Motown Productions Motown Productions' original focus was on the production of
television specials for its star recording artists. These included
TCB (1968) and
G.I.T. on Broadway (1969), starring
Diana Ross & the Supremes with
The Temptations,
The Temptations Show (also 1969),
The Smokey Robinson Show (1970),
Diana! (1971) starring
Diana Ross, and ''
Goin' Back to Indiana'' (also 1971) starring
The Jackson 5. When Suzanne de Passe joined Motown in 1968, much of her work involved the production of these television specials. Motown's first television series was
The Jackson 5ive (1971–1973), a
Saturday morning cartoon by
Rankin/Bass starring characters based upon Motown's popular teen act. The company's first feature film was
Lady Sings the Blues (1972), a
Billie Holiday biographical film starring Diana Ross as Holliday and
Billy Dee Williams as her husband Louis McKay. After
Lady Sings the Blues became a success, garnering box office success and five
Academy Award nominations, Ross and Williams were paired for a second feature,
Mahogany (1975). Both films were coupled with successful music releases:
Lady Sings the Blues was accompanied with a platinum-selling
soundtrack album by Ross, while
Mahogany featured Ross' number-one pop hit "
Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)" Other Motown films included
Scott Joplin (1977), another musician biopic starring Billy Dee Williams, and ''
Thank God It's Friday'' (1978), which starred
Donna Summer and featured her hit song "
Last Dance". Following the commercial and critical failure of Motown's eighth film, a 1978 adaptation of the
Broadway musical The Wiz starring Diana Ross and the Jackson 5's
Michael Jackson, the company focused more closely on television. Its productions during the late 1970s and early 1980s included
TV movies such as
Amateur Night at the Dixie Bar and Grill, (1979) and
Callie & Son (1981) and TV specials such as the popular and successful
Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, and Forever (1983).
Motown 25, an anniversary special for the Motown Records label, was most noted for featuring Michael Jackson's famous performance of his non-Motown hit song "
Billie Jean". By this time, Suzanne de Passe had become the executive producer in charge of Motown's film and TV products. Motown briefly returned to feature films with ''
Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon'', which became Motown's final theatrical feature. In 1986, Motown Productions had inked an agreement with video distributor
MCA Home Video in an effort to expand the direct-to-video market with a series of "Motown Video Originals" mini-movie series.
de Passe Entertainment In 1988, Gordy sold Motown Records to
MCA Inc. (owner of
Universal Studios, which co-produced four films with Motown) and Boston Ventures. The following year, he sold Motown Productions to de Passe, and the company continued its success in television with the popular miniseries
Lonesome Dove (1989). A sequel,
Streets of Laredo, would follow in 1995. Changing its name to
de Passe Entertainment in 1992, the company has produced a number of successful TV programs, among them
Sister, Sister (1994–1999),
Smart Guy (1997–1999), and ''
It's Showtime at the Apollo (produced by de Passe from 2002 to 2008). Successful TV specials from the company include Motown biopics such as The Jacksons: An American Dream (1992) and The Temptations (1998), The
Loretta Claiborne Story
(2000), and the Essence Awards and NAACP Image Awards telecasts. de Passe Entertainment also produced the feature films Class Act'' (1992), starring rappers
Kid 'n Play, and ''
Who's the Man?'' (1993), starring hip-hop radio personalities
Doctor Dré and
Ed Lover.
de Passe Jones Entertainment In 2008, Suzanne de Passe joined with veteran producer Madison Jones to form de Passe Jones Entertainment which is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. == Films ==