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 | Music

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:

Dancer | Editing | Rehearsal | Amphetamine | Producer

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
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
David Margulies	...	Larry Goldie
Sue Paul	...	Stacy
Keith Gordon	...	Young Joe
Frankie Man	...	Comic
Alan Heim	...	Eddie
John Lithgow	...	Lucas Sergeant
Sandahl Bergman	...	Principal Dancer
Eileen Casey	...	Principal Dancer
Bruce Anthony Davis	...	Principal Dancer (as Bruce Davis)
Gary Flannery	...	Principal Dancer
Jennifer Nairn-Smith	...	Principal Dancer
Danny Ruvolo	...	Principal Dancer
Leland Schwantes	...	Principal Dancer
John Sowinski	...	Principal Dancer
Candace Tovar	...	Principal Dancer
Rima Vetter	...	Principal Dancer
Trudy Carson	...	Fan Dancer
Mary Sue Finnerty	...	Fan Dancer
Lesley Kingley	...	Fan Dancer
P.J. Mann	...	Fan Dancer / Menage Partner #2
Cathy Rice	...	Fan Dancer
Sonja Stuart	...	Fan Dancer
Terri Treas	...	Fan Dancer
Ralph E. Berntsen	...	Rock Band Drums
Jan Flato	...	Rock Band Keyboard
John Paul Fetta	...	Rock Band Bass
Andy Schwartz	...	Rock Band Guitar
Robert Levine	...	Dr. Hyman
Phil Friedman	...	Murray Nathan
Stephen Strimpell	...	Alvin Rackmil
Leonard Drum	...	Insurance Man
Eugene Troobnick	...	Insurance Doctor
Jules Fisher	...	Himself
Ben Masters	...	Dr. Garry
Cathie Shirriff	...	Nurse Briggs (as Catherine Shirrif)
Joanna Merlin	...	Nurse Pierce
Leah Ayres	...	Nurse Capobianco
Nancy Beth Bird	...	Nurse Bates
Harry Agress	...	Resident MD
CCH Pounder	...	Nurse Blake (as C.C.H. Pounder)
Tito Goya	...	Attendant
Tiger Haynes	...	Porter
Lotte Palfi Andor	...	Old Woman (as Lotta Palfi-Andor)
K.C. Townsend	...	Stripper
Melanie Hunter	...	Stripper
Rita Bennett	...	Stripper
Gary Bayer	...	Intern
Wayne Carson	...	Assistant Stage Manager
Kerry Casserly	...	Dancer Backstage
Judi Passeltiner	...	Dancer Backstage
Steve Elmore	...	Cast of NY / LA
Nicole Fosse	...	Dancer
Vicki Frederick	...	Menage Partner #1
Minnie Gaster	...	Script Supervisor
Michael Green	...	Clapper Boy
Bruce MacCallum	...	Clapper Boy
Joyce Ellen Hill	...	Nurse Collin
I.M. Hobson	...	Cast of NY / LA
Edith Kramer	...	Manager - Rehersal Studio
Barbara McKinley	...	Diane
Mary McCarty	...	Cast of NY / LA
Theresa Merritt	...	Cast of NY / LA
Gavin Moses	...	Apprentice Editor
Mary Mon Toy	...	Dietician
Wallace Shawn	...	Assistant Insurance Man
Jacqueline Solotar	...	Autograph Seeker
Sloane Shelton	...	Mother
Sammy Smith	...	Cast of NY / LA
Arnold Gross	...	Pianist
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kenneth Boys	...	Rejected Dancer (uncredited)
Ken Butler	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Jane Culley	...	Fan Dancer (uncredited)
Michael Hinton	...	Drummer (uncredited)

Directed by
Bob Fosse

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

Produced by
Robert Alan Aurthur	....	produced by
Wolfgang Glattes	....	associate producer
Daniel Melnick	....	executive producer
Kenneth Utt	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Ralph Burns		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Giuseppe Rotunno

Film Editing by
Alan Heim

Casting by
Howard Feuer
Jeremy Ritzer

Production Design by
Philip Rosenberg

Set Decoration by
Gary J. Brink		(as Gary Brink)
Edward Stewart

Costume Design by
Albert Wolsky

Makeup Department
Fern Buchner	....	make-up
Romaine Greene	....	hair
Jay Cannistraci	....	additional special makeup effects (uncredited)

Production Management
Kenneth Utt	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Janet E. Fishman	....	dga trainee
Wolfgang Glattes	....	first assistant director
Joseph Ray	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Eugene Powell	....	scenic artist
Carlos Quiles	....	carpenter
Jimmy Raitt	....	property master
Tony Walton	....	fantasy designer
Walter Way	....	construction grip
Joe Williams Sr.	....	construction grip
Richard Shelton	....	painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Stan Bochner	....	sound editor
Jay Dranch	....	sound editor
Bernard Hajdenberg	....	sound editor
Peter Ilardi	....	sound mixer
Christopher Newman	....	sound mixer (as Chris Newman)
Sanford Rackow	....	sound editor
Maurice Schell	....	supervising sound editor
Dick Vorisek	....	re-recording mixer: Trans/Audio, Inc.
Jack Fitzstephens	....	production lip-sync consultant (uncredited)
Bob Olari	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Maurice Schell	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
James A. Contner	....	camera operator (as James Contner)
Gene Engels	....	gaffer (as Eugene W. Engels)
Guglielmo Garroni	....	associate director of photography (as Bill Garroni)
Dick Mingalone	....	camera operator (as Richard Mingalone)
Martin Nallan	....	key grip
Josh Weiner	....	still photographer
Billy Kerwick	....	best boy grip (uncredited)
Gary Muller	....	co-first assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Sylvia Fay	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lee Austin	....	wardrobe (as Lee Austin III)
Max Soloman	....	wardrobe (as Max Solomon)

Editorial Department
Joan Cameron	....	assistant editor
Emily Paine	....	assistant editor
Wende Phifer Mate	....	apprentice editor (as Wende Phifer)
David Ray	....	associate editor
Gail Showalter	....	apprentice editor

Music Department
Glenn Berger	....	music recording & mixing
Ralph Burns	....	music arranged by
Ralph Burns	....	music conducted by
Arnold Gross	....	dance music arranged by
Stanley Lebowsky	....	music coordinator
Michael Tronick	....	musical editor
Ralph Burns	....	music supervisor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Harold 'Whitey' McEvoy	....	transportation (as Whitey McEvoy)

Other crew
Nancy Beth Bird	....	technical advisor (as Nancy Bird RN)
Grace Blake	....	production office coordinator
Samantha Dean	....	publicist
Dick Di Bona	....	photography arranger (as Dick DiBona)
Kathryn Doby	....	assistant choreographer
Gene Foote	....	assistant choreographer
Bob Fosse	....	choreography by
Phil Gips	....	titles designer: Steve Frankfurt Communications, main and end titles
Tony Gittelson	....	production assistant
John E. Hutchinson III	....	open heart surgery (as Dr. John E. Hutchinson III, senior surgeon)
John E. Hutchinson III	....	technical advisor (as John E. Hutchinson III MD)
Jerry Jaffe	....	production assistant
Lynn Lewis Lovett	....	script supervisor
Vince Martinez	....	auditor
David Rogow	....	production assistant
Wendy Shore	....	assistant to producer
Vicki Stein	....	assistant: Mr. Fosse
Jeffrey Townsend	....	production assistant
Erich Trostl	....	higwire rig
Lynn Twentyman	....	script supervisor (as Lynn Twentyman Ward)
Robin Utt	....	production assistant
Susan Zwerman	....	location coordinator
Lee Gross	....	publicist (uncredited)

Thanks
Serge Diakonoff	....	special thanks: face masks derived from Serge Diakonoff - Miralda Ou Peintures Sur Un Visage, edited by Bernard Letu

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1979) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD) (music edition)
• Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Gativideo (2008) (Argentina) (DVD) (musical edition)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (music edition)

Other Companies

• Casablanca Records  soundtrack (uncredited)
• Governor of the State of New York, The  the producers wish to thank (as The Governor of the State of New York and his Staff)
• Guitarman, NYC  guitars
• La Da Productions  music editing
• Lee Gross Associates Inc.  publicity
• New York City Mayor's Office for Motion Picture Production, The  the producers wish to thank
• R/Greenberg Associates  titles designed by: main and end titles (as Richard Greenberg Associates, Inc.)
• St. Luke's Hospital Center, NYC  open heart surgery: Cardiac Surgical Team
• Steve Frankfurt Communications  titles designed by: main and end titles
• Sylvia Fay Casting  extra casting
• Trans / Audio  re-recording and mixing (as Trans / Audio, Inc.)

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Germany:12 | Australia:M | South Korea:18 | New Zealand:M | Netherlands:16 | Argentina:18 | Canada:18A | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | Iceland:L | Peru:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R (PCA #25725)

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Julie Hagerty was once romantically involved with director/choreographer Bob Fosse, she was cast in a small role in this film. Her role ended up on the cutting room floor.

Goofs:

Continuity: Close-up of "Young Joe" with hazel eyes is shortly followed by a close-up of adult Joe with blue eyes.

Quotes:

Paul Dann: [after dancer strips during rehearsal of ‘Take off with Us’] Now Sinatra will never record it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Charles in Charge: All That Chaz (#5.17)" (1990)

Soundtrack:

There's No Business Like Show Business

Brilliant summary of director/Co-writer Fosse's decent into show biz madness and death

Fosse's ALL THAT JAZZ has been mistaken for a rip-off of Fellini's 8 1/2 for some time. But that is giving it short shrift as an illuminating, sobering account of one man's burnout in the face of enormous pressure from the elements of the entertainment industry which he's involved himself in, namely Broadway and the film industry. Based on Fosse's experiences directing CHICAGO on Broadway and LENNY for United Artists, it stars Roy Scheider as Fosse's always black-dressed alter ego Joe Gideon, who's long road to success has been dotted with drug addictions, one-night stands, betrayals, and show biz phoniness.

Particularly of interest in this film is the strong autobiographical quality of it. Fosse did, indeed, suffer his first heart attack during this 1973/74 period of his life. The film-within-the-film, "The Stand Up," is an interesting variation on LENNY (1974, with Dustin Hoffman and Valerie Perrine)---much more irritating than that movie. LENNY ended up getting great reviews, for the most part, but it must have been a tough movie for Fosse to get his hands around, especially while dealing with his failed marriage to Broadway star Gwen Verdon (portrayed here by Leland Palmer). It's certainly portrayed as such in this film. And Chicago seems to have been a challenge for him, too. He obviously thought the original script for that show was lacking (as he actually went on record as saying) and that he had to spice it up for him to become interested in it. (How fascinating would a Fosse film version of CHICAGO have been? As it was, it looks as if eventual CHICAGO director Rob Marshall screened ALL THAT JAZZ many times in order to mine its many storytelling treasures, including the main conceit that most of the film's musical numbers appear in the minds of the main characters.)

Scheider has never been better and deserved real consideration as that year's Best Actor Oscar-winner (he lost, ironically, to Dustin Hoffman who won for KRAMER VS. KRAMER). He is positively channeling his director's personality, down to his constant cigarette smoking and his artsy goatee (not to mention his snaky, rakish attitudes towards personality responsibility). The fine cast also includes: John Lithgow as a rival Broadway director who may or may not take over Joe's show if he dies on the operating table; Max Wright (the dad on ALF) as the producer of Gideon's film; Sandahl Bergman (from CONAN and RED SONJA) as the lead dancer in the "Take Off With Us" musical number that disappoints the stage show's backers; longtime Fosse girlfriend and dancer Ann Reinking as Gideon's other serious bedmate; Cliff Gorman as Davis Newman, the lead actor in "The Stand Up"; the lovely Erezebet Foldi as Gideon's precocious daughter (Fosse's real daughter, Nicole, later appeared in the film version of A CHORUS LINE); Jessica Lange in her first serious role as the Angel of Death; Keith Gordon (an actor in CHRISTINE and BACK TO SCHOOL, who's now an acclaimed director of films like MOTHER NIGHT and the 2003 film adaptation of THE SINGING DETECTIVE) as the young Joe Gideon; Ben Vereen, energetic as a show-biz veteran who "hosts" Gideon's final decent into death. The list goes on and on....

And the tech credits are superb. The film won Oscars for its Tony Walton sets (Tony Walton has been married to Julie Andrews for years, and is an acclaimed stage and film set designer), its Alan Heim editing (Heim worked on NETWORK, among other things), its Ralph Burns scoring (which includes old jazz, classical, pop, and Broadway standards), and its Albert Wolsky costumes. Its photography, by Giuseppe Rotunno, is also great (Rotunno phtographed many Fellini films and probably had much to do with the lumping of Fosse's film in with Fellini's work).

Tying in 1979 with APOCOLYPSE NOW for Cannes Palme D'Or, this is one of the greatest movies ever made, I think, and you'll know that once the first moments--a mass stage audition unbelievably well-edited to the tune of George Benson's version of "On Broadway"--unreel in front of you. It's an unflinching look into the madness of one artist that, eventually, became his undoing (Fosse died in 1986, in his early 60s, of another heart attack, after completing only one more movie, STAR 80, and one more stage show, BIG DEAL). See it and prepare to be moved in strange ways.