All That Jazz (1979)

Director:

Bob Fosse

Writers:

Robert Alan Aurthur (written by) and
Bob Fosse (written by)

Release Date:

20 December 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Musical

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Near Death Experience | Workaholic | Hallucination | Prescription Drug Abuse | Dream Sequence

Awards:

Won 4 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

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 Gideon
Michael Tolan	...	Dr. Ballinger
Max Wright	...	Joshua Penn
William LeMassena	...	Jonesy Hecht
Irene Kane	...	Leslie Perry (as Chris Chase)
Deborah Geffner	...	Victoria Porter
Kathryn Doby	...	Kathryn
Anthony Holland	...	Paul Dann
Robert Hitt	...	Ted Christopher

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Germany:12 | South Korea:18 | New Zealand:M | Australia:M | Argentina:18 | Canada:18A | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | Iceland:L | Peru:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Astoria Studios, Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The mustachioed editor (called, "Eddie") of the film-within-a-film, "The Stand-Up" is played by Alan Heim, the actual editor of this film.

Quotes:

Joe Gideon: Kate, I try to give you everything I can give.
Kate Jagger: Oh, you give all right; presents, clothes. I just wish you weren't so generous with your cock.
Joe Gideon: [pauses in thought] That's good. I can use that.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Fade to Black (1980)

Soundtrack:

Everything Old Is New Again

Excellent! Highest Rating!

"All that Jazz" is one of my favorite movies on many levels. As a professional dancer, I scrutinize it choreographically, I also get major butterflies watching the cattle call at the start of the movie. Nothing like being treated as a numerical piece of dancing meat. That is EXACTLY how it is. I get a major kick out of watching that poor guy who is totally lost, and is desperately trying to follow the other dancers, rather than picking up the choreography from the dance mistress. Yup, there is usually one of those and you have to give them credit for being at the cattle call in the first place. The "airline" combination was incredible, and right on dead perfect! I was grabbing for air by the end of it, just like the dancers on the screen! The combination that was done by Ann Reinking and the girl playing Joe Gideons daughter to "Everything Old is New Again" was just as the others, spot on. Ann Reinking is an incredible dancer! Now as to the non-dancing aspects.... Joe Gideon is an everything-a-holic, and those people really do exist. They are totally consumed, and they will burn out pretty fast, thus the morning ritual, of cigarette, Vivaldi, Alka-Seltzer Visine, and a Dexie. Not a very good way to live....... he is trapped between his art, his "a-holism" and his love for his daughter, which is the steadying force in his life. Roy Sheider plays that part magnificently, and in an almost heartbreaking fashion. He really nailed it. The choreography in the dream sequence was once again absolutely incredible and absolutely Fosse. Just wow..... Finally, his death finale was the way any artist would like to check out.... dancing and busting there gut for an audience...... Although Joe Gideon truly bombed in his relationship bag, he blew the top off in everything else he did... although the movie he was trying to shoot, was clearly not his best effort, and he was never very happy with the "Stand-Up"...... And how better to end a movie about dancing and the "Biz" than with Ethel Merman singing "There's No Business Like Show Business!" I can't think of a better, or more gritty movie, than "All That Jazz"