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Queen of the Stardust Ballroom

Queen of the Stardust Ballroom is an American musical television movie directed by Sam O'Steen and produced by Roger Gimbel,[1] from the teleplay by Jerome Kass.[2] It was broadcast by CBS on February 13, 1975. Maureen Stapleton, Charles Durning, and Charlotte Rae were nominated for Emmy Awards for their performances.

Queen of the Stardust Ballroom

Drama
Romance

Jerome Kass

Sam O'Steen

Billy Goldenberg

United States

English

Roger Gimbel

Elmhurst, Queens, New York City
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Jackson Heights, Queens, New York City
Myron's Ballroom - 1024 South Grand Avenue, Downtown, Los Angeles
Pasadena, California
South Pasadena, California
San Pedro, Los Angeles, California
Woodhaven, Queens, New York City
Woodside, Queens, New York City

David M. Walsh

William H. Ziegler

98 minutes

Tomorrow Entertainment

CBS

February 13, 1975 (1975-02-13)

Plot[edit]

Bea Asher (Stapleton) is a lonely widow who is told by a waitress named Angie to get out and enjoy life. Angie takes a nervous Bea to the Stardust Ballroom, a local dance hall, for ballroom dancing. Despite Bea stating it has been years since she has danced, Al Green (Durning) asks her to dance. When Bea returns home late, her worried sister Helen (Rae) arrives, having already disturbed Bea's daughter. Bea decides to be her own person now, takes on a more youthful appearance, and frequents the Stardust to dance with Al. This starts a romance. Bea also learns of Al's life off the dance floor. He is married, albeit unhappily, but she so enjoys their time together that it doesn't bother her. Bea's new lifestyle leads her to become the annual queen at the Stardust.

as Bea Asher: a New York widow who opens a thrift store to sell items in her house to keep from having to move in with her daughter Diane and her family. Her life soon changes when she is taken to the Stardust Ballroom.

Maureen Stapleton

as Al Green: a married mailman who frequents the Stardust. He asks Bea to dance and falls in love with her.

Charles Durning

as David Asher: Bea's son who helps her open the store then moves with his family to Los Angeles

Michael Brandon

as Jack: Helen's husband and Bea's accountant

Michael Strong

as Helen: Bea's sister, who dislikes the changes in her

Charlotte Rae

Jacquelyn Hyde as Angie: Bea's waitress friend, who, in showing her how to live life, takes her to the Stardust

as Diane: Bea's daughter, who also dislikes the changes in her

Beverly Sanders

as Louis: Diane's husband

Alan Fudge

as Sylvia

Florence Halop

as Harry: Bea's first dance partner at the Stardust. Feeling overmatched, she excuses herself from the dance.

Gil Lamb

as Emily

Nora Marlowe

as M.C.

Orrin Tucker

Music and dance[edit]

Billy Goldenberg composed the music for the film. Alan and Marilyn Bergman wrote the lyrics for the songs used in the film, most of which were sung by the two leads, except for a solo by Martha Tilton. The dance sequences were choreographed by Marge Champion.[2] and were filmed in Myron's Ballroom in Los Angeles with some 300 regular patrons, including Dean Collins, Skippy Blair, Larry Kern, and Laure Haile appearing as extras.[3][4]

Awards[edit]

O'Steen won the Directors Guild of America award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Specials, and the Writers Guild of America honored Kass for his original teleplay. The program received two Emmys, for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography and Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography for a Special.

Legacy[edit]

The program, which has been released in VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray formats, served as the basis for the 1978 Broadway musical Ballroom.

at IMDb

Queen of the Stardust Ballroom