Little Richard

"He's got a little devil in him." So remarks the mother of Richard Penniman, who would grow up to be Little Richard, the flamboyant self-proclaimed "architect of rock and roll." Leon's (single-named as in Cher or Eminem) uncanny title portrayal makes director Robert Townsend's otherwise pedestrian made-for-TV bio-pic sing. The film predictably charts Little Richard's life and hard times, from his abusive childhood at the hands of a demanding father (who thought his son a "sissy boy clown") to the racism that kept him off white radio stations. One memorable highlight, played for laughs, crosscuts between Little Richard's wailing rendition of "Long Tall Sally" with Pat Boone's vanilla-coated cover. An optional purchase. (K. Lee Benson)