Jazz Hands! (Or: The power of Fosse)

This past Tuesday night, while New York City was being hit with a rainstorm of near-biblical proportions, Filmbrain was (while soaked to the bone) at the video store returning a DVD that was disturbingly late. While waiting on line, he noticed that they were watching Bob Fosse's All That Jazz on their new huge 16x9 monitor. After paying his late fees (about twice the cost of the DVD), he found himself glued to the film, as were two other people. Over the next forty minutes, the crowd swelled to about twenty-five. We all stood there, silently watching the last third of the film (with its amazing musical numbers) until that final shot of the body bag being zipped and the Ethel Merman begins. Was it the rain? Was everybody simply looking for a bit of shelter, or was it the infectious nature of the film? Filmbrain hadn't seen it since the early nineties and had completely forgotten how great it is. (Is it passé to admit loving this film in 2004?) Though technically not a musical, there is so much more life to it than Rob Marshall's Chicago. (Oh, if only Fosse could have directed that!) Who can forget Jessica Lange as the angel of death, Ben Vereen as O'Connor Flood, John Lithgow as the Harold Prince-ish Lucas Sergeant, and of course Roy Scheider as Joe Gideon. (Does anybody know what became of Erzsebet Foldi, who played the daughter?) Bye bye life. . .

Comments

[Aaron]

All That Jazz is one of my all-time hidden favorite films. I say hidden only because I always seem to forget it ... until I'm reminded of it, and then it will hit me how blown away I am by it ever time I watch it. In fact, thanks for reminding me: I was going to go buy some DVDs today or tomorrow -- I'll have to finally add that one to the list.

[Filmbrain]

Best thing is that it's part of 20th Century Fox's budget line -- the DVD can be had for $9.99. (Decent extras as well.)

[Chris]

I've had All That Jazz since it came out and it is probably my most watched disc. I'm always putting it in to watch a scene or two. The ending sequence and the dance the daughter and girlfriend do for Joe are my favorites. And like you, I've always wondered what happened to Erzsebet Foldi.

[Jonathan Scott Chinn]

Filmbrain, I've liked your stuff for a while, but you're officially in my good graces now. I'll happily read 10 more reviews of obscure Korean films, just in gratitude for your mention of my all-around favorite film, All That Jazz.

I could go on for a while, but suffice it to say I think it's hardly "passe" to be into this movie in 2004. It's one of Hollywood's greatest little-known movies, and a spectacular filmmaking achievement. Bob Fosse's contributions to American film are often understated, but it's most frustrating to me that this film, by far his best, is overshadowed by the better-known but inferior Cabaret.

All That Jazz is, to put it not so intelligently, fucking great. I owned the VHS tape for years, and watched it so often that it was full of glitches and jumps. I was thrilled when they finally put out the budget-priced DVD. The film is very 70s, and very Fosse--which is to say it's indulgent, expansive, overambitious, brilliant, and complicated. Who else would have the balls to make an autobiographical movie about their own death, in equal parts self-loathing and romanticized? I think it's the perfect combination of 70s-style auteur filmmaking and old-fashioned Hollywood craft.

I don't know what happened to Erzsebet Foldi, but here's a piece of trivia: The real-life person her character was based on, Fosse's daughter Nicole, appears in the film. In the scene just before Joe Gideon shows the "Airotica" number to his producers, she's that grossed-out blonde dancer who runs out of the bathroom as Gideon throws up--something that Fosse actually did quite often when he was nervous.

[FIlmbrain]

Aaron, Chris, Scott -- It warms the heart so to know that there are others who still admit to loving this film.

It wasn't until this recent viewing that I realized what a truly great film it is. For years I thought of it as one of those 70's films I loved that really wasn't very good (i.e., Xanadu). Certainly Lenny is a major film, but I never considered All That Jazz in the same category. I most certainly do now. (I still have the original vinyl soundtrack somewhere.)

Thank you all for allowing me to proudly hold my head up high and shout "I LOVE All That Jazz!"

[FIlmbrain]

Oh...and great idea for a Charlie Kaufman-esque screenplay -- "Searching for Erzsebet".

[Gary Lambert]

The one thing I know about Erzsebet Foldi is that she went on to dance in the 1980s with the American Ballet Theatre (during the period that Mikhail Baryshnikov was artistic director), and then was a member of Twyla Tharp's company. Don't know what she's been up to since. The public portion of a career in dance is often pretty short due to all the physical wear and tear, but dancers often stay in the game by coming choreographers or teachers.

If anyone wants to try to get an inquiry to Erzsebet as to what she's been up to: Twyla Tharp's website has a directory of everyone who's ever danced in her company. They don't provide direct email addresses to the alumni of the troupe, but they will forward messages through their office when possible.

Go to http://www.twylatharp.org/ttd3.shtml and click on the link for 1980-1988. This will lead you to a list of all the dancers who joined the company during that period. A click on Foldi's name will open an email message with her name in the subject line. Send it off to the Tharp office and they will try to forward it. Don't know how reliable this is, but it might be worth a try if you're Desperately Seeking Erzsebet.

[Filmbrain]

Thanks for the info Gary. Good to know she kept dancing. . .

[Ken Irvin]

Wow, I had no idea - I thought I was the only one. When I ask people, have you ever seen All That Jazz, I get this crazy look, like, what are you talking about? There are others out there who loved this film as much as I. I saw it the first weekend of it's release, picked up the tape years ago, and now just added the DVD to my collection just yesterday. Well this movie ever get old? And, does anyone who what happend to Erzsebet Foldi?

[Ken Irvin]

Wow, I had no idea - I thought I was the only one. When I ask people, have you ever seen All That Jazz, I get this crazy look, like, what are you talking about? There are others out there who loved this film as much as I. I saw it the first weekend of it's release, picked up the tape years ago, and now just added the DVD to my collection just yesterday. Well this movie ever get old? And, does anyone who what happend to Erzsebet Foldi?

[Filmbrain]

Welcome to the club, Ken. Now we'll have to teach you the secret handhshake. . .

[nancy]

i just came across the movie on cable - i live in paris so it was a huge treat. i first saw it when i was 10 years old (shouldn't have been allowed as it was r rated but still...) and went on to see it 9 times in the movie theater over that year - when movies still stayed in theaters for more than opening weekend! it was incredibly seminal for me in that it helped me deal with my parents' divorce and later when my father passed away, had even more resonance. i am thrilled to know there are people out there who appreciate it. it made me want to be a dancer, i knew all the routines by heart and wore out the 33 record i had of it. i still even have the cassette tape. my parents bought me a betamax when they first came out in the early 80s and the first film i got was this one. i never became a dancer - unfortunate lack of any and all rhythm - but did become a film journalist. i've met people who have worked with roy scheider in the past and do not have kind things to say about him but i truly believe this was a phenomenal performance and certainly the performance of his career. i think dustin hoffman won the oscar for kramer vs kramer that year instead but roy scheider certainly deserved it as well. anyway, i'll stop blabbing but thanks to all of you who feel strongly about the film - makes me feel less like a big geek! i completely understand that vacant look that you get when you say this is your favorite film - so few people i've ever met have seen it...

[kerry]

...and how about Leland Palmer, who played Joe's ex-wife? On the DVD extras, Roy Scheider says he thinks she moved to Israel.

[Andy]

I'm watching this movie as I write and of course I wondered what else Erzsebet Foldi did and the first link brought me here. I was 24 when i first saw this movie in the theater and I remember going back to see it again the next night simply for the closing sequence. Actually I love the entire film!

[david]

Saw it tonight for the first time since my only other screening back in 1983, and I was mesmerized. Don't know why. Watching it, I was amazed at how many scenes, lines, and images came flooding back to me from 1983.

"Compelling" is the word that I use to describe it.

[doug]

I've been a fan of All That Jazz since its initial release. I also have wondered what happened to the talented Leland Palmer, since she never made another movie. In the All That Jazz DVD commentary, Roy Scheider says she moved to Israel. However, a 2005 blog posting (with her photo) states that she now lives in San Francisco and has changed her name to Linda Posner. You can see the blog at http://42ndstmoon.blogspot.com/2005_05_01_42ndstmoon_archive.html

[MikeNassau]

Foldi is number 96 on my "Eighty Beauties Continued" site, at http://www.geocities.com/beauties60con/

I found a site with the two dance scenes of Reinking and Foldi:

Everything Old Is New Again
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=963o0wHwhEU&search=reinking

There Will Be Some Changes Made
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2RSR0ClzZw&NR

[Shoshanna]

I just finished watching it - November 4, 2006. First time seeing it and I think it's pretty good. Just went through three Fosse films; Cabaret, A Chorus Line and All That Jazz. Thanks Wikipedia for leading me to this great American choreographer! :-) Rented Chicago (film) several years ago but never go around to watching it; now I'll have to check out some of his other works...any suggestions?

[Filmbrain]

Shoshanna --

Though not a musical, his directorial work in Lenny is pretty amazing. Same with the still-creepy-after-23-years, Star 80.

Personally, I hated Chicago -- my vote for worst Bway --> screen transition. So many opportunities wasted -- the film looks like a filmed stage performance.

[mike]

All That Jazz is all the more remarkable for Roy Scheider's performance because, at the time, he was a rising action/thriller star (Jaws, Jaws 2, Marathon Man, Blue Thunder, etc.). I cringe when I think that Richard Dreyfuss was originally considered for the role. The only downside for me is a personal one, one that I am sure is not shared by others: I just don't like Ann Reinking. Never have. Never will.

And Filmbrain, you are 100% correct, Chicago stank (whew!). It's failure is only matched by the screen to broadway adaptation of the Producers.