Appreciation for Bette Midler's "Divine Madness"
I've got most of this movie permanently imprinted on my brain's hard drive (gay porn, The Rolling Stones 1972 Tour, Great Britain... let's see, is there anything else lurking there? Fuck no!). I recently bought a copy of the DVD. I wanted to transcribe her opening vamp. "Divine Madness" was the first project post Aaron Russo, her draconian manager, with whom she had a tempestuous relationship. The movie was filmed over several concerts. Bette had double pneumonia. What strikes me is that I saw her in December 1982 in Seattle when she opened De Tour. The whole frenetic vibe that rings through this movie was gone.
In 1982 she even deigned to give an interview to that rag, the arbiter of everything true, clear and concise, Rolling Stone magazine. The darlings put her on the cover. I'm sure Jann Wenner thinks he did a good deed, and will be forgiven for his magazine's endless misogynist rant that spans its historic place in the spotlight of modern culture, and go straight to gay heaven. Bitch will have a rude awakening. But I digress...
I like Bette Midler, I'm not a super fan. I've seen her twice. One thing I admire about her is both times I saw her, 1982 and 1994, there was no opening act. How she made it through the whole show every night shows enormous discipline.
What do you think of this movie? It rec'd mixed reviews. I know that sometimes I watch it or listen to the album for a concentrated period of time, then take a break.
| by Anonymous | reply 14 | September 13, 2020 3:45 PM
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She's kinda funny I guess. She's done tremendously well for someone so ugly and mildly talented. I imagine her to be CC Bloom with the cuntiness of Betty Bacall.
| by Anonymous | reply 1 | December 5, 2019 7:24 PM
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I had the soundtrack and listened to it incessantly. I love Shiver Me Timbers, and her version of I Shall Be Released is brilliant. She was an amazing live performer.
| by Anonymous | reply 2 | December 5, 2019 7:41 PM
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The DVD cuts the song Rainbow Sleeves and some jokes including one about her "deep serious relationship with a basketball player - well it wasn't too serious but it was real DEEP"
I still have the cable airing recorded that includes the entire performance.
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | December 5, 2019 8:12 PM
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Saw Bette in the show on Broadway, NYE 1979 in the company of a recently widowed, middle-aged, fairly wealthy woman. Not Miss M's target audience.
She didn't know much about Ms M but she cried so much through "Shiver Me Timbers" that there was mascara all over the diamonds on her cleavage when it was over.
Loved the movie, haven't seen the DVD. Was it then when she (later) reported, after hearing Geraldo Rivera say he'd had an affair with her, she said, "I guess, if that's what he calls shoving a bottle of poppers up my nose, bending me over a toilet and fucking me in the ass." Or did Bruce Villanch write that?
| by Anonymous | reply 4 | December 5, 2019 8:13 PM
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The Broadway show is on YouTube. It's somewhat different and features more songs from Thighs and Whispers as well as Shabba Doo who dances in some of the numbers.
The movie is a rearranged version of the Pasadena concert. Chapel of Love/ Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy were the first encores. Friends ended the show, but the director wanted a more dramatic ending so they went with the Dylan song. Half of the bag lady routine was edited out. I think she also did In the Mood and Empty Bed Blues in the first act.
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | December 5, 2019 8:35 PM
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It's a sad commentary when the funniest part of the entire movie is at the beginning with the prissy usher.
The movie somehow doesn't hold together. It's a huge letdown after Midler's brilliant 1975-76 tour which resulted in the HBO special and the live album "Live At Last". It was almost a perfect joining of artist and material.
| by Anonymous | reply 6 | December 5, 2019 8:38 PM
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Her joke about Queen Elizabeth II was funny: "She is just the whitest woman in the world, she makes us all look like the third world. There can be no question that she is a Protestant."
| by Anonymous | reply 7 | December 5, 2019 8:45 PM
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I find Aaron Russo curious. Any thoughts on him?
| by Anonymous | reply 8 | December 5, 2019 9:11 PM
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What has she got in that purse? It can't be cab fare or nothin like that!
| by Anonymous | reply 9 | December 6, 2019 4:37 PM
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Bumping this thread to ask a question about Bette and Ula Hedwig. I know Bette sued (around 1986) to get the commercial where Ula imitated her off the air, but did they personally have beef? I'd assume so, but I noticed Ula is credited for (recycled?) backup vocals on Some People's Lives (1990).
| by Anonymous | reply 10 | January 18, 2020 2:19 PM
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LOVE her comedy. HATE her "singing" with a passion.
| by Anonymous | reply 11 | January 18, 2020 2:36 PM
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[quote]What has she got in that purse? It can't be cab fare or nothin like that!
Keys, to get into the palace.
| by Anonymous | reply 12 | January 18, 2020 3:16 PM
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I can't stand her - she makes me cringe.
| by Anonymous | reply 13 | January 18, 2020 3:30 PM
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I saw this the other day on TCM and I thought she was great. A lot of energy, a lot of fun and I think she’s very talented. She has great stage presence and was a wonderful bag lady. No pop-star today could sing and move like she did in the film. Can you imagine Katy Perry, Britney, Halsey, etc. doing that kind of show?
| by Anonymous | reply 14 | September 13, 2020 3:45 PM
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