and Tina Turner, Ray Charles, Bo Diddley, the Ronettes and The Lovin' Spoonful. And here's a real 1960s hot flash: Man From UNCLE star David McCallum shows up to warble a ballad and accompany himself on the guitar. Some of the most entertaining moments are unintentional: the slightly inaccurate lip-synching, the unplugged electric guitars, etc. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roger Miller, Joan Baez, (more)
The winner of the 1967 Oscar for Best Picture (as well as four other Oscars), In the Heat of the Night is set in a small Mississippi town where an unusual murder has been committed. Rod Steiger plays sheriff Bill Gillespie, a good lawman despite his racial prejudices. When Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier), a well-dressed northern African-American, comes to town, Gillespie instinctively puts him under arrest as a murder suspect. Tibbs reveals himself to be a Philadelphia police detective; after he and Gillespie come to a grudging understanding of one another, Tibbs offers to help in Gillespie's investigation. As the case progresses, both Gillespie and Tibbs betray a tendency to jump to culture-dictated conclusions. Still, the case is solved thanks to the informal teamwork of the two law officers. Based on the novel by John Ball, In the Heat of the Night inspired two sequels, both starring Poiter as Virgil Tibbs. In 1987, a TV series version of In the Heat of the Night appeared, with Carroll O'Connor as Gillespie and Howard Rollins as Tibbs. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, (more)
- 1972
This strange, disjointed feature film boasts a performance by Muhammed Ali as himself, clowning his way around a Black rodeo held near Harlem at Randall's Island, NY. Among the features of this film is an extended discussion by actor Woody Strode on the long-suppressed history of the Black Cowboy. Another unusual feature of the film is the running commentary by rodeo spectators, as they relate what it means to them to be at such an event. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1973
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The concert film Ray Charles: Soul of the Holy Land August 1973 documents the legendary performer's historic Tel Aviv concert and includes footage of him visiting some of the most renowned religious sites in the world. The 17-song set list includes many beloved hits including a cover of the Beatles' "The Long and Winding Road," "Let the Good Times Roll," "I Can't Stop Loving You," and "Yesterday." ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 1977
This 1975 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Ray Charles, who not only performs in sketches but also sings a couple of songs. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Charles
- 1978
Concert performance of Gladys Knight and the Pips, joined by Ray Charles, with songs including "Imagination," and "Midnight Train to Georgia." ~ All Movie Guide
Expanding on their Saturday Night Live characters, John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd star as Jake and Elwood Blues, two white boys with black soul. Sporting cool shades and look-alike suits, Jake and Elwood are dispatched on a "mission from God" by their former teacher, Sister Mary Stigmata (Kathleen Freeman). Said mission is to raise $5000 to save an orphanage. In the course of their zany adventures, the Blues Brothers run afoul of neo-Nazi Henry Gibson, perform the theme from Rawhide before the most unruly bar crowd in written history, and lay waste to hundreds of cars on the streets and freeways of Chicago. In case you aren't swept up in the infectuous nuttiness of the brothers Blue, you might have fun spotting film's legion of guest stars, including James Brown, Cab Calloway, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, John Candy, Carrie Fisher, Steve Lawrence, Twiggy, Paul Reubens (aka Pee-Wee Herman), Frank Oz, and Steven Spielberg. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, (more)
- 1981
Each installment of An Evening With presents a performer, band, group, or other public figure in a setting aimed to please fans looking for a representative sampling of what a particular person or group of people does best. In this installment, composer and singer Ray Charles brings his genius to a stage in Edmonton, Canada. Charles runs through a number of his greatest hits including "What'd I Say" and "Georgia on My Mind." ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide
- 1981
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Ray Charles may be gone forever, but his musical legacy lives on thanks to a healthy catalogue of timeless music and live performances -- like this one, which features the legendary pianist playing alongside the Edmonton Symphony. Filmed in 1981 and featuring stunning renditions of such songs as "Georgia on My Mind" and "I Can See Clearly Now," this release will have fans mourning the loss of a musical genius and celebrating his remarkable legacy in as a recording artist. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Charles
- 1982
Hosted by Glen Campbell, Coming Home: An Evening of Gospel features performances by such respected performers as Deniece Williams, Andrae Crouch, and The Hawkins Family as well as the beloved Ray Charles. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glen Campbell, Andrae Crouch, (more)
The concert video Hallelujah Gospel features performances of over a dozen songs by a variety of performers including Ray Charles, Andrae Crouch, Deniece Williams, and Glen Campbell. The setlist includes "Coming Home," "I Believe in Miracles," "God Is Amazing," and "A Few Good Men." ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
This (13th) time around, "007" receives the usual call to come and visit "Mother" when another agent drops off a fake Faberge jeweled egg at the British embassy in East Berlin and is later killed at a traveling circus. Suspicions mount when the assistant manager of the circus Kamal (Louis Jourdan), outbids Bond for the real Faberge piece at Sotheby's. Bond follows Kamal to India where the superspy thwarts many an ingenious attack and encounters the antiheroine of the title (Maud Adams), an international smuggler who runs the circus as a cover for her illegal operations. It does not take long to figure out that Orlov (Steven Berkoff), a decidedly rank Russian general is planning to raise enough money with the fake Faberges to detonate a nuclear bomb in Europe and then defeat NATO forces once and for all in conventional warfare. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roger Moore, Maud Adams, (more)
- 1985
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Willie Nelson and Ray Charles team up together for the first time at the Austin Opera House to perform such classics as "Georgia on My Mind," "Seven Spanish Angels," and "On the Road Again." ~ All Movie Guide
- 1987
As Moonlighting begins its fourth season, detectives David (Bruce Willis) and Maddie (Cybill Shepherd) wonder if they should continue their romance after their memorable boudoir tussle in the closing moments of Season Three. As the couple weighs their options, three fantasy sequences play themselves out. In one, David consults Ray Charles in matters of the heart; in another Maddie is given sage advice by Dr. Joyce Brothers; and in the third, the dilemma is reconfigured as a black-and-white episode of The Honeymooners, with David as Ralph, Maddie as Alice, David's brother Richard (Charles Rocket) as Norton and the couple's secretary Agnes (Allyce Beasley) as Trixie! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
A music performance video, with Fats Domino joined by Ray Charles, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ron Wood and Paul Schaffer. Recorded at the Storyville Club in New Orleans. Performances include "Blueberry Hill," "Walking to New Orleans," and "The Fat Man." ~ All Movie Guide
