Sweet Charity (1969)

Taxi dancer Charity continues to have Faith in the human race despite apparently endless disappointments at its hands, and Hope that she will finally meet the nice young man to romance her ... See full summary »

Director:

Bob Fosse

Writers:

Neil Simon (from the New York stage production book by), Federico Fellini (based upon the screenplay by: "Nights of Cabiria")

Stars:

Shirley MacLaine, John McMartin, Ricardo Montalban

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Shirley MacLaine	...	Charity
John McMartin	...	Oscar
Ricardo Montalban	...	Vittorio
Sammy Davis Jr.	...	Big Daddy
Chita Rivera	...	Nickie
Paula Kelly	...	Helene
Stubby Kaye	...	Herman
Barbara Bouchet	...	Ursula
Suzanne Charny	...	Dancer
Alan Hewitt	...	Nicholsby
Dante DiPaolo	...	Charlie (as Dante D'Paulo)
Bud Vest	...	Dancer
Ben Vereen	...	Dancer
Lee Roy Reams	...	Dancer
Al Lanti	...	Dancer

Storyline

Taxi dancer Charity continues to have Faith in the human race despite apparently endless disappointments at its hands, and Hope that she will finally meet the nice young man to romance her away from her sleazy life. Maybe, just maybe, handsome Oscar will be the one to do it.

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Plot Keywords:

charity | taxi dancer | dancer | hope | movie star | 

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Taglines:

...The Musical Excitement of the 70's

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Music | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 May 1969 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Sweet Charity: The Adventures of a Girl Who Wanted to Be Loved

Filming Locations:

New York Port Authority Bus Terminal Rooftop Parking Lot - Corner of W 42nd Street and 8th Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

149 min 154 min (TCM print)

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Mono (Westrex Recording System) (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The role of the fairy godmother, played by Ruth Buzzi in the Broadway production, was cut from the film version.

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Goofs

In the "Aloof" movement of "The Rich Man's Frug," two of the male principal dancers walk down the stairs to light a woman's cigarette, while the others dance behind them. The background choreography in this shot leads directly to the triangle formation of the next shot, and the two men are now in the middle of the group, although there was no time for them to reach that position.

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Quotes

Charity Hope Valentine: Fickle Finger of Fate!

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Alternate Versions

Also cut from the television prints (at least on the 16mm collectors prints that are floating around) are the second of the three dance sequences in The Aloof, the majority of the vocals from "Better Than This" (the number starts with Charity going 'Me too! Me too!'), the overture, part of the dance sequence of If They Could See Me Now, a portion of the elevator scene, the interval cue card, the entr'acte music, and the exit music.

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Connections

Referenced in Teen Beach Movie (2013)

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Soundtracks

I Love to Cry at Weddings
(uncredited)
Music by Cy Coleman
Lyrics by Dorothy Fields
Performed by Stubby Kaye and Chorus

User Reviews

MacLaine, Fosse & Fellini Make a Musical Comedy

While "Sweet Charity" was being filmed, almost 40 years ago, Shirley MacLaine was a song and dance actress with a body and matching charm that wouldn't quit.

Bob Fosse was the rising choreographer of MacLaine's and so many other dancers' dreams, in this, his first major musical.

Fellini was a brilliant director.

In hindsight, MacLaine's career may have been royally jump-started by "Sweet Charity." As a dance hall hooker, more or less, her character, Charity Hope Valentine, was looking for Mr. Goodbar--a man with money to marry.

Her classic song, "If they could see me now," comes from this musical and as scene where she found one such guy. Nearly 2 scores later, MacLaine is still playing leading characters with the same comical charm and extraordinary talent; still singing hits like "I'm still here," in "Postcards from the Edge," and has out lasted both famous men.

What I've always loved about Shirley MacLaine's characters is that even though they are supposed to be sexy, like Charity, as a dance hall hooker, she makes them into charming, funny, and innocuously cute-sexy rather than sleazy women. In fact, it's her trademark to do so. "Irma la Douce" is another fine example.

Though MacLaine could have easily used her dancer's body to seduce us to the pinnacle of the stage and screen, she uses her multiple talents instead. And she is "still here!"