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Hitsville: The Making of Motown

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Hitsville: The Making of Motown

2019

1h 53m

Documentary

Music

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100%

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18 Reviews

83%

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

Motown Records becomes the most successful label of all time after its formation in 1958 Detroit amid racial tension and the burgeoning civil rights movement.

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Hanna Flint

Time Out

It's far more clean-cut than Motown's origins ever were...but if you're a sucker for the hits of the '60s and '70s, this is a nostalgic temptation you won't want to miss.

Rated: 3/5

Oct 17, 2019

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Ed Potton

Times (UK)

Benjamin and Gabe Turner's documentary is an unashamed lovebomb, with Stevie Wonder and Little Richard laying it on thick, and much back-slapping between Gordy and his best friend, Smokey Robinson.

Rated: 3/5

Oct 4, 2019

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Ian Freer

Empire Magazine

An entertaining look at a musical institution, what Hitsville: The Making Of Motown lacks in penetrating insight and a nose for controversy, it makes up for in great archival footage and tunes that - even 50 years on - remain heaven sent.

Rated: 3/5

Oct 4, 2019

Full Review

Mara Reinstein

Billboard

The catalogue serves as the beating heart and soul of Motown's story -- and hold together a glossy Showtime documentary that's more love letter than kiss-and-tell.

Jan 26, 2024

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Musanna Ahmed

Film Inquiry

The pure joy of delving into the rise of some of the greatest singers known makes Hitsville: The Making of Motown an instant gloomy day classic. There are moments that are as beautiful and surprising as any spectacle you've seen in the cinema this year.

Oct 23, 2019

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Andrew Collins

Radio Times

This documentary is an unabashedly self-congratulatory profile of Detroit's soulful, civil-rights-defying Motown label, focusing in particular on its unimpeachable late-1950s/60s glory years before founder Berry Gordy relocated operations to Los Angeles.

Rated: 3/5

Oct 7, 2019

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Eric R

I’m a sucker for Motown,what can I say! If Barry Gordys legacy wasn’t so great, then Smokey Robinson was also. Not a saint. The music industry is more brutal than Hollywood, but it doesn’t make it any less fascinating to watch.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/01/25

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Aender S

Excellent watch, especially if you are a fan of the music.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/13/24

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james w

Amazing! Outstanding! Earliest footage of Smoky, Eddie, The Supremes, Little Stevie improvising "Fingertip Part 2," The Jacksons and so much more. Sure, it's produced by Motown so it is does not address some issues. It is slick and stylish. I learned many things I did not know about Barry and his many artists. Just the never before seen studio and concerts alone were memorable and satisfying. We have seen other Motown specials and other documentaries, but nothing like this. Recommend for any and all Motown fans.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Audience Member

The Sound of Motown!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

Full Review

Barry M

Comprehensive, entertaining, and inspiring.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/14/19

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James R

Some amazing archival footage and interviews. The music is brilliant, just wish there was more of it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/10/19

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Gabe Turner

Director

Ben Turner

Director

Berry Gordy

Self

Smokey Robinson

Self

John Legend

Self

Jamie Foxx

Self

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Synopsis

Motown Records becomes the most successful label of all time after its formation in 1958 Detroit amid racial tension and the burgeoning civil rights movement.

Director: Gabe Turner, Ben Turner
Producer: Leo Pearlman
Screenwriter: Ben Turner, Gabe Turner
Production Co: Fulwell 73, Polygram Entertainment, Ghost Pictures
Genre: Documentary, Music
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 1, 2020
Runtime: 1h 53m

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