Director Bob Fosse (“Sweet Charity” 1969) used aspects of his life and career to create “All That Jazz,” a highly unorthodox musical, to say the least. The screenplay by Robert Alan Aurthur and Fosse made the film a hodgepodge of cooky jokes, wierd dramatic scenes, an open-heart surgery, and, yes, even some song-and-dance numbers, mostly unremarkable. The music by Ralph Burns, in my opinion, is not ready for prime time, though there were a few good ones in the mix. Burns did win the Oscar for Best Original Song Score, one of four for this movie including Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, and Best Film Editing.
Roy Scheider did deliver an energetic performance as Joe Gideon, the theater director and choreographer who is plagued by family problems, girl friend troubles, challenges at work, and health issues. Scheider’s presence in the picture really made the difference in its success. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor, one of nine nominations.
The supporting cast includes Jessica Lange, Ann Reinking, Ben Vereen, John Lithgow, Leland Palmer, David Margulies, Erzebet Foldi, Jules Fisher, Wallace Shawn, and C. C. H. Pounder as Nurse Blake. “All That Jazz” was a modest hit at the box office for Columbia Pictures and 20th Century Fox.
All That Jazz (1979)
cinema
My Review
Director Bob Fosse (“Sweet Charity” 1969) used aspects of his life and career to create “All That Jazz,” a highly unorthodox musical, to say the least. The screenplay by Robert Alan Aurthur and Fosse made the film a hodgepodge of cooky jokes, wierd dramatic scenes, an open-heart surgery, and, yes, even some song-and-dance numbers, mostly unremarkable. The music by Ralph Burns, in my opinion, is not ready for prime time, though there were a few good ones in the mix. Burns did win the Oscar for Best Original Song Score, one of four for this movie including Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, and Best Film Editing.
Roy Scheider did deliver an energetic performance as Joe Gideon, the theater director and choreographer who is plagued by family problems, girl friend troubles, challenges at work, and health issues. Scheider’s presence in the picture really made the difference in its success. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor, one of nine nominations.
The supporting cast includes Jessica Lange, Ann Reinking, Ben Vereen, John Lithgow, Leland Palmer, David Margulies, Erzebet Foldi, Jules Fisher, Wallace Shawn, and C. C. H. Pounder as Nurse Blake. “All That Jazz” was a modest hit at the box office for Columbia Pictures and 20th Century Fox.