Capitol, A Man Called Adam
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There are a lot of different ways in which you can become famous, especially here in the United States. Dancing is one of those avenues that some people take, though it wasn’t until recent years that a lot of people came to know the actual names of some of their favorite dancers. One of the dancing stars to have a breakthrough before the internet and reality television era, however, was Lola Falana. For a period in time, Falana was one of the most well known dancers, and used that ability to parlay it into an acting career that included many memorable film and television roles, as well as a music career.
Falana was born on September 11, 1942 in Camden, New Jersey where she started to take an interest in the entertainment path, appearing on stage and singing for the first time. Falana’s family then moved to Philadelphia, with Falana becoming a bit of a local celebrity. It was clear that Falana had a gift, and she decided to pursue that gift. Falana dropped out of high school to move to New York City, and was dancing on stages when she was spotted by the legendary singer Sammy Davis Jr. This opened up the door for Falana to establish an acting career.
Falana made her acting debut in the 1966 film “A Man Called Adam” with Sammy Davis Jr. She then followed this up the next year with the films “I’ll Try Tonight”, Lola Colt” and “When I Say That I Love You”, as well as her TV debut on “Sabato sera” in Italy. It was a few years before Falana acted again, popping back up in the early 1970s.
It was during this decade that Falana appeared in the films “The Liberation of L.B. Jones”, “The Klansman” and “Lady Cocoa”. Television was also very busy for Falana during the decade, having a role in “The New Bill Cosby Show”, as well as guest appearances in “The Streets of San Francisco” and “The Flip Wilson Show”. Falana was also the inspiration for the song “Copacabana” by Barry Manilow, which mentions “Lola, she was a showgirl.”
Falana even landed her own variety show in the mid 1970s on ABC, having multiple specials that aired over the span of a few months, and a show called “Lola”. Falana finished the 1970s with appearances on “Fantasy Island” and “The Muppet Show”. The early 1980s saw Falana have more Italian roles, as well as a regular spot on the TV series “Capitol” from 1984 to 1986. After this, Falana has only had a couple of roles that include the films “Mad About You” in 1990 and “Mary’s Land” in 2013.
During the late 1990s, Falana had decided to step away from the spotlight despite making six figures on a weekly basis in Las Vegas during the height of her fame. Instead, Falana wanted to focus more on her spirituality and said that she wasn’t going to be returning to acting on a full-time basis.
“I am not a star,” Falana said. “I don’t want to be called that dirty word…I am confirmed in Christ. I am absolute in Christ. Ain’t no man in the world can compete with my Lord. I got a guy who can walk on water.” Falana will appear at churches and speak publicly, though not making the type of money that she did as an entertainer. “Sometimes I only get $50, and that’s OK,” Falana said. “Sometimes I accept three or four visits a month; sometimes a month goes by and I don’t accept anything. When I get invitations, I take them to God. When he tells me to go, I go.”
A large part of why Falana went away from acting and performing was for health reasons. During the late 1980s, Falana had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis after waking up and was unable to stand, with half of her body being partially paralyzed and losing the ability to speak and hear the way she once did.
“I could always get up and move my body and make a living or just feel good about myself,” Falana said briefly after her diagnosis. “Then I woke up one day with a crooked face, a crooked mouth and dragging limbs…And I said, ‘OK, it’s not about physical prowess and glamour any more, Falana. All the gifts that you counted on, that you identified with as yourself are no longer present.’ So I took inventory and I looked in my little bag to see what I had left over. I had one jewel left in the bag, the brightest jewel of all - I had the gift of faith.”
It was her recovery period during this time that really allowed Falana to connect with her faith. “It made me become a servant for God,” she said. “I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God lives and that he is the authority on everything on this Earth. What he allows is for the greater good of humanity.”
Now in her late 70s, don’t expect to see Falana performing much on screen. She’s very much in tune with religion, and plans to remain that way for the rest of her life. If you want to see her these days, there’s a chance that Falana can appear at your local church. She’s been traveling around the United States, sharing her life experiences and recalling the fantastic life that she’s lived to this point.
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