HBO has acquired the TV and home video rights to Moms Mabley: I Got Somethin’ to Tell You. The documentary which marks actress Whoopi Goldberg’s directorial debut was executive produced by Goldberg, Tom Leonardis and George Schlatter. HBO Documentary Films President Sheila Nevins announced the pick up and revealed the feature-length documentary will air on HBO later this year.
“What could be better than Whoopi bringing Moms to HBO?,” asked Nevins. “We’ve always known how special Moms was, and I can’t think of a better marriage.”
“Moms Mabley has been a huge inspiration to me and so many others, but not a lot of folks outside of the comedy world know about her legacy,” said Goldberg. “There are a lot of us who wouldn’t be working today without pioneers like her. HBO gave me my first break on TV, so it’s only fitting that Moms has a home there now.”
The Plot: Breaking racial and sexual boundaries as a pioneering comic talent, the African-American stand-up comedienne Jackie “Moms” Mabley has long been an icon in the comedy world. In Moms Mabley: I Got Somethin’ to Tell You, Goldberg explores Mabley’s legacy through recently unearthed photography, rediscovered performance footage and the words of numerous celebrated comedians, entertainers and historians, including Eddie Murphy, Joan Rivers, Sidney Poitier, Kathy Griffin, Harry Belafonte, Bill Cosby, Quincy Jones, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara.
Mabley tackled topics such as gender, sex and racism, making her one of the first triple X-rated comedians on the comedy circuit. Once billed as “The Funniest Woman in the World,” she performed on stage and in television and film up until her death in 1975. A true passion project for Goldberg, Moms Mabley: I Got Somethin’ to Tell You shows Mabley’s historical significance and profound influence as a performer vastly ahead of her time.
