The Auteurs #56: Bob Fosse

While his name maybe synonymous more with musical theatre and Broadway, Bob Fosse does hold an important place in the world of cinema. Despite only making five feature films and a TV concert special that was shot on film, Fosse’s contributions remain vital for its approach to choreography and how musical numbers are captured on film. Even as he would break the rules of what could be done in a musical as well as delve into elements of darkness that the genre wouldn’t venture into. Though it has been nearly 30 years since his passing, Fosse remains an important figure in the world of entertainment whether it’s through film, dance, or the musical theatre.

Born in Chicago, Illinois on June 23, 1927, Robert Louis Fosse was second youngest of six children to Cyril and Alice Fosse as he was raised in an environment surrounded by music. Upon meeting dancer Charles Grass where they formed a dance duo that played several theatres in Chicago, Fosse would later be recruited to dance for a variety show that played in military bases in the Pacific. After moving to New York City where he married dancer Mary Ann Niles, Fosse and Niles would be a dance duo in the city as they got the attention of the comedy duo of Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin in 1950 where they would be part of Lewis and Martin’s act until a year later where Fosse and Niles divorced. In 1953, Fosse would sign a contract with MGM where he appeared in a few films as a dancer as well as choreograph one of the dances in the film Kiss Me Kate. Yet, Fosse didn’t enjoy his time with Hollywood as he took the risk of going back to theatre where he would choreograph the stage musical The Pajama Game to great success.

While getting work as a choreographer where he would work on George Abbott’s Damn Yankees, Fosse met dancer Gwen Verdon who would become his third wife as Fosse would later choreograph the film version of Abbott’s musical play. Despite getting work in both film and theatre as a choreographer, Fosse realized he wanted to do more as he would get the chance to direct a musical play in Redhead as he would also do the choreography. The play won five Tony Awards which includes Fosse for choreography and a Best Actress prize to Verdon. Throughout the 60s, Fosse was a big name in the world of stage theatre as he was also considered an innovator for fusing different dance styles into one as part of the choreography. Fosse also would use lighting as a tool in how to stage his production and dance numbers as it raised his reputation as the go-to man for lavish musical stage productions.

Sweet Charity

In 1966, Fosse directed and choreographed a musical stage production of Sweet Charity that was written by Neil Simon with lyrics by Dorothy Fields and music by Cy Coleman as it was based on Federico Fellini’s 1957 film Nights of Cabiria. The story revolved around a woman who works as a taxi dancer for a dancehall as she seeks love in New York City while enduring many trials and tribulations in her quest. The play was a smash both on Broadway and at London’s West End a year later where Fosse was offered the chance to make his feature-film debut as a director on a film version of the play. Fosse said yes though he knew he couldn’t have wife Gwen Verdon to play the lead role of Charity as Fosse would get Shirley MacLaine to play the role. While Fosse was able to get John McMartin to play the role of Oscar like he did in the play, Fosse would get a big ensemble in the likes of Ricardo Montalban, Chita Riviera, Barbara Bouchet, and Sammy Davis Jr.

Despite his inexperience in directing film, Fosse knew he didn’t want the film to be set too much into the confines of a soundstage as he would also shoot the film entirely in Manhattan which was considered risky. Even as he was given a $20 million budget from Universal where Fosse would shoot a different ending to appease them. Still, Fosse was able to get things his way in sticking with the film’s original ending as it plays into elements of reality as much of the film is about reality vs. fantasy just like in the play. Fosse also wanted to incorporate some of the visual elements of Fellini whom he is fond of as a way to give the film a unique look that was different from many of the musicals that were coming out at the time.

The film made its premiere in April of 1969 where despite some excellent reviews, the film was a commercial disappointment making only $8 million against its $20 million budget. Despite receiving a rousing reception at the Cannes Film Festival a month later and receiving three Oscar nominations for its art direction, score, and costume design. The film’s box office failure was something becoming common with the musical genre as it was in decline due to audiences wanting something more real. Nevertheless, Fosse was proud of the film as he went back to the world of theatre as he would do so whenever he isn’t making a film.

Cabaret

Having seen the Broadway musical play Cabaret, Fosse was interested in turning the play that was based on Christopher Isherwood’s short novel about a cabaret singer and her relationship with an American writer in 1931 Berlin in the early days of Nazi Germany. While he wanted to helm the film version of the play, many weren’t sure due to the commercial failure of Sweet Charity. Still, executives Fosse would be the right filmmaker as he teamed with screenwriter Jay Allen in turning the play into script while retaining the songs written by John Kander and Fred Ebb. During the pre-production, Fosse wasn’t happy with Allen’s script as he asked Hugh Wheeler to do re-writes though Allen would retain credit and Wheeler credited for research as the latter wasn’t a member of the Writer’s Guild of America.

While Liza Minnelli had been attached to the project before Fosse’s involvement, Fosse was excited to work with Minnelli while he also succeeded in getting Michael York to play the role of writer Brian Roberts while Minnelli played the lead of Sally Bowles. Joel Grey, who had played the emcee in the theatrical versions, would also be in the film as the cast would include Marisa Berenson, Helmut Griem, and Fritz Wepper. Fosse would receive the services of cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth to shoot the film as much of it was shot near Munich. Not wanting to make the film to bear many elements of the musicals of the past, Fosse decided to have the musical be sung live at the club where Bowles’ character would often sing at. There, Fosse would add some realism as well as a sense of danger to the choreography as it plays into this conflict of a club trying to stay alive during this emergence of Nazism in Germany.

The film made its premiere in February of 1972 where it drew rave reviews while also becoming a major hit in the box office grossing more than $42 million against its $3 million budget. The film’s success would be huge as it would win 8 Oscars for its art direction, sound, score, editing, cinematography, a Best Supporting Actor prize to Joel Grey, Best Actress to Liza Minnelli, and Best Director to Bob Fosse while also being nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture. While the film did court some controversy over its content and sexually-provocative dancing, the film did prove that the musical was still alive as it needed a makeover in the era of New Hollywood.

Liza with a Z

With the massive success of Cabaret being big news, Fosse and Minnelli decided to create a special that was based on the latter’s talents as an entertainer with Fosse directing the production. Made as a TV concert special, Fosse would have the show be presented at the Lyceum Theatre in New York City with Minnelli singing sings as well as doing dance numbers with numerous dancers to Fosse’s own choreography. Having noticed that many TV concert special were shot on video, Fosse hired cinematographer Owen Roizman to shoot the special on 16mm film. Fosse hired film composer Marvin Hamlisch to be the special music coordinator as the concert was filmed on May 31, 1972. The special featured numerous dance numbers and witty monologues from Minnelli as it would be more than just a showcase of her talents.

The special made its TV premiere in September of 1972 on NBC where it was ratings smash as it would win Fosse two Emmys for its direction and choreography as well as two more as overall special and for its music. While the special would air a few more times during the 70s, it wouldn’t be seen for years until Minnelli, who had a copy of special, gave it a re-release in the early 2000s in a new remastered print as it drew rave reviews once again. Around the same year, Fosse directed a stage presentation of Pippin which won him two Tony Awards for its direction and choreography. In the span of a year, Fosse would become one of the most powerful and celebrated men in the world of entertainment.

Lenny

After a whirlwind year that had Fosse win nearly every accolade in entertainment, Fosse decided to take a detour from the world of musicals by going into another project that revolved around his fascination with the dark side of entertainment. Having seen Julian Barry’s play on the life of the controversial comedian Lenny Bruce, Fosse asked Barry to write a script that would be an unconventional bio-pic on Bruce. Especially as it plays into his work as a stand-up comic who would push the envelope on what could be said and the things he would talk about. Fosse and Barry both agreed that the narrative would largely be based on Bruce doing his standup as well as commenting on his own legal issues that would ultimately be his downfall as well as have the story told from his lover in a stripper named Honey.

With Dustin Hoffman cast as Bruce and Valerie Perrine cast in the role of Honey, Fosse knew that he didn’t want to go for something lavish as he chose to shoot the film in black-and-white film with cinematographer Bruce Surtees. It was to give the film a distinctive look that played more into classic cinema but also with a sense of grit. Notably in the scenes where Bruce does his standup as it’s never shown with a sense of polish as Fosse makes it direct and to the point. Even as Fosse wanted to play into that air of realism as it once again marked a recurring theme of fantasy vs. reality that had been prevalent in his previous films. After doing much of the shooting in early 1974, Fosse would take a break to act and choreograph The Little Prince for Stanley Donen where he would return to work on editing the film with editor Alan Heim who would become a key collaborator for Fosse throughout his film career.

The film was released in the U.S. in November of 1974 where it was well-received while doing modestly well in the American box office making more than $11 million. While it would receive six Oscar nominations including a Best Director nod for Fosse, it didn’t win anything. In May of 1975, the film played at the Cannes Film Festival where Valerie Perrine won the festival’s Best Actress prize. Yet, making the film as well as juggling other projects including another stage show for Liza Minnelli was starting to strain Fosse just as he was about to mount one of his most successful projects in a musical play called Chicago that some called one of his crowning achievements.

All That Jazz

Despite all of the success he’s garnered in film and theatre, Fosse was burned out as he would stage another musical production in 1978’s Dancin’ that won him another Tony for its choreography. Still, the experience of trying to stage Chicago and edit Lenny in 1974 forced him to create a project that would reflect not just his manic creativity but also his near-flirtation with death. Teaming up with writer Robert Alan Aurthur in creating a script, the film would be a mixture of fantasy vs. reality as well as the struggle to make art as it would revolve around a workaholic director trying to finish a film as well as a stage a musical production. There, he would have several encounters with the Angel of Death while living on the edge as he stubbornly tries to work as well as do other self-destructive habits that would eventually catch up with him.

While he retained a few of his collaborators in editor Alan Heim, music composer Ralph Burns, and costume designer Albert Wolksy as well as a few of his theatre collaborators in actors Ben Vereen and Ann Reinking as the latter was his girlfriend at the time. The cast would also include Leland Palmer, John Lithgow, Erzsebet Foldi, and Jessica Lange as the Angel of Death while the lead role of Joe Gideon was given to Roy Scheider. To shoot the film, Fosse brought in renowned cinematographer Giuseppe Rotunno who had worked with Federico Fellini in recent years as Fosse cited Fellini as a key influence in the film. The production was ambitious though the budget of $12 million was small in comparison to the budget of his first film. Especially as it played into many of the things Fosse faced in his life as he was trying to slow things down.

Following another extensive post-production period, the film was finally released in December of 1979 where it drew rave reviews as well as grossing $37 million in the U.S. box office giving Fosse another hit. Months later, the film would win four Oscars for its costume design, art direction, music, and editing while receiving five more including Best Picture and Best Director for Fosse. In May of 1980, Fosse showcased the film at the Cannes Film Festival where it share the festival’s top prize in the Palme d’Or with Akira Kurosawa’s Kagemusha. While the film did maintain Fosse’s stature as a top figure in entertainment, the specter of death still loomed over him as another project relating to the film in a documentary about why people want to perform fell apart as it would be one of many Fosse would abandon.

Star 80

After a break between projects, Fosse decided to make another film that explored the dark aspects of fame and celebrity as he had been intrigued about the life and death of Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten who had been killed in a murder suicide by her husband/manager Paul Snider in August of 1980. Despite the fact that a 1981 made-for-TV movie was made about Stratten that starred Jamie Lee Curtis in the role, Fosse chose to adapt his own version based on Teresa Carpenter’s Village Voice article that won her the Pulitzer Prize. Knowing that certain legalities would prevent him from using certain names including filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich who had been involved with Stratten in her final days. Fosse still wanted to tell the story about Stratten as well as her troubled relationship with Snider.

With collaborators in editor Alan Heim, costume designer Albert Wolsky, and music composer Ralph Burns taking part in the production, Fosse received the services of the famed cinematographer Sven Nykvist to shoot the film as it would be set on location in Los Angeles and Vancouver as Stratten was from the latter. With a cast that would include Carroll Baker as Stratten’s mother, Cliff Robertson as Hugh Hefner, and Roger Rees in his film debut as a fictionalized version of Peter Bogdanovich. Mariel Hemingway was cast as Dorothy Stratten while Eric Roberts was cast as Paul Snider. With a $12 million budget, the film was presented in an unconventional narrative as it is told through flashbacks, interviews, and other events as it opens with a bloody Snider looking over Stratten’s corpse. Fosse wanted to play into the concept of jealousy and obsession as it relates to Snider being left out while Stratten would mature and find a happier life outside of his control that was unfortunately brief.

The film made its U.S. premiere in November of 1983 where despite excellent reviews including raves for Eric Roberts, the film was a commercial disappointment only grossing $6 million. Months later at the 1984 Berlin Film Festival that February, the film played in competition for the Golden Bear where it was well-received but didn’t win anything. The film would unfortunately be the last feature film Fosse would make in his lifetime as he was dealing with health issues in the remaining years of his life.

Unrealized Projects & Final Years

In 1986, Fosse would stage what would be his last Broadway musical in a production called Big Deal that was based on the 1958 Mario Monicelli film Big Deal on Madonna Street. The musical was well-received as Fosse another Tony Award for Best Choreography as well as four more nominations yet the show only lasted for 69 performances as Fosse was already considering about focusing more on films rather than musical theatres. While he had been attached to direct The King of Comedy, he passed on it despite its subject matter as he was also approached to do a remake of The Bad and the Beautiful but it never materialized. Other projects Fosse turned down was a film version of Dick Tracy and a bio-pic on cult actress Edie Sedgwick that was to star Michelle Pfeiffer in the role with Al Pacino as Andy Warhol.

Among the projects Fosse was interested in helming to the big screen was a bio-pic on the gossip columnist Walter Winchell as it played into Fosse’s fascination with the dark side of fame and celebrity. The other project that Fosse wanted to make into a film was a film version of his most celebrated musical Chicago just as it had returned to Broadway to great success. Sadly, neither projects would materialize as Fosse died of a heart attack on September 23, 1987 at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C.

It’s been 30 years since the passing of Bob Fosse yet his influence in theatre, dance, and film still remains just as the musical has been getting a resurgence in the world of film. Though his work in film is small, his contribution to the medium is still vital and important as he’s managed to influence so many not just in musicals but also other genres where filmmakers note his contribution and what it meant to them. Even as Fosse was someone that wasn’t afraid to go into dark places and make it entertaining as well as create something that is magical in an era where it was about pure entertainment. Even if it isn’t safe as Bob Fosse never played it safe as it’s a big reason why remains so important to the world of entertainment.

© thevoid99 2016

Star 80

Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning Village Voice article Death of a Playmate by Teresa Carpenter, Star 80 is about the life and death of Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten who was set for stardom until she gains the jealousy of her husband/ manager Paul Snider. Written for the screen and directed by Bob Fosse, the film is a dramatic account into Stratten’s life as well as her tumultuous relationship with Snider as Dorothy Stratten is played by Mariel Hemingway and Eric Roberts in the role of Paul Snider. Also starring Cliff Robertson, Carroll Baker, Roger Rees, and David Clennon. Star 80 is a eerie yet entrancing film from Bob Fosse.

Dorothy Ruth Hoogstraten aka Dorothy Stratten was a young woman who had become the 1980 Playmate of the Year for Playboy magazine as she was due for stardom where she would appear in Peter Bogdanovich’s 1981 film They All Laughed. Instead, her life was cut short tragically at the age of 20 where she was killed by her husband/manager Paul Snider in a fit of rage and jealousy who would later kill himself. The film is about Stratten’s short life from how she was discovered by Snider and to the murder/suicide as it’s told in a unique narrative as it has Snider looking back while the narrative would cut back-and-forth in events during their life as well as various people including Stratten’s mother (Carroll Baker) and Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner (Cliff Robertson) being interviewed about Stratten and the events that led to her death. Bob Fosse’s script does take some dramatic liberties due to some legal issues as it relates to the real-life story where he wouldn’t be able to use the real names of Stratten’s family as well as Stratten and Snider’s neighbors at the home they shared in Los Angeles.

Another figure in Stratten’s life that is given liberties is the filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich where he isn’t mentioned in the film due to legal reasons. Instead, Fosse would create a fictionalized version of the character in Aram Nicholas (Roger Rees) who would be the filmmaker that falls for Stratten and offer a life without Snider’s control. The narrative does however create some unique development where Stratten would mature and be surrounded with people who really care about her as well as be aware of her husband’s behavior and plans. Snider’s development is just as interesting as this sleazy yet well-meaning guy who discovers Stratten at a Dairy Queen where he falls for her. Once she goes to Los Angeles and makes some connections, Snider becomes suspicious yet still has ambition. Unfortunately, his ideas for her and what he wants prove to be tasteless and low-class as he loses money and goes insane.

Fosse’s direction is definitely stylish not just in its usage of montages to play into Stratten’s rise as well as the numerous photos she took. It is also in the way he created different array of film styles ranging from the documentary to something more dramatic. Notably as he would maintain different visual styles in the way some of the scenes are presented where the interviews are very straightforward with a few stylish but eerie shots. The dramatic portions including a scenes where Stratten are interviewed do have a flair of style as it play into her rise to stardom. Fosse’s usage of close-ups and medium shots play into the intimacy in not just Stratten’s own observation of the world but also in the evolution of her relationship with Snider where it would eventually become toxic. Fosse would also use close-ups for a lot of the scenes set in Los Angeles with a few shots set in Vancouver as it play into the two different worlds these characters would encounter.

While Fosse would create something that is a play on the idea of fantasy vs. reality as it relates to Snider wants in the former, Fosse would an extra layer of realism for the film’s climax where the home that Stratten and Snider lived is the place where they actually lived in the final days of their lives. All of which plays into the tragedy as well as one man’s determination to keep this beautiful young woman no matter at what cost. Overall, Fosse creates an unsettling yet compelling film about the life and death of Dorothy Stratten.

Cinematographer Sven Nykvist does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography from the colorful look of the sunny day locations in California as well as some of the lavish approach to lighting for some of the interiors including Stratten‘s photo shoots. Editor Alan Heim does excellent work with the editing as it is very stylish with usage of dissolves, jump-cuts and montages to play into the craziness of the Hollywood life that Stratten would encounter as well as some of the eerie moments involving Snider. Art directors Michael S. Bolton and Jack G. Taylor Jr., with set decorators Anne D. McCulley and Kimberly Richardson, do fantastic work with the look of the Playboy mansion‘s interiors as well as the apartment that Snider has in Vancouver.

Costume designer Albert Wolsky does amazing work with the costumes as it plays into the look of the late 70s where it is all about style as Stratten‘s look represents this air of innocence while Snider‘s choice of clothing fits perfectly with who he is. Sound editor Dan Sable does nice work with the sound to play into the atmosphere of the parties as well as some of the chilling moments at the film‘s climax. The film’s music by Ralph Burns is superb for its mixture of low-key orchestral music with some electronic music to play into the times while the soundtrack that featured music by the Village People, Billy Joel, Rod Stewart, Steppenwolf, Louie Prima, Shirley Goodman and Leonard Lee, and the Band.

The casting by Howard Feuer and Jeremy Ritzer is wonderful as it includes some notable small roles from Keenan Ivory Wayans as a comic, James Luisi as Hefner’s assistant, Stuart Damon as a TV actor that Snider talks to, Tina Willson as a Playboy Playmate, Keith Hefner as a photographer cheated out of a finder’s fee by Snider, Lisa Gordon as Dorothy’s sister Eileen (a fictionalized version of Louise Stratten), Kathryn Witt as Stratten/Snider’s neighbor Robin, Josh Mostel as a private detective Snider hires late in the film, and David Clennon as a neighbor of Stratten/Snider who befriends them only to be wary of Snider’s troubled behavior. As a fictionalized version of filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich in the form of Aram Nicholas, Roger Rees is excellent as this filmmaker who falls for Stratten as well as being nurturing to her growing talents as an actress and being the man who wants to help her. Cliff Robertson is brilliant as Hugh Hefner as the man who founded Playboy as he sees something more in Stratten where he would be a fraternal figure of sorts for her while being very suspicious towards Snider.

Carroll Baker is amazing as Stratten’s mother who is suspicious about what Snider wants to do as she isn’t really charmed by him while she is also aghast in how he stole Stratten from her. Mariel Hemingway is remarkable as Dorothy Stratten as this young and beautiful woman who finds herself becoming a star where Hemingway displays an air of innocence to the character as well as someone who would grow up knowing that something isn’t right about Snider. Finally, there’s Eric Roberts in an incredible performance as Paul Snider as he exudes the sleaziness of the character in the way he looks and acts but also has a charm that is engaging where it would morph into something very dark in its anguish and torment where Roberts really creates something that is very scary to watch.

Star 80 is a marvelous film from Bob Fosse that features great performances fro Eric Roberts and Mariel Hemingway. It’s a film that doesn’t just explore not just some of the darker aspects of obsession but also tragedy in the form of a real life story of the murder suicide of Dorothy Stratten and Paul Snider. In the end, Star 80 is a brilliant film from Bob Fosse.

Bob Fosse Films: Sweet Charity - Cabaret - Liza with a Z - Lenny - All That Jazz - The Auteurs #56: Bob Fosse

© thevoid99 2016

Liza with a Z

Directed by Bob Fosse, Liza with a Z is a concert TV special for Liza Minnelli as she performs songs from the film Cabaret that Fosse directed and Minnelli starred in along with songs written by Fred Ebb and lyricist John Kander. Shot on May 31, 1972 at the Lyceum Theatre in New York City, the film showcases Minnelli singing and dancing to an audience in all-out musical with numbers ranging in different musical styles with Fosse providing choreography. The result is a sensational and dazzling concert TV special from Bob Fosse.

Considered one of the greatest performers in entertainment, Liza Minnelli is someone that can do it all as she can sing, dance, act, and crack some jokes. In early 1972, Minnelli starred in the film version of the hit Broadway musical Cabaret which was directed by Bob Fosse as it drew her rave reviews and would give an Academy Award for Best Actress. As an encore of sorts, Minnelli, Fosse, and the songwriting duo of Fred Ebb and John Kander would create a show largely on her talents. The show itself wouldn’t just be about Minnelli the performer but also a woman sharing bits of her real self onstage where she would tell jokes between a few songs.

The selection of song choice doesn’t just consist of songs by Ebb and Kander but also interpretations of standards, show tunes, and a few contemporary songs like I Gotcha by Joe Tex and Son of a Preacher Man sung famously by Dusty Springfield. All of which play into Minnelli’s own personality and her own diverse take on these songs where the contemporary numbers dwell more into rock, pop, and soul while the rest are more fitted into traditional pop and jazz with the aid of music coordinator Marvin Hamlisch. The show also includes a medley devoted to Cabaret as it’s not just about Minnelli singing these songs. It is also the presentation of the show where she’s joined by dancers dancing along all to Bob Fosse’s intricate and racy choreography which adds a lot to many of these musical numbers.

Instead of having the concert special shot on videotape, which was the standard at the time. Fosse would shoot the special on 16mm film with the aid of cinematographer Owen Roizman in the way much of the stage sets are lit and shown. Even as Fosse would shoot many of the performance not just at the stage but also from the side with high and low angles to see what the audience at the show would see. Especially in the way the sets that are created by production designer Robert Randolph and art director Sabina Daley are shown to play into each different set of the performance as well as the costumes worn by the many dancers that are designed by Frank L. Thompson with Minnelli’s costumes provided by Halston. Each set would have Minnelli sport different looks of sorts courtesy of hair stylist Simon Scudera and makeup designer Christina Smith.

Adding to the energy and performances is the editing of Alan Heim as it says a lot to how Minnelli reacts to the audience as well as in the way she performs a song. Sound mixer Robert C. Fine, with sound consultant Andy Potvin for its 2000 reissue, would do nice work with the way the music sound with Potvin providing some additional mixing for the remastered edition of the special.

Liza with a Z is a spectacular concert TV special from Bob Fosse that features in the incomparable Liza Minnelli. Not only is the special a must-see for fans of Minnelli but it’s also an overlooked gem of sorts from Fosse who would create a lavish presentation that plays into Minnelli’s stature as an entertainer. In the end, Liza with a Z is a fabulous concert TV film from Bob Fosse.


Bob Fosse Films: Sweet Charity - Cabaret - Lenny - All That Jazz - Star 80 - The Auteurs #56: Bob Fosse

© thevoid99 2016

Cabaret

Based on the 1966 musical by Joe Masteroff with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb that was based on the novel The Berlin Stories by Christopher Isherwood and its play I Am a Camera by John Van Druten. Cabaret is the story of pre-Nazi Berlin, Germany where a young writer finds himself entranced by the world as he meets and falls for an American cabaret singer. Directed by Bob Fosse and screenplay by Jay Allen, the film is a musical that plays into the lives of an outsider and various others in a world that was to change as they try to hold on to a world of decadence. Starring Liza Minnelli, Michael York, Helmut Greim, Fritz Wepper, Marisa Berenson, and Joel Grey. Cabaret is a spectacular and exhilarating film from Bob Fosse.

Set in 1931 Berlin, the film revolves around a British writer and an American cabaret singer who meet and fall in love during a period in Germany that would mark a major change for the country in the emergence of Nazism. Yet, it’s a film that play into two different people and personalities who meet together as one is this reserved academic that lives in a world of reality while the other is this exuberant woman with big dreams to make it as an actress while being this revered cabaret singer. All of it is told that plays into a world that is quite decadent and sort of escapist where this young man ventures into the world as an outsider where he’s taken aback but also amazed by it. The film’s screenplay by Jay Allen isn’t just about this relationship between Brian Roberts (Michael York) and Sally Bowles (Liza Minnelli) but also the people around them and what is going on at the Kit Kat Club where Sally performs that features commentary from its Master of Ceremonies (Joel Grey).

The film also has a subplot as it relates to a friend of Bowles in Fritz Wendel (Fritz Wepper) who is a well-known gigolo that goes to Roberts to improve his English as he falls for another of Roberts’ pupil in a rich Jewish woman in Natalia Landauer (Marisa Berenson). It’s a subplot that doesn’t just play into Roberts being this observer of watching another man fall in love but also deal with the realities of what is happening as it relates to the emergence of Nazism. The script does have a traditional structure where much of its first act and the first half of the story revolves around the growing relationship between Roberts and Bowles despite their difference with the former also admitting to having feelings for men. By the time the character of baron Maximilian von Heune (Helmut Greim) comes into the picture, the second act would begin as it plays into this threesome that also involves Roberts and Bowles but also a dark reality that would emerge.

Even in the third act where it plays into this disconnect of sorts of what is happening in Germany and the world that Bowles wants. Even as the events in the Kit Kat Club showcases that disconnect while offering commentary on what is happening outside of the club. The performances that involve the Master of Ceremonies with or without Bowles not only help bring in ideas of what is going on in the narrative but also into a world that is ever-changing where it is this world of escape but also filled with some contradictions. Notably as it relates to what Bowles had to face in her life as it showcases how flawed she is as a person. While Roberts might seem as somewhat stuffy and a bit cynical, he is someone that is willing to be open but also realizes that what is happening in Germany is wrong. For Bowles, she doesn’t think about the bigger picture rather than what she wants to be as it raises that sense of disconnect into reality.

Bob Fosse’s direction is very unique not just for his recreation of 1930s Berlin but also in the fact that nearly half of the film is set inside this club. The scenes set in the club has this air of danger in what could be revealed either literally or metaphorically. Even as many of the musical numbers that are written by John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb has this playful yet decadent feel. Fosse’s presentation of these musical numbers are very intimate but also something that is very lively and unpredictable. With Fosse also serving as the choreographer, the dance numbers and performances have this air of sexuality that is enthralling but also add to what is going on in the story such as Bowles’ meeting with von Heune for a song with the Master of Ceremonies in Money, Money. The songs aren’t just crucial to the narrative but it also expresses everything that Bowles is dealing with as well as what is happening in the story.

Shot on location in Germany with much of it in rural places along with some location shooting in Munich and parts of West Berlin, Fosse would take advantage of the beauty of the locations as well as create something that was once peaceful despite the dark undercurrent of Nazism. The usage of wide and medium shots would play into these moments along with some of the musical numbers. Fosse’s close-ups are also key in some of the musical sequences either for comical or very emotional moments while it is also evident in a key moment where Bowles, Roberts, and von Heune notice the attraction towards each other. It also plays into these moments between Bowles and Roberts in their relationship despite the growing darkness that is emerging as it relates to people they know. Even as it indicates a reality that Bowles would have to face no matter how much she tries to ignore it. Overall, Fosse creates a dazzling and ravishing film about a cabaret singer and an academic falling in love during 1931 Berlin.

Cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography with its array of lighting for some of the cabaret numbers as well as the usage of soft lights for some of the daytime interiors while using some low-key lighting for some of the exterior lightings set at night. Editor David Bretherton does amazing work with the editing as it features some unique jump-cuts as well as montages that play into some of the dramatic moments as well as some unique back-and-forth cutting to play into the musical numbers and what is going on outside of the club. Production designer Rolf Zehetbauer and art director Hans Jurgen Kiebach do fantastic work with the look of the Kit Kat Club and its stage as well as the apartment that Bowles and Roberts share that play into their different personalities.

Costume designer Charlotte Flemming does excellent work with the costumes from the clothes that Bowles wears on and off the stage as well as the clothes the men wore in those times as well as those Nazi uniforms. Sound editor James M. Falkinburg does superb work with the sound in the way some of the dancing sounds as well as some of the moments that occur in the streets and small towns. The film’s music by John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb, with additional work by Ralph Burns, is incredible not just for the songs that are made but also in the music score that plays into that world of jazz to showcase a world that is changing slowly but also the sense that something dangerous is coming.

The casting by Renate Neuchl is wonderful as it features some notable small roles from Elisabeth Neumann-Viertel as Bowles and Roberts’ landlord Fraulein Schneider and Oliver Colligan as a Nazi youth with Mark Lambert as its singing voice. Marisa Berenson is terrific as Natalia Landauer as a rich socialite who is dealing with Fritz’s feelings for her but also the fact that she’s Jewish and a target for the Nazis. Fritz Wepper is superb as Fritz Wendel as a gigolo who falls for Natalia as he tries to please her while carrying a secret of his own which he believes will destroy him. Helmut Greim is fantastic as the baron Maximilian von Heune as a rich gigolo who woos both Roberts and Bowles as well as be someone that has a lot of power in what to do where it is clear he is just someone that uses people.

Joel Grey is phenomenal as the Master of Ceremonies as he is this vivacious performer that is so full of charm and humor as it is just this performance that really steals the show while looking really good in stockings and garters. Michael York is remarkable as Brian Roberts as a British academic/writer who comes to Berlin to write while falling for Bowles where he deals with his own sexuality as well as what is happening around him where he tries to make a difference. Finally, there’s Liza Minnelli in a spectacular performance as Sally Bowles as this woman who is so full of life and charisma as she is this cabaret performer that is just so engaging while Minnelli also provides some vulnerability and wit to the character offstage that is quite selfish but also troubled as she is someone that doesn’t know if there is a life outside of entertaining and making people smile amidst a world that is changing.

Cabaret is an outstanding film from Bob Fosse that features great performances from Liza Minnelli, Michael York, and Joel Grey. It’s a musical that manages to be very entertaining as well as have an air of danger that makes it so compelling. Especially as it features a strong story, amazing technical work, and exhilarating music that makes the film a total joy. In the end, Cabaret is a sensational film from Bob Fosse.

Bob Fosse Films: Sweet Charity - Liza with a Z - Lenny - All That Jazz - Star 80 - The Auteurs #56: Bob Fosse

© thevoid99 2016

2015 Cannes Marathon: Sweet Charity

(Played Out of Competition at the 1969 Cannes Film Festival)

Based on Federico Fellini’s 1957 Nights of Cabiria and the stage play by Neil Simon with songs by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields, Sweet Charity is the story of a taxi dancer looking for love in New York City as she endures many ups and downs. Directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse and screenplay by Peter Stone, the film is a musical take on a woman’s life as she endures moments of happiness and humiliation in her journey. Starring Shirley MacLaine, John McMartin, Chita Rivera, Ricardo Montalban, Paula Kelly, Barbara Bouchet, Stubby Kaye, and Sammy Davis Jr. Sweet Charity is an exuberant and engaging film from Bob Fosse.

The film follows the life of a woman who dances at late night dance hall with other men as she desperately tries to find love in the hope that she can escape her dreary life. It’s a film with a simple story as it plays more into this woman named Charity (Shirley MacLaine) who would endure a series of moments where her desire to find love and happiness forces her to take some serious challenges. Much of it is sort of told in an episodic manner such as an encounter with a famous Italian film star and a kind man who suffers from claustrophobia. Along the way, she tries to find ways to escape her dreary life but Charity’s lack of skills outside of dancing would make things more challenging. Peter Stone’s screenplay does create a unique structure that plays into Charity’s own plight as it begins with heartbreak and denial as her encounters with other forces would wonder if she finds love. Love is a recurring theme in the film as it plays into everything that Charity is looking for in the journey she would take as it would blur elements of reality and fantasy.

Bob Fosse’s direction not only uses New York City as a character and as a stage setting but he also does much more than just create a musical. Instead, he brings in a lot of elements to play into Charity’s own tumultuous journey as Fosse aims for something that isn’t just a lavish music but also a drama that plays into a woman being beaten into a series of humiliating moments as she struggles to retain some hope. With the aid of Gwen Verdon in the choreography, Fosse knows what to do with the presentation of the dance as he also knows where to place the camera to capture every moment. Especially as Fosse’s use of the widescreen format with a lot of wide and medium shots not only help play to the dance but also in where the dance is going and such. Most notably the Rich Man’s Frug sequence at this very posh club as Fosse definitely injects the visual style of Federico Fellini into the film.

It’s among these lavish dance sequence that plays into the drama as well as the elements of fantasy vs. reality as it relates to what Charity wants in her life. Fosse’s usage of medium shots and close-ups help add to the emotional and dramatic aspects of the film such as Charity’s first meeting with Oscar (John McMartin) inside an elevator. Fosse’s approach with the framing is quite playful as well as some of the drama where Charity copes with wanting to be honest with Oscar as well as being true to herself. Even as Fosse maintains something that is lively but also play into the period of the times as it relates to an encounter Charity and Oscar would have with a mysterious religious group. It’s a moment where Fosse acknowledges that sense of change that is happening at a time where musicals were becoming out of fashion while providing something where it can still have life in the world that Charity and Oscar are at. The latter is from a world where things are simple and with rules while the former is someone that is eager for something that doesn’t really exist. Overall, Fosse creates a very stylish yet exhilarating film about a woman trying to find love in New York City.

Cinematographer Robert Surtees does brilliant work with the film‘s very colorful and vibrant cinematography to play into the mood of the dances with some unique lighting for some of its interiors and scenes set at night as well as some of the lights for the dance numbers such as If They Could See Me Now. Editor Stuart Gilmore does amazing work with the editing with its stylish approach to jump-cuts, dissolves, and freeze-frames while capturing the rhythm of the music and dance without the need to cut very fast in order to capture the full power of the dance. Art directors Alexander Golitzen and George C. Webb, with set decorator Jack D. Moore, do fantastic work with the set pieces from the dancehall that Charity and her friends work at to the lavish penthouse of the Italian actor that she meets.

Costume designer Edith Head does incredible work with the costumes from the lavish dresses the dancehall women wear as well as the clothes at the Pompeii Club where Charity goes to and the clothes that she would wear. The sound work of Len Peterson, Ronald Pierce, William Russell, James V. Schwartz, and Waldon O. Watson is superb for some of the sound effects that come into play as well as the sense of atmosphere that occurs in the Pompeii Club and other moments in New York City. The film’s music by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields is phenomenal for its sense of vibrancy and energy where it mixes orchestral flourishes with brass instruments to play into the excitement as the songs in the film not only help drive the story but also play into what the characters are dealing with.

The film’s excellent cast includes notable appearances from Bud Cort as a flower child, Toni Basil as one of the dancers at the club, Ben Vereen as a vocalist/dancer for the Rich Man’s Frug sequence, Suzanne Charny as the lead dancer in the Rich Man’s Frug sequence, Stubby Kane as the dancehall club owner Herman, Barbara Bouchet as the spoiled girlfriend of the Italian actor, and Sammy Davis Jr. in a fantastic performance as the religious leader Big Daddy Brubeck. Paula Kelly and Chita Rivera are brilliant in their respective roles as Charity’s friends/fellow dancers Helene and Nickie who both share the same desire to have a better life but were more willing to accept reality rather than what Charity wants.

Ricardo Montalban is amazing as the Italian film star Vittorio Vatale as a man of great charm who is intrigued by Charity as he allows her to spend some time with him where Montalban also provides the character with a complexity that is unique. John McMartin is superb as Oscar as a claustrophobic man who meets Charity in an elevator as he falls for her while wondering what she really does as he proves to be the one chance of hope for Charity. Finally, there’s Shirley MacLaine in a spectacular performance as Charity Hope Valentine as MacLaine brings a lot of energy and liveliness to her performance as well as elements of despair as MacLaine brings so much to the film as she sings well while doing a lot of her dancing as it’s really a performance for the ages.

Sweet Charity is a phenomenal film from Bob Fosse that features a truly amazing performance from Shirley MacLaine. The film isn’t just a musical that manages to be all fun and excitement but also with a very engaging story about a woman’s desperation to find love. Even as it manages to retain some of the harsher elements of Federico Fellini’s Nights of Cabiria while being it’s own film. In the end, Sweet Charity is a sensational film from Bob Fosse.

Bob Fosse Films: Cabaret - Liza with a Z - Lenny - All That Jazz - Star 80 - The Auteurs #56: Bob Fosse

Related: Nights of Cabiria

© thevoid99 2015

2013 Cannes Marathon: Lenny

(Winner of the Best Actress Prize to Valerie Perrine at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival)

Directed by Bob Fosse and written by Julian Barry from his own play, Lenny is the story about comedian Lenny Bruce who pushed the envelope on the concept of stand-up comedy with obscenities as he rose high and later fell hard. The film is an exploration into the life of a man who tries to be outrageous to his audience only to succumb to drugs as the pressures of the authorities start to get to him. Also starring Valerie Perrine, Jan Miner, and Stanley Beck. Lenny is a riveting yet uncompromising film from Bob Fosse.

Lenny Bruce’s work in comedy wasn’t just shocking in the subjects he talked about also the way he talked about it where there was this sense of fearlessness in his work. While it garnered him praise from audiences as he is later considered one of the greatest comics ever. He was considered to be too obscene for his language as he would be arrested for these obscenities were the piling of arrests and legal issues along with his escalating drug abuse led to his downfall and his death of a morphine overdose in 1966. What this film does is tell Lenny Bruce’s story from not just his standup performances as he is also talking about his legal issues in one of his final standup shows. His story is also told from those who were closest to him in his life.

Julian Barry’s screenplay has a unique narrative that cross-cuts throughout the film where even though it is told chronologically from the time Lenny meets his future wife in a stripper named Honey (Valerie Perrine) to his death. Though the script would feature moments where Bruce is talking about his life in his last stand-up show, it is Honey as well as Bruce’s mother Sally Marr (Jan Miner) and his agent Artie Silver (Stanley Beck) that would talk about Bruce as they’re being interviewed. What they would reveal is just some of the attributes of Lenny that were good as he could be a kind, loving person who wants to do right while wanting to tell the truth to his audience. Yet, there are aspects about Bruce that is quite despicable as he is a junkie who can be cruel. He’s willing to sleep with other women and do all sorts of things while he can be very confrontational.

A lot of the story about Bruce’s life is told from Honey who would also endure her own trials and tribulation as she also became addicted to drugs where she would be in prison for two years forcing Bruce to take care of their daughter as he’s managed to do a good job. Still, the two struggle to be clean until Bruce finally becomes a success through his unique stand-up comedy as he’s getting paid lots of money but it also brings trouble. Notably in the third act in which Honey is released from prison as they both relapse where Bruce does a show that would mark the beginning of the end where his fall shows a man facing his troubles as he is desperate to do right again.

The direction of Bob Fosse is very entrancing for not just the way he presents the film but also give it an air of style where some of it is shot in nightclubs while having this feel where the film is sort of a documentary. While the look of the film as a whole is polished, there is an air of grittiness to the stand-up comedy scenes where things feel awkward at first but once Bruce finally finds his footing, there is something that is engaging where Fosse shows a reaction shot from the audience as well as Bruce himself. There’s an energy to the comedy act that occurs where it can be very risqué and confrontational but it’s also very funny since Fosse knows that Bruce is a satirist.

The direction maintains that air of risqué content in some parts of the film outside of the comedy with some striptease shows where if one was to see it from a present point-of-view, it’s really tame but it has an elegance that is lost in today’s stripping culture. There are also moments where Fosse shows that world of Bruce’s home life that is very dark where Honey is subjected into things that was considered taboo at the time while the drug scenes showcase that sense of detachment in Bruce’s life. The trial scenes have Fosse not only treat it with a sense of realism where sometimes it can be funny but also dramatic in the way Bruce tries to defend himself as the framing is quite startling to see Bruce on his own trying to prove to the court that he isn’t doing anything wrong. Overall, Fosse creates a very engrossing yet unsettling film about the life of Lenny Bruce.

Cinematographer Bruce Surtees does great work with the film‘s black-and-white cinematography to create a timeless look of the film as it is set from the 1950s to the 1970s in the interview scenes as it features some evocative lighting schemes in the clubs. Editor Alan Heim does excellent work with the editing to help structure the story by moving the interviews and the events back-and-forth while creating some rhythmic cuts for some of the audience reaction towards Bruce‘s act. Production designer Joel Schiller and set decorator Nicholas J. Romanac do amazing work with the set pieces from the look of the nightclubs to some of the look of the buildings from the 1950 and 1960s to play up a world that is unraveling through Bruce‘s act.

Costume designer Albert Wolsky does wonderful work with the costumes from the lavish stripper clothing of the 1950s to the more grimy, casual look that Bruce goes for in the 1960s. The sound work of Dennis Maitland is terrific for the atmosphere of the stand-up comedy scenes as well as some of the raucous moments in the trial scenes. The film’s music by Ralph Burns is superb as it is largely a jazz-based score with some up-tempo pieces to some more somber pieces for its drama as the soundtrack also includes some pieces by Miles Davis.

The casting by Marion Dougherty and Beverly McDermott is brilliant as it features some notable small roles from Rashael Novikoff as Bruce’s mother and Gary Morton as old-school entertainer Sherman Mort who tries to guide Bruce into what he should do. Stanley Beck is excellent as Bruce’s agent Artie Silver who tries to ensure Bruce’s financial future while being very loyal to him. Jan Miner is wonderful as Bruce’s mother Sally Marr who encourages him to succeed with his act while being troubled by his fall. Valerie Perrine is phenomenal as Honey Bruce as a woman who falls for Lenny and becomes a drug addict like him where Perrine just doesn’t exude sexiness but also vulnerability and a weariness as her character is being interviewed. Finally, there’s Dustin Hoffman in an incredible performance as Lenny Bruce where Hoffman brings a bit of sensitivity and vulnerability to the role but is also willing to be outrageous and confrontational as he captures all of the manic energy of Lenny Bruce.

Lenny is a remarkable film from Bob Fosse that features marvelous performances from Dustin Hoffman and Valerie Perrine. The film is definitely one of Fosse’s finest works as well as one of his darkest films that explores the world of humor and how one man was eager to push the envelope. The film is also an intriguing look into the life of Lenny Bruce and his reasons to create comedy with no rules. In the end, Lenny is a fantastic film from Bob Fosse.

Bob Fosse Films: Sweet Charity - Cabaret - Liza with a Z - All That Jazz - Star 80 - The Auteurs #56: Bob Fosse

© thevoid99 2013

2011 Cannes Marathon: All That Jazz

(Co-Winner of the Palme D’or w/ Kagemusha at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival)

While Bob Fosse’s name is synonymous with dance and theater, his work as a film director has been one of the most celebrated in his prolific career. With musicals such as Sweet Charity and Cabaret, Fosse moved away from the musical with 1974’s Lenny about the controversial comedian Lenny Bruce. In 1979, Fosse would make a semi-biographical picture that mixed the dazzling musicals he’s known for with a gritty outlook on life entitled All That Jazz.

Directed by Bob Fosse with a script co-written with Robert Alan Arthur, All That Jazz follows a choreographer/film director whose workaholic lifestyle is spinning out of control. Struggling to get a new musical play going and finishing a film, he is visited by an angel of death as his health begins to take a toll. Based on Fosse’s own life, the film is a study of creativity and the toll it takes on its creator. Starring Roy Scheider, Jessica Lange, Leland Palmer, Ann Reinking, John Lithgow, and Ben Vereen. All That Jazz is spectacular yet hypnotic musical-drama from the late Bob Fosse.

Joe Gideon (Roy Scheider) is a brilliant artist who is known for making great Broadway shows and movies that he’s directed. Yet, Joe’s life is going out of control as he is trying to work on a new musical while finishing up a film about a standup comedian that is still in its rough cut. Every day, Joe chain-smokes and pops up various pills to get himself going as he’s under numerous deadlines while often forgetting to do other things in his life like spending time with his daughter Michelle (Erzsebet Foldi) much to the ire of his ex-wife Audrey (Leland Palmer). Joe also spends his time sleeping with other women much to the dismay of his girlfriend Katie (Ann Reinking).

Joe’s workaholic schedule is starting to take his toll as he’s imagining talking to an angel of death named Angelique (Jessica Lange) about his life and the fact that he a schmuck. With Joe trying to find ideas for his show while being under pressure from collaborators and backers including Jonesy Hecht (William LeMassena) trying to get him to finish. Thanks to some prodding from Audrey, Joe gets an inspiration for his show though it would alienate his backers as he continues to work on his varied projects where it would finally take a toll on his health. After finally suffering chest pains, Joe is sent to the hospital as a cardiologist (Michael Tolan) suggests that Joe should relax.

Instead, Joe continues to play with death in his ways at the hospital while learning about the reviews over his film which he knew wasn’t finished. While Jonesy and other financiers try to figure out how to salvage the show with its expensive production by even turning to another Broadway director in Lucas Sergeant (John Lithgow). Joe starts to realize his own faults as his perception of reality is blurred through his own imagination featuring the people in his life as he starts to face his own mortality.

While the film is based partially on Bob Fosse’s own life at the time he was trying to finish his 1974 film Lenny, some of it is definitely inspired by the works of Federico Fellini. Particularly 8 ½ which was about a film director’s life that is unraveling by his writer’s block and the women in his life. In this film, it’s about a man whose lifestyle and antics finally takes a toll on him in a lot of ways. His personal life is becoming messy due to his womanizing while professionally, he is uninspired and having a hard time getting or finishing projects. This would eventually lead to him facing mortality in the guise of a beautiful angel who would have him see parts of his own life.

The character of Joe Gideon is essentially a scumbag and he knows it. He doesn’t spend a lot of time with his daughter though doesn’t mean to hurt her. He sleeps around with other women much to the chagrin of his ex-wife Audrey and current girlfriend Katie. He likes to flirt around with death by drinking, chain-smoking, pill-popping, and fucking every piece of ass out there as if it was his last day. Yet, he knows that he couldn’t help himself in doing these things as a way to cope with his own work as he is his own worst critic. He wants to do something great but has a hard time trying to please himself and others. The fact that he’s taking much longer to finish a film because of a long monologue that he’s cut over and over again.

The script that Fosse and Robert Alan Arthur create is an intriguing study on art and how artists tend to suffer for their work literally. Yet, it’s also about how the world of Broadway works as there’s a bit of a subplot when Joe’s financiers try to salvage the play they’re working by figuring out how to make money if things go bad while getting another director involved. Fosse and Arthur’s dialogue is phenomenal for its humor as well as the way characters respond to each other and their actions.

Fosse’s direction is truly magnificent in its ambition and presentation by creating a film that is gritty and stylish. For many of the musical sequences that is early in the film, he shoots it on location in the stages or rehearsal halls. Yet, there is something very real to the look and the rough presentation as he allows the staging of these numbers to make it seem intense with sweat dripping on the dancers, musicians, and Joe himself. At the same time, he doesn’t sugarcoat anything that is happening when people are rehearsing as the scene where Joe is looking for dancers. What he shows is everything from people are on time and have rhythm to the lone dancer who is lost in the shuffle knowing he or she won’t make it.

Fosse’s look of the fantasy sequences is truly mystical in the way it plays off to Joe’s messy head as it’s filled with decayed objects and such along with memories including a young Joe (Keith Gordon) dancing around. One of the film’s great moments is a montage of images that play up to the way Joe opens his day to the music of Antonio Vivaldi’s Concerto in G as it always feature Joe saying “It’s show time folks”. If Fosse’s staging of the musical and smaller dramatic moments are wonderful, it’s also the way he frames those scenes where he definitely gets a wide depth of field of what is happening along with allowing the camera to soak in the atmosphere. Using tracking shots and steady hand-held work to allow Joe to be followed along with the intensity of the dance numbers that is choreographed by Fosse himself. The overall work in Fosse’s direction is mesmerizing and masterful as he creates what is truly an engaging yet entertaining film.

Cinematographer Giuseppe Rotunno does a phenomenal job with the film‘s photography in bringing a sense of realism with atmospheric lighting to some of the rehearsal scenes. In the fantasy sequences, Rotunno goes for that same kind of grit along with a ghostly look as the film while the dance sequences late in the film are filled with dazzling lights that brings a lush yet seductive look to Rotunno’s camera. Editor Alan Heim does a superb job with the editing in not just creating amazing rhythmic montages to Joe’s daily routine but also to the dance numbers and dramatic moments in the film. Heim’s work is really the technical highlight of the film for the way he plays off Joe’s intense lifestyle with its frantic cutting as well as playing to the repetition of Joe’s day that includes a slow half-frame speed.

Production designer Philip Rosenberg, along with set decorators Gary J. Brink and Edward Stewart, does an amazing job with the art direction in the creation of the fantasy sequences from the decayed look of Joe‘s world with Angelique to the dazzling stage setting for the many of the film‘s dance sequences in the latter part of the film. Costume designer Albert Wolsky does a great job with the costumes from the all-black clothes that Joe wears to the lush dress that Angelique wears along with the fantasy dance sequences in the film. Makeup artist Fern Buchner does a nice job with the make-up for some of the dance fantasy sequences that play up to the Felliniesque elements of the film.

Sound editor Maurice Schell does a fantastic job with the sound work to capture the feet on the floor to the atmosphere of rehearsals and the meetings. Notably a scene where Joe is in a meeting with all of these people and all he can hear are sparse sounds as it’s one of the highlights of the film. The music by Ralph Burns is superb for its creation of some amazing music pieces that are played for the film including rehearsal music and stuff that’s made up in the scene. The soundtrack includes Antonio Vivaldi’s Concerto in G plus George Benson’s On Broadway and a snazzy cover of Bye Bye Love sung by Ben Vereen. The soundtrack is another of the film’s highlights as it’s an important part of the film.

The casting by Howard Feuer and Jeremy Ritzer is brilliant for its large ensemble that features early appearances by actors who would go on to bigger things such as Sandahl Bergman as a principal dancer, C.C.H. Pounder as a nurse, Wallace Shawn as an accountant, Keith Gordon as the young Joe Gideon, David Margulies as a financier, and John Lithgow as a rival Broadway director. Other notable small roles include Ben Vereen as a singer whom Joe likes to watch, Deborah Geffner as a dancer Joe sleeps with, Cliff Gorman as the actor in Joe’s standup comedy film, Michael Tolan as the cardiologist, and William LeMassena as a financier who tries to help Joe with his play while protecting his investment.

Erzsebet Foldi is great as Joe’s teenaged daughter Michelle who adores her father despite his absence as she always try to get him to slow down while has a few great dance numbers including one with Ann Reinking at an apartment as it’s a fun performance to watch. Ann Reinking is excellent as Joe’s girlfriend Katie, a woman who has a hard time dealing with Joe’s womanizing while trying to ground him. Leland Palmer is superb as Audrey, Joe’s ex-wife and Michelle’s mother who is also a former dancer as she tries to pull him back to real life while dealing with his workaholic persona. Jessica Lange is wonderful as Angelique, an angel of death who is a seductive woman but also quite terse in how she makes Joe confess his own faults.

Finally, there’s the late Roy Scheider as Joe Gideon in what is his best performance of his career. Scheider brings a sense of charm and weariness to a character that is at times, a schmuck but also knows the fact that he is a schmuck. Yet, Scheider makes Joe Gideon into a fascinating figure who is willing to do great things for his art while is willing to accept criticism knowing that the critics could be right. It’s a very fearless yet entertaining performance from the great actor.

All That Jazz is a brilliant yet entertaining musical from Bob Fosse featuring a remarkable performance from Roy Scheider. Featuring great supporting work from Jessica Lange, Leland Palmer, and Ann Reinking, it is definitely one of the best musicals that strays away from the idea of what a musical is. Even as Fosse makes it personal and engaging as it’s one of his greatest films in his short filmmaking career. In the end, All That Jazz is a marvelous film from the late, great Bob Fosse.

Bob Fosse Films: Sweet Charity - Cabaret - Liza with a Z - Lenny - Star 80 - The Auteurs #56: Bob Fosse

© thevoid99 2011