ALL THAT JAZZ

(December 1979, U.S.)

If you're looking for intelligent insight on Broadway musicals, Broadway show tunes and some of what goes on during pre-production, then you want to speak with my wife; she loves all that jazz (pun intended!). For myself, I can only say that ALL THAT JAZZ is one of the most surprisingly heterosexual views of the Broadway stage and the male choreographer who puts it all together. Hell, that kind of view is putting it mildly. It would seem that Roy Scheider's character of Joe Gideon has fucked just about every woman in New York City! You want an example? Here's a couple of lines of dialogue that spells it all out:

Dancer #1: "Fuck him! He never picks me!"
Dancer #2: "Honey, I DID fuck him and he never picks me either."

If, indeed, Joe Gideon is based on much of Bob Fosse's own life, then it's a wonder he (Fosse) wasn't HIV positive when he was alive. He died of a heart attack in 1987, eight years after Gideon dies of heart failure in the film.

One could safely say that by the end of the '70s, Roy Scheider was in danger of being grossely typecast as nothing more than the action-thriller hero, having scored big with THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971), THE SEVEN-UPS (1973) and JAWS (1975). His portrayel of the chain smoking, heavy drinking, pill-popping womanizer, frankly, could not have been done by anyone better. Scheider was a movie star back then, yes, but he could act well, he had style, he had charisma, and as it turns out, he could sing pretty decently, too.

As previously mentioned, I generally don't like musicals. ALL THAT JAZZ is a musical, yes, but not in the traditional sense. The cast does not break out into song at any given moment to help tell the story. The musical numbers are realistically and directly related to the show they are preparing for, much like the old classic 42ND STREET. For someone like me, that kind of musical entertainment in a film is a lot more tolerable. It's also a pleasure to watch Roy Scheider on screen. He was one of my favorite actors. I actually had the pleasure of meeting and talking with him in 1997 outside a movie theater in Southampton, Long Islan. He died in February 2008 and I still miss him today.

Favorite line or dialogue:

Davis Newman: "This chick, man, without the benefit of dying herself, has broken down the process of dying into five stages: anger, denial, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Sounds like a Jewish law firm. 'Good morning, Angerdenialbarganingdepressionacceptance!'"