Whoopi Goldberg has produced a documentary on Moms Mabley, titled I Got Something To Tell You, that will be premiering at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. Goldberg has been working on this doc for at least three years.
The Museum Of UnCut Funk LOVES Moms Mabley, so we are dying to see this film. To learn more about Moms Mabley, please check out our homage to her as a part of our That’s Some Funny Shit Exhibition.
Whoopi ran a successful kickstarter campaign to raise the funds to finish the film. Here is the information and the video that she provided about the project on her kickstarter page:
Moms Mabley was a pioneer in the comedy world and this documentary will showcase her talent and pay homage to a woman who is still relevant today. Moms was the first and without her there probably would not have been a Totie, a Joan, a Kathy, a Wanda, or any of the others who may follow. Without Moms there certainly would not have been a Whoopi. With her boundary pushing stand-up she was able to get past the obstacles of all the “isms”; racism, sexism, ageism. Moms helped shape the idea that comedy could make a political and social statement and still be hilarious. She’s one of my role models and her comedy is still poignant today. This documentary will delve into the comedy of Mabley, as well as help define her significance through clips, old photographs, television show appearances and interviews, conducted by me with famous and influential people who either knew and worked with Moms or were inspired by her.
I have already interviewed some very famous folks about Moms and now I need to find the balance of the money to finish the project. Every dollar is important on our way to our $65,000 goal and obviously producing a movie is expensive. We need funding for a number of things such as clip clearance, vintage photos, editing, graphic design, material rights and music. Because I want this to be collaborative, I asking that you take a look at our rewards. Maybe you’ll find something you like or maybe you’ll just want to come on board and get involved in something that I think is important. Thank you.
Whoopi also discussed the project with Jimmy Fallon.
Here is the official synopsis of the film:
Having broken racial and sexual boundaries as a pioneering comic talent, the late Moms Mabley has long been an icon in the comedy world. Now Whoopi Goldberg takes a deep dive into Mabley’s legacy via recently unearthed photography, rediscovered performance footage and the words of numerous celebrated comedians. A true passion project for Goldberg, I Got Somethin’ to Tell You shows Mabley’s historical significance and profound influence as a performer vastly ahead of her time.
And finally, here is the Moms Mabley comedy routine, I Got Something To Tell You, that the movie is named after:
Goldberg is also exploring performing her solo show about Mabley, Moms, which incorporates some of the late comedian’s material.
