Commentary: Sure, he moonwalked, but he never eased on down the road to a film career

July 06, 2009 The title always seemed grandiose, but at least during the 1980s, riding the trifecta of massive hit albums "Off the Wall," "Thriller" and "Bad" and their spinoff videos and concert performances, Jackson ruled over pop culture -- almost. Going back as far as Al Jolson, who gave voice to some of the first words spoken on film in 1927's "The Jazz Singer," generation-defining musical stars have gravitated toward movies to reach wider audiences and, in some cases, move beyond their musical personas. Nominated for an Oscar for her first film, 1972's "Lady Sings the Blues," Ross had stumbled with the fashion-world melodrama "Mahogany," so when critics piled on, complaining she was too old to play Dorothy, her film career was over.

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