Whoopi Goldberg‘s directorial debut I Got Somethin’ To Tell You absolutely shines, the film showcases the life of comedienne Moms Mabley, whose career began as a theater performer encompassing more than 50 years and culminating into comedienne extraordinaire. When you see Moms Mabley, an older woman with a smile void of teeth in an unassuming grandmother house robe, your expectations of what’s to come aren’t exactly the highest, but she continuously wows with her sharp and witty humor that keeps you on your toes. The movie plays in the same vein, humble, and just as you find yourself in the middle of Moms story, you’ll realize just how much you love this film.
The film is told through commentary of celeb comedians & entertainers, even some who personally worked with her, and others who were influenced by her work: Harry Belafonte, Sydney Poitier Arsenio Hall, Eddie Murphy, Joan Rivers, Jerry Stiller, Anne Meara, Kathy Griffin, Quincy Jones & more give analysis and sing her praises as they detail her impact on comedy.
Her approach to the artform is that of a witty story teller, the film uses animation to evoke the account of Mabley’s jokes. When she recounts her arranged marriage with an old man she describes him as being “So old, Santa Clause could be his son!”
She was also known for her fast one liners, one of her more famous quotes being.:
They say you shouldn’t say nothin’ about the dead unless it’s good. He’s dead. Good!
Saying lines like that was unheard of for the time, and more so with comedy being a male dominated circuit, the film exemplifies how she knocked down doors for women and blacks. She was an avid speaker for human rights and the film touches on how she was a political comedian without the seriousness. She released an LP after she visited the White House and met with President Jimmy Carter, the followup project was entitled “At The White House Conference.” She permeated pop culture at the time and the film portrays that in a well told manner.
The film also peeled back some of the mystery of Moms origins, touching on her beginning days on the chitlin’ circuit to her performing at the Apollo 6 times a day for 5 days of the week. And even revealing the fact that Moms was a lesbian. Anyone wanting to learn more about the famed comedian will be more than ecstatic to see the film blossom.
A key moment in the documentary occurs in the third leg of the film as an older Moms Mabley is with Sammy Davis Jr. on a Playboy Mansion TV special with Hugh Hefner handling hosting duties. In the tv clip, Sammy thanks her then shares an anecdote with the audience, stating that Moms gave Sammy guidance when he was a child dancing on stage for a living, he then asks her to perform her civil rights tribute ‘Abraham, Martin & John.’ Her personal ode to fallen ‘good’ Abraham Lincoln, Dr. King and John & Bobby Kennedy that died far too soon. As the performance concluded, tears rolled, proving that she was an amazing entertainer in every sense of the word. That single became a top 40 hit, making her the oldest person to have a top 40 hit in the history of billboard.
When the clip ended, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house, Goldberg had done what she’d set out to do, to show the world that Moms Mabley was a woman of firsts. She was the first female standup (no others could be found), she was the highest paid entertainer when she was performing at the Apollo (she made crazy money for the time), and most importantly, and an entertainer who wanted you to feel that you had learned something from her before she exits the stage. The film ends noting that Moms went down as one of the greatest comedians ever, but her voice and power stretched further than the world of comedy. Mabley was a staunch advocate for youth, and this is what she stomped for until her death, and it was totally doing what she loved.
If you’re wondering when the movie will become available to watch, HBO recently acquired the rights and are scheduling to premiere the documentary.
