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

Plot

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.

Cast

Music and dance

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 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.

Awards

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

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