All That Jazz (1979)

Director/choreographer Bob Fosse tells his own life story as he details the sordid life of Joe Gideon (Roy Scheider), a womanizing, drug-using dancer.

Director:

Bob Fosse

Writers:

Robert Alan Aurthur, Bob Fosse

Stars:

Roy Scheider, Jessica Lange, Leland Palmer

Won 4 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Roy Scheider	...	Joe Gideon
Jessica Lange	...	Angelique
Leland Palmer	...	Audrey Paris
Ann Reinking	...	Kate Jagger
Cliff Gorman	...	Davis Newman
Ben Vereen	...	O'Connor Flood
Erzsebet Foldi	...	Michelle
Michael Tolan	...	Dr. Ballinger
Max Wright	...	Joshua Penn
William LeMassena	...	Jonesy Hecht
Irene Kane	...	Leslie Perry (as Chris Chase)
Deborah Geffner	...	Victoria
Kathryn Doby	...	Kathryn
Anthony Holland	...	Paul Dann
Robert Hitt	...	Ted Christopher

Storyline

Director/choreographer Bob Fosse tells his own life story as he details the sordid life of Joe Gideon (Roy Scheider), a womanizing, drug-using dancer.

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Plot Keywords:

dancer | editing | stand up comedian | film making | autograph | 

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Taglines:

All that work. All that glitter. All that pain. All that love. All that crazy rhythm. All that jazz.

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Music | Musical

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

20 December 1979 (USA)

Also Known As:

All that jazz - Lo spettacolo continua

Filming Locations:

Kaufman Astoria Studios - 3412 36th Street, Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The character of Davis Newman (Cliff Gorman) was based on Dustin Hoffman who had played the title role in Bob Fosse's earlier film Lenny.

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Goofs

The sweat spot on Audrey's back changes when Joe talks about fidelity and Paul plays the piano.

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Quotes

Angelique: That's very theatrical, Joe.

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Crazy Credits

There are no opening credits, only the company credits and the title, which resembles revolving Broadway lights.

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Connections

Featured in A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies (1995)

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Soundtracks

"After You've Gone"
(1918) (uncredited)
Music by Turner Layton
Lyrics by Henry Creamer
Performed by Leland Palmer with Ann Reinking and Erzsebet Foldi

User Reviews

Unmistakably Fosse With Strokes Both Self-Indulgent and Brilliant

With the kinetic edits capturing fully the energy of a Broadway cattle call and punctuated perfectly by George Benson's jazzy version of "On Broadway", the opening sequence of Bob Fosse's 1979 autobiographical musical extravaganza is so dazzling that the rest of the movie feels like a series of climaxes awaiting the big finish...literally. Fosse, who also co-wrote the script with Robert Alan Arthur, encapsulates his own hectic life into a patently self-indulgent movie with unmistakable style and verve and isolated moments of sheer brilliance. His doppelganger is Joe Gideon, who is juggling a major Hollywood film about a stand-up comic (like "Lenny") and a major Broadway production starring his ex-wife (like "Chicago"), while simultaneously dealing with his failing heart and a splintered domestic life. A demanding perfectionist, Gideon drives himself with unbounded energy, a heavy smoking habit and an excess of medications. This leads him to the hospital where he faces a personal abyss monitored by the Angel of Death, here a diaphanous woman named Angelique. Gideon's pending mortality starts to take on the stamp of his own productions until reality and fantasy become indistinguishable.

As anyone who has seen "8 1/2" knows, Fosse's film has a Felliniesque aura about it, but the dancer/director/choreographer brings his own unmistakable brand to the film with his rhythmic pacing, unique choreography and show biz savvy. It's a blend that sometimes works quite well, for example, in the erotically charged "Take Off With Us" number and the sweet pas de deux between Ann Reinking and Erzsebet Foldi on Peter Allen's "Everything Old Is New Again". Yet, at other times, Fosse comes across as narcissistic and self-serving, especially during the extensive death sequence set to the Everly Brothers' "Bye Bye Love". Luckily, Fosse cast Roy Scheider as Gideon, a smart move given the actor's innate lack of vanity makes the character's self-absorption more tolerable. It's a smart performance well turned and not overly excessive given the opportunity. The rest of the cast is serviceable though little more - Broadway veteran Leland Palmer as Gideon's ex-wife Audrey, obviously modeled after the legendary Gwen Verdon; Reinking playing a variation of herself as girlfriend Kate; and Jessica Lange, just after the "King Kong" fiasco, most alluring as Angelique. The 2003 DVD is fairly modest on extras - scene-specific commentary from Scheider, brief interview snippets with Scheider, and very brief vintage footage of Fosse directing the cattle call sequence.