Posted by | Ray Cornelius
“Be careful what you wish for ‘cuz you just might get it…”
In 2014, I caught an episode of TV One’s “Celebrity Crime Files” on the life of legendary Harlem mobster Stephanie Saint-Clair aka “Madame Queen” and was totally mesmerized!
She was a fascinating woman who was shrouded in mystery and mayhem and ran numerous criminal enterprises during the Harlem Renaissance and Prohibition period. Saint-Clair stood up against the Mafia and was able to maintain her businesses independently. While I had seen her portrayed before by the legendary Cicely Tyson in 1997’s “Hoodlum,” the one-hour series shed more light on her background, marriages, and death. I was immediately drawn to her and thought her story would make for a great Broadway musical or motion picture. I also thought of how visually stunning a project like this could be on the big screen and how it should be accompanied by an all-female soundtrack featuring today’s hottest singers and rappers.
Well, it looks like “somebody” read my thoughts or heard me in my sleep because Janet Jackson is executive producing a film on her for Lifetime. According to S&A, the project is set to air during the 2016-17 season and will directed by Tony Award-winner Kenny Leon. It’s not clear if Ms. Jackson will star in the lead role as Madame Queen or if she will just remain behind the camera.
RC will keep you posted as this story continues to develop.
Click here to watch the entire episode of “Celebrity Crime Files” on Stephanie Saint-Clair and tell us what you think!
Photo Credit: PZIMedia.com and the Wikipedia.com
