It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

This week’s musical:
Scott Joplin (1977) – Musical #800

Studio:
Produced by Motown Pictures, Distributed by Universal Pictures

Director:
Jeremy Kagan

Starring:
Billy Dee Williams, Clifton Davis, Art Carney, Margaret Avery, Eubie Blake, Godfrey Cambridge, Otis Day, Mabel King, Taj Mahal, Spo-De-Odee, Samuel Fuller, Seymour Cassel, David Healy, Lionel Richie (uncredited)

Plot:
Composer Scott Joplin (Williams) works his way up from being pianist in a brothel, known as “a Professor,” to becoming a successful composer — transforming the landscape of music with ragtime hits. While largely known as a genius, Joplin wants to be seen as a high-brow composer and works to compose his opera, “Treemonisha.” His life and career are hindered by heartache and tragedy, like an illness and death of a child.

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