Ella Fitzgerald: Something to Live For (2000)
Writer-director Charlotte Zwerin performs sleight of hand with this beautifully composed documentary, originally produced for public television's American Masters series. Created nearly four years after Ella Fitzgerald's death, Zwerin's film uses the lush voice and superb repertoire of "the First Lady of Song" to provide continuity while assembling convincing, if composite, narrative quotes gleaned from various interviews. The latter are noteworthy given the singer's lifelong modesty and insistence on privacy. Archival footage of early performances, as well as later television appearances, capture Ella's pilgrimage from Depression-era New York, through her discovery at the Apollo Theater and subsequent emergence as a swing vocalist and on to her long career as a matchless pop and jazz stylist. Tony Bennett is a sympathetic narrator, while added affection and insight are provided through
Cast
- Tony Bennett - Narrator (voice)
Screenplay
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Ella Fitzgerald: Something to Live For about?
- Writer-director Charlotte Zwerin performs sleight of hand with this beautifully composed documentary, originally produced for public television's American Masters series. Created nearly four years after Ella Fitzgerald's death, Zwerin's film uses the lush voice and superb repertoire of "the First Lady of Song" to provide continuity while assembling convincing, if composite, narrative quotes gleaned from various interviews. The latter are noteworthy given the singer's lifelong modesty and insistence on privacy. Archival footage of early performances, as well as later television appearances, capture Ella's pilgrimage from Depression-era New York, through her discovery at the Apollo Theater and subsequent emergence as a swing vocalist and on to her long career as a matchless pop and jazz stylist. Tony Bennett is a sympathetic narrator, while added affection and insight are provided through
- Who directed Ella Fitzgerald: Something to Live For?
- Ella Fitzgerald: Something to Live For was directed by Charlotte Zwerin.
- Who stars in Ella Fitzgerald: Something to Live For?
- Ella Fitzgerald: Something to Live For stars Tony Bennett.
- How long is Ella Fitzgerald: Something to Live For?
- Ella Fitzgerald: Something to Live For has a runtime of 1h 26m (86 minutes).
- What genre is Ella Fitzgerald: Something to Live For?
- Ella Fitzgerald: Something to Live For is a Music, Documentary film.