February 4 - The Karen Carpenter Story

Today’s biographical film has a scene that happens today – February 4. I hope you will enjoy this film and watch it tonight.

THE KAREN CARPENTER STORY      

On February 4, 1983 [00:01 to 3:01] paramedics arrive at the home of Karen Carpenter. She’s unconscious and she is rushed to the hospital. Karen hallucinates and flashes back to when her family moved to California in 1963. Her brother Richard plays the piano and is very musically talented. He proposes that Karen and he can form a musical group. Karen takes up the drums and plays them in her high school band. Karen and Richard start playing together in ‘The Richard Carpenter Trio’. The group moves from jazz into pop. A small record label signs Karen to a contract.   Richard starts writing songs for Karen to record. After two years of submitting tapes, they get a break when Herb Alpert at A & M records signs them to a recording contract. The have hits with “Close to You” and “We’ve Only Just Begun”. Then their Mom introduces Richard to quaaludes. They go on tour, but the media already starts commenting about Karen’s weight. At the same time pressure is put on her to come out from behind her drum kit to sing. Their success continues with “Superstar”, but Karen starts to obsess about her weight. Richard and Karen move into a house together and start dating people. However, tensions arise and Karen moves out. They continue to tour, but then Karen collapses on stage. She recovers, but then Richard has to go through six weeks of rehab to get off of quaaludes. After a whirlwind courtship Karen marries Tom Burris, but the marriage soon falls apart. Karen starts to undergo psychotherapy to help with her anorexia. She underwent a therapy where she gained thirty pounds in a few months. This put more strain on her heart, leading to the heart attack that killed her.       

A tragic story. Karen Carpenter had a great talent. However, the media and society contributed to killing her by promoting a body image that is not sustainable by everyone.

The date is given in the film at 1:31:05.

Producers - Robert A. Papazian and Hal Galli

Director - Joseph Sargent

Screenplay - Barry Morrow

Runtime - 1 hour 32 minutes

Released - January 1, 1989

Starring –  Cynthia Gibb as Karen Carpenter

                  Mitchell Anderson as Richard Carpenter

                  Peter Michael Goetz as Harold Carpenter

                  Louise Fletcher as Agnes Carpenter

                  Michael McGuire as Sherwin Bash

                  Lise Hilboldt as Lucy

                  Kip Gilman as David Lattimer

                  Scott Burkholder as Ted