Recently I saw the movie "The Temptations". Since I am old school, the movie really touched me. I wondered what others thought of the movie. Pretty much they stuck to the truth, but there were things in the movie that I could not actually remember happening for instance Melvin dying in the kitchen of a house from back in the day he was visiting and also, David Ruffin being thrown from a moving car. The way I remember the story was he was definitely found at a crack house except, they did identify him and the story was he was so broke that Michael Jackson volunteered to pay for his funeral expenses. All of its sad, but I was a litte thrown off by those facts. I did like Smokey Robinson in the end singing at the funeral and the song that ended the movie and all of them took a bow.

harrison731 said:

Melvin Franklin didn't die at his mama's house, he died at a Los Angeles hospital of natural causes.

David Franklin was BROUGHT to the hospital by a car after experiencing a cocaine overdose.

Mike paid half of the expenses, I believe, but yeah he did play a factor in helping with funeral payment.

Plus the way the Temptations formed was wrong too. The story has it that the Primes (Eddie & Paul) and the Distants (Otis, Al and Melvin) were bitter rivals but they were actually friends who had a friendly rivalry (since they were two groups in the musically-busy city of Detroit at the time). The Primettes (later the Supremes) were a quartet and didn't sing with the Primes either, they had their own popularity.

The only truth is Eddie agreed to be in if Paul was included because Otis wanted Eddie for the group. Otis of course agreed.

Timmy84 said:

I also heard that the way Paul died was not really accurate either. There are some who say that he was murdered.

shorttrini said:

Right. There were some accounts that when they found Paul, the gun was not in the position where someone would commit suicide.

harrison731 said:

They stuck to the truth according to Otis Williams, it's based on his book. I still love the movie though, Leon as "David Ruffin" is a classic performance.

I wish David, Eddie, Paul, and Melvin were still living so I could hear they're side of the story.
[Edited 4/28/09 21:41pm]

Abdul said:

And I'd bet their stories were far different from Otis' accounts, lol.

Timmy84 said:

I know. I have who is a detective and he once told me that, when one's shoots themselves in the head, the gun has a tendency to fall or be found, right in the middle of bodies, (between the legs, or right at their feet). The gun was found right beside his body, which makes the police that someone had killed him and then placed the gun beside his body.

harrison731 said:

One of my fav music flicks. I find myself watching it everytime VH1 shows it. Thsi movie is much better than the Jackson's American Dream Movie which to me was ok until the 2nd part. David Ruffin was a H.A.M. I too remember the crackhouse story and it taking a while before his body identified.

shorttrini said:

Also Paul suffered from Sickle Cell

Abdul said:

I agree; the movie was definitely slanted in Otis' favor.

Prior to his August 17, 1973 death, Paul Williams had signed a contract with Motown Records as a solo artist just two years after doctors ordered him not to perform again (and which led to him being let go by The Temptations). Eddie Kendricks had written, I think, two songs for him, and I think Frank Wilson was the producer.

In the movie, they make it seem as if Paul was fighting Otis to get back in. Paul actually stayed in the Temptations contract as a choreographer and adviser. After Paul's death, The Temptations took off his standards ("For Once in My Life", "I Want a Love I Can See" and "Don't Look Back") in respect to Williams and his family.

Paul was only 34 when he died. The Tempts' ballad "Hey Girl (I Like Your Style)" was released at the time of Paul's death. Richard Street, the guy who replaced Paul, sung lead on it.
[Edited 4/29/09 19:53pm]

So WHO had Paul murdered?????

woogiebear said:

Paul didn't murder nobody.

Timmy84 said:

The way Paul's death was depicted in the movie, was NOT how it happened.

shorttrini said:

Oops, I read woogie's post wrong.