February 27 - Why Do Fools Fall In Love?

Today’s movie is a biographical film with a scene on February 27. I hope you will enjoy this film and watch it tonight.  

WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE?            

When the jailed Elizabeth "Mickey" Waters Lyman hears Diana Ross singing, “Why do Fools Fall in Love” she calls a lawyer and gets him to sue for royalties, since her late husband, Frankie Lyman, wrote the song. However she gets a big surprise as two other women, Zola Taylor and Emira Eagle claim to be Frankie Lyman’s widow. Elizabeth’s marriage to Frankie Lyman may have been bigamous on her part. During a court hearing to determine which woman is the widow we learn Frankie’s story through testimony. Richard Barrett presented “The Teenagers” as a Latin group, but when the lead singer gets sick Frankie takes over.  Morris Levy signs them to a contract, and “Why do Fools Fall in Love” becomes a huge hit. Little Richard testifies that Frankie met Zola Taylor, a member of the Platters on tour.  Then when Frankie starts dancing with a white girl on a live TV dance show it causes a scandal in 1957. There is a huge fight when Frankie goes solo. Elizabeth "Mickey" Waters meets Frankie in 1961 when he saves her from a shoplifting arrest. They move in together, but she soon learns Frankie’s career is on the skids and he’s a heroin junkie. Two years later they get married in Virginia. Then he collapses on stage during a show. Even though she becomes a prostitute to pay for Frankie’s drug addiction treatment, the relationship ends after Frankie kills her dog. Frankie comes to Hollywood to stay with Zola Taylor and get back into the business and did one TV appearance. According to Zola she and Frankie got married in Mexico.  Frankie then got drafted and met Emira Eagle, the sister of an army buddy of his. They soon get married. Then Frankie gets arrested for going AWOL to marry her. Zola and Elizabeth cut a deal to split the estate if either of them wins. He heads to New York to get back into the music business. On February 27, 1968 Frankie is rejected by Morris Levy and after watching a show by Zola Taylor and Little Richard, he finds a junkie, shoots up with heroin and dies of an overdose. [1:35:34 to 1:42:07] All three ladies agree to divide the estate. The Judge rules in favor of Elizabeth, who forgets her deal with Zola and Emira.

An interesting biopic. However, I really don’t have sympathy for any of the wives. The music is very good in this film.

The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars: Heroin, Handguns and Ham Sandwiches by

Jeremy Simmonds (Chicago Review Press, Chicago, 2006) at page 20 gives death date

Producers - Paul Hall and Stephen Nemeth

Director - Gregory Nava

Screenplay - Tina Andrews

Runtime – 1 hour 56 minutes

Released – August 28, 1998

Starring -     

Halle Berry as Zola Taylor

Vivica A. Fox as Elizabeth "Mickey" Waters

Lela Rochon as Emira Eagle

Larenz Tate as Frankie Lymon

Paul Mazursky as Morris Levy

Pamela Reed as Judge Lambrey

Alexis Cruz as Herman Santiago

Jon Huertas as Joe Negroni

David Barry Gray as Peter Markowitz

Miguel A. Nunez, Jr. as Young Little Richard

Clifton Powell as Lawrence Roberts

Lane Smith as Ezra Grahme

Ben Vereen as Richard Barrett

Paula Jai Parker as Paula King

Marcello Thedford as Drug Dealer

Norris Young as Jimmy

Little Richard as Himself

Aries Spears as Redd Foxx

J. August Richards as Sherman

Copyright by Ivan Walters 2014