First of all: A great post about the opening sequence. He really breaks it down, why it’s so damn good.
I love All That Jazz. I saw it when I was a kid, at Edwards Hall up on campus – I have no idea why I was allowed to go – my parents must not have known what it was about, or how dark and sexual it was, and I am not sure what on earth I could have gotten out of it at the time – I was quite an innocent and most of it went over my head. I remember being scared of the strippers tormenting the young kid, I remember not understanding at ALL the complicated relationships he had with the women in his life … It all seemed a bit ikky, frankly, like: why doesn’t he get married?? What is he DOING? I was 12 years old. But I became obSESSED with the film. The dancing, yes – and the look at backstage on Broadway – what auditions are like, etc. – the movie has a gritty you-are-there feel to it that I found totally intoxicating. Also, there’s a young girl in it. She is a dancer, she loves her daddy, she’s the only innocent thing in the movie. And she was my “way in” that first time I saw it. Not him, not Ann Reinking, none of the grown-ups. It was the little girl in the leotard. As far as I was concerned, she was the lead of the film. I became obsessed with her. I even remember her name: Erzebet Foldi. Her name was so magical to me. Of COURSE she was in a movie. Her name was Erzebet Foldi!! What ELSE was she gonna do? I wanted to know how she got in the movie, who was she, did she go to school, what was her life like … I wanted to dance around in that apartment in the movie, carrying a battered top hat.
It’s funny: I see the movie now, and it’s a pretty bleak’ picture. The sheer joy of movement remains the same but the overwhelming feeling of the film is desperation, darkness, and despair. (Like the stand-up keeps joking about in his routine we keep seeing through the film.) I see a lot more there now that I’m an adult, and know a bit more about the world. The compromises we make, and the compromises we refuse to make. How messy love can be. How great it can be. What sex is like. How we hurt each other. How we hurt ourselves. All of that stuff that really MAKES the movie went completely over my head when I first saw it.
But that girl dancing around in her black leotard … that sweet-faced girl scolding her father, watching him work, lying on the floor doing her homework … Man. I understood HER. I even wrote a couple of short stories starring Erzebet Foldi, just to deal with my obsession. I imagined myself into her life – and to be honest, it wasn’t Erzsebet Foldi’s life – not really – it was the life of the character in the MOVIE I was really interested in. So I tried to fill out the details. I still have some of those stories somewhere. Dingy rehearsal halls, the grime of New York, dance bags, battered upright pianos … that’s the world I wanted to live in.
Thanks, Erzebet Foldi. All That Jazz was your only movie. I loved you! In a small way, watching her performance in that film opened up my eyes a bit. We were around the same age. Her life was nothing like mine. She didn’t think her life was weird. There are many different ways to live, not just one. The glimpse of her life in that film was one that attracted me enormously. It scared me, too – because none of it was familiar. Why wasn’t anyone married?? (etc.) But it called to me. And since I was focused on Erzebet Foldi, and not the adults, it seemed like an okay world to me. It was subversive, yes … these were not normal citizens, they were artists, “freaks”. And I wanted to be one of them. And that was going to be okay.
Below is the clip that launched the 1000 ships of my imagination. Love it!!!
omg..i just watched this last night..this movie changed my life as well..except it was the bitter/brilliant ex-wife played by Leland Palmer that i was OBSESSED with..who is she? where is she? why does she stick her tongue out at him a the end????? i once saw her on an episode of Rhoda as a bitchy lady in conflict with Rhoda’s sister Brenda…i nearly had a fainting spell.
Ha! I found this blog while doing a Google search for Erzsebet Foldi. Not much out there on her, is there?
I LOVED this movie, too, as a young teenager. I watched it the other night and wondered what happened to that sweet little girl. When I watched it “back then” I was obsessed with the psychology behind why in the world someone would continue to practice self-destructive behaviors in the face of real danger for his health.
This is also the movie win which I fell in love with Ann Renking. Ahhh…such grace and what a dancer!
One of my best friends was a dancer and went to School of the Arts in Winston-Salem NC. He met another dancer and they immediately became the not let you out of my sight best friends. She kept telling him that he MUST go to dinner with her and Mummy and Daddy when they came up for parents weekend.So he did. And Mummy and Daddy were Gwen Verdon and Bob Fosse.
STOP IT! Really?
And…..what about them? How were they??? So, your friend met the real life Michelle? And are they still friends?
Mitchell – I actually remember seeing it with you for the first time. And you pointing out that tongue-sticking-out moment. It’s a haunting movie – there’s just so much in it. And Scheider is just great. I love when he humiliates that one dancer – can’t remember the context, exactly – makes her cry … that long rehearsal scene when he’s trying to work out the number … how he is getting irritated because the # isn’t working, and how will he wrestle it into shape … the creative process …
I need to see it again – it’s been a while!!
Southernbosox – wow!! What were they like?
I love that you wrote stories starring Erzsebet Foldi. I can’t get over that. You *must* find them!
Tracey – hahahaha I know!!! They were all like overly blase, even though I had no idea what I was talking about:
“She sat on the floor in the back of the dance studio, wrapping her toes in bandage. Her feet were bleeding, she had been on pointe too much this past week, but that was okay. Her bookbag lay open beside her. She still had to read a chapter of her history book but for now, it was time for an arabesque. She would meet up with daddy later for a piece of apple pie at the automat.”
You know. I had no idea what I was talking about!!!
On my top ten of all time. Roy Scheider gave the best performance of his career. And I’ve been obsessed with Bob Fosse ever since. What talent.
Leland Palmer moved to Israel, changed her name to Linda Posner and returned to the US. Last I heard she was in San Francisco.
And Erzsebet…where are you?
What ever happened to this beautiful classy girl who showed up and left show business without a trace,i wanted to see more of her.Her name is Erzsebet Foldi,what happened.she had it all,if she only knew it.
The one and only young and beautiful,actress and professional dancer,that i was so fond of,i adored this girl from the moment i seen her,where are you erzsebet.
Thought you might like to know that the January 1984 issue of ‘Teen magazine has an article on page 54, “Super Stars in the Making,” that features Erzsebet Foldi. There are several pictures of her receiving a makeover (I think she looked better before), and a short bio, including such tidbits as the fact that she was known as “Lizzer” to her close friends. Fun stuff!
W. C. Fields once said: Never take the stage following a dog act or a kid act. After seeing Miss Foldi’s spectacular performance in “JAZZ” W. C. Fields’s caution made it clear to me about the hazzards in SHOWBIZ. I truly hope you are doing well, Erzsrabet. You showed ’em, Princess!
Beg pardon: I mispelled Miss Foldi’s name. It’s Erzsebet of course. Sorry ’bout that.
Here is the latest info on Erzsebet Foldi.
http://novelactivist.com/blog/talented-kids-erzsebet-foldi/
Sadly, the link no longer works. I wonder what happened to her.
Alix – if you get the Criterion Collection release of All That Jazz, one of the special features is a long conversation between Ann Reinking and Erzebet Foldi, talking about their experiences making the movie. It was so good to see Foldi again!
I just saw it today, during the covid lockdown. Always wondered what happened to Ms Foldi … her wiki says she became a born again Christian. I wondered … why?? Couldn’t that wait???? :=(
Not that I have anything against organized religion, but another five years of her dancing in film — I just thought the BOC thing could have waited. Oh well. I guess dance’s loss is religion’s gain.
Vivien – wow, thank you so much for that. I have really wondered what happened to her!
I just watched this movie again for the umpteenth time in my Las Vegas hotel room on my laptop (here for a convention, not into gambling and too tired for much else). Erzsebet was so lovely in this movie and so talented – thank you for the link to what she does now, hopefully she is happy in life – what a loss to the movie and theater industry, though.
The final scene of “Bye, Bye Love” … I never get tired of watching it. And is it just me, or did Roy Scheider have a FINE ass in that scene? :)
Cathy – she really was such a find. A great little performance. Well, from everyone, but she is so key to the whole thing’s appeal. Love that movie!!
I just watched “All That Jazz”. for the second time. It is hard to believe the film came out 30+ years ago. It was brilliant then and now. Elizsabet was a breath of fresh air and I will never forget her duet with the incomparable Ann Reinking.
Watched ATJ for the first time in many years yesterday, on a flight back from Europe. I found parts of it tedious, but Scheider is so great, as are Reinking and Foldi. I don’t care for Lange’s portrayal of the angel of death, but maybe I’m not supposed to like her. I found myself wondering why I thought it was such a great movie at one point; there are bits that just go on too long, and the self-loathing is so tiresome after a while. But then when “Bye bye love” came on, I remembered. Brilliant. Just brilliant. I think I could watch the whole thing again now, just in anticipation of the finale.
Just got thru watching ATJ umpteenth time, Liz F. such a lovable child; she actually a year older than my own daughter, who DID become a pro dancer with several ballet companies back East; after ankle injury went back to college; is now a Ph.D. and an Environmental Planner.
Anyway, wishing Liz F. happiness in all future endeavors.
Foldi’s online bios say she made 2 more films, became Born-Again Christian (B-AC), then quit showbiz, as if being B-AC was good reason for quitting showbiz. Hope I misinterpret. I know a number of deeply talented artists who are also deeply spiritual persons (not necessarily deeply religious — the two are not identical nor synonymous). My not-so-humble opinion: the world has a huge over-abundance of B-ACs, and a major shortage of wonderful dancers (like Foldi).
I hope that she is happy and well in her life, whatever she is doing! Her performance in All That Jazz gave me so much joy as a kid (and continues to do so today), it was very influential on me in its way. She gave me a vision of a kind of life I wanted “in” on in All That Jazz. Wonderful stuff, and damn, she holds her own with Ann Reinking, no small feat!!
Agree, I’m afraid.
It’s a shame her acting career went nowhere, because she was “terrific” (as Joe Gideon would say). And nothing against Dustin, but Roy. Scheider. Was. Robbed.
Roy Scheider was not “robbed”. Both are incredible performances, and Hoffman in Kramer Vs. Kramer is unbelievably fantastic. And on top of that, it followed a STRING of iconic, usually-Oscar-nominated performances, going back to 1967: The Graduate, Midnight Cowboy, Little Big Man, Straw Dogs, Lenny, Marathon Man, All The President’s Men, and Straight Time before “Kramer Vs. Kramer”. Which, by the way, was a big hit in ’79 and also quite groundbreaking. I just rewatched it recently and couldn’t believe how well it held up, and how great Dustin (and Meryl) were. I am in the “All That Jazz” camp, and I’d be happy to see Roy have an Oscar for this role…..but he wasn’t “robbed”.
For anyone interested, my mom is Linda Posner, the actress formerly known as leland Palmer in All That Jazz. She is an amazing woman, and I have learned so much from her in the realms of acting and dancing- If anyone has any questions or is interested in learning more, I’d be happy to chat. :)
Fond memories of her in class at the American School of Dance.
Hi, late night in Brisbane, Australia, and just watched ‘Jazz’ for about the 6th time. Totally loved your mother’s performance and often wondered how she was, what came after, and did she have a happy life. Lovely to know she has a daughter, which means she went on the have a family. Please let her know that a doctor in Oz thinks she was wonderful. I’m now 71 years and guessing your mother is possibly in her 60s. It really was a fabulous movie. Judith Oliver
Pearl, I was a huge fan of your mom and we had a running correspondence for many years. I can to LA and I had dinner with she and Sally Saunders. I am actually looking at a photo of her from All the Jazz that she sent when I was very sick I. A hospital. She called me and tried to console me as I wasn’t sure if I’d ever dance or act again. I have and do. She was a wonderful mentor and a great inspiration. She wrote me when she met you father and was pregnant with you to say that her life had changed and she thought we should keep memories rather than write. I think of her so often and am so happy to see you here.
Respectfully, let me say that when I first saw your mother in ATJ (in the theater when it originally came out because I’m old), I thought she was the most gorgeous lady I’d every seen in my young life. I’ll stop there so I don’t become inappropriate. But yeah, I had the hots for her :)
I didn’t see All That Jazz as a kid. I just watched it for the first time 2 weeks ago because I was interested in Fosse. I’m 44 and the “Everything Old is New Again” actually gets to me. Both of them are adorable for different reasons but Erzsebet steals the scene. The love that is projected in that scene is so touching. They both did a fantastic job. What man wouldn’t be touched by a daughter and a girl friend loving someone that much. :-)
Just so you know: Wikipedia is planning on deleting Erzsebet Foldi’s entry. Perhaps 2 paragraphs costs them too much to keep up. I can’t make head nor tail of their so-called instructions on how to fuss at them about this.
Just watched the birthday dance and the final scene again. When she hugs him, weeping, I lost it. And my angina kicked up; I have heart disease now too, and the beauty and showmanship of that last scene is multiplied by a power that was hidden from me those years ago. Enough for now. You know how to reach me if you want.
Charlie – Thanks for the comment. I did not know that about Wikipedia. How sad. She gave such a memorable performance and that classic film would not be the same without her.
I saw All That Jazz when I was about the same age as Foldi – in other words, way too young to see it! Ha! – and I didn’t understand all the grown-up stuff, but I did know I wanted to BE that child, and live in New York, and take dance classes, and all the rest. I was so captivated by that film because of the CHILD.
As I grew up, I found other avenues of entry – as well as an understanding of just how brilliant the film was.
But I think it’s evidence of its power that a 12 year old girl like myself could find a “way into” it too, through that unforgettable character.
Thanks for commenting. This comments thread has become a sort of gathering place for people who love her and remember her. And that’s a good thing.
Just tried to wiki her again and that’s how I found out. Boo to wiki — you’re right.
Liz Foldi and I went to NYU together in 1986. She danced for a few years for Twyla Tharp and then left the company and went to TISCH to get her degree. She and I were good friends and I can vouch for the fact that she is as warm, vibrant and charasmatic as you would imagine her to be. Her faith is a very real and sincere faith and she is beautifully honest and true not to mention a beautiful dancer. I know she and Anne are still good friends. Thanks for posting this blog about her.
Why does everybody use acronyms instead of just writing out the words. I don’t know what TISCH is. B-AC? Really? ATJ? It all seems so pretentious. But, Erzebet Foldi was certainly NOT pretentious. What a wonderful character. What a splendid performance by, at the time, a very young actress. I watched All That Jazz again recently. Great flick – should not have lost Best Film to Kramer v. Kramer. (Please forgive all my ranting about the use of acronyms…it’s is just that I HATE them!)
Tony – please do not come onto my site and spout off against other commenters – especially not for such a silly reason. If you don’t know what “Tisch” is – that’s on you. Other people – who know more than you – aren’t supposed to say “Tisch” because someone like you doesn’t know what it is? That’s so weird. Tisch is part of NYU and it’s a famous conservatory for the arts. Besides, it’s NOT an acronym. It’s named after Preston Robert Tisch, who started the school. Which you would have known if you had taken the 2 seconds required to Google it.
The world isn’t set up to cater to your quirks. Are people who say UCLA as opposed to the “University of California at Los Angeles” pretentious?
Calm down, in other words, and mind your manners if you want to comment here again.
Oh, please Mr. Acronym Master. Acronyms are just another example of lazy millennial thinking if they think at all. Here’s an acronym for you: FO
Your comment reveals everything about the kind of person you are – and nothing about Sheila. By the way, this is her page. She has the right to defend those who posted interesting and informative comments against petty complaints.
Sadly, the link no longer works. I wonder what happened to her.
This is in my top 5 movies ever. There is nothing but love and life in all its tatters presented here. I am almost obsessed with it after 40 years since seeing it. Foldi is wonderful, the whole cast amazing and somehow in all that dreariness life shines more than any movie I have ever seen. A neglected classic, a light in the dark, I do thank God I was alive to see it. And Foldi becoming a Christian and still dancing is just all right with me. God, what a great movie!
I’m watching this again after years (even though I saw it many times in the early 80s). I had forgotten how large Erzsebet’s role was, she was amazing. What a strong actress and dancer for her first and only movie role. Roy and all 3 female leads were the best. I wanted to see All That Jazz again since Fosse/Verdon just started. Awesome movie!
I briefly knew Liz through a good friend of hers. I saw her dance when she was with the Twyla Tharp company, and met her a few times socially. She was lovely, warm and friendly and funny. I know that she participated in the Times Square Church for years. She became a massage therapist, and has relocated to Arizona, where her great friend Ann Reinking also lives. All credit to her for not being obsessed with “the business” and finding her own way.
I never get tired of watching the dance to “Everything Old is New Again” with Foldi and Reinking.
According to LinkedIn, Liz working for MLM company Isagenix, which sounds kind of like Herbalife. Her day job is doing massage therapy at the Scottsdale AZ Hyatt Regency Spa at Gainey Ranch.
I found this 2015 video of her doing a dance at a Christmas concert. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8glKh6cqyY A while back, I found an interview where she kind of denounced All That Jazz based on her Born-Again status, which made me sad, but everyone is on their own path I guess. I still think it was an amazing movie, and that there was nothing amoral about the movie’s message, or her role in it.
So… I found this article in a Google search and hope the link still works. My dad took me to see All That Jazz when I was 11 and it stayed with me forever. I love your blog post. You nailed it, the movie was HER. I wanted to be her. I wanted to face and have Ann Reinking as a cool stepmom figure and a goddess of a mother. I completely identified with her and her pure innocent love for her father. Thank you Seltzer for posting the YouTube link to grown up Liz Foldi dancing. It’s nice to imagine that the little girl from. All That Jazz growing up and having a fulfilling life.
Recently watched the last episode of Fosse Verdon… the scenes with Bob and Nicole dancing in his apartment – and her anguish seeing it re-enacted in a rehearsal later destroyed me. Glad I’m not the only one who was obsessed with being that kid. ?
i saw this movie in high school with a sexy goddess girl i was dating,who fell in love with me and refused to be intimate with me and one morning placed red rose petals all over my car…
after having seen this movie in high school, i had remarked that this young charming girl ms. foldi, had perhaps some rather unusual movement talent. i was not a dancer, had not studied dance, and yet, i had studied some kung fu and had a sense of the sense of movement through space. i could tell when someone, ms foldi, was moving well. some of the girls in high school had for some reason passed this on to ms foldi and i heard back that ms. foldi was interested in me, even as young as i ms foldi and i were; i think i was not yet 18yrs.
felt an unusual vibe about it, as lovely as ms foldi’s big brown eyes were(see, ‘i forget if they were green or blue’…), so i said no. turns out that ms. foldi danced in t. tharp’s troup in texas? and i could have seen ms. foldi perform in person at some point.
i saw this movie again last week. forgot how dark, conflicted and troubling this movie was at times, perhaps complicated like life. had wanted to remember the goddess girl i had dated many years ago in high school. forgot how charming ms foldi was in this movie, perhaps what natural acting chops and movement erzebet foldi had.
now i see all these other sisters and brothers also wondering about ms. foldi. saw the youtube dance. glad ms. foldi is pursuing a sense of purpose and working with kids. i hear that hollywood can be also complicated and challenging…. happy to know what happened to that young, charming girl who stole the show in ‘all that jazz’.
I am watching the movie by TCM Latin America right now and it is very good, all the actresses and dancers are very beautiful and very good, I hope they know something about Erzsébet Földi, she is adorable.
If you do a Google search for Liz Foldi and then click on video you will see numerous videos of the adult Liz dancing. OR you can click here on this shortened URL.
https://tinyurl.com/y2ucuonn
I was obsessed with Bob Fosse before I saw All That Jazz. I think the commercials for Pippin in the 1970’s really grabbed me with their optimism and sinister sexuality in some way I didn’t really understand. In college, when I took a girlfriend to see the movie, she really had no idea what I was flipping out about. Just the stripper scene alone snapped so much into place about who Bob Fosse was and who I was, the revelation of the movie was indescribable. I got the “flirting with death” thing in a way that Bergman and Poe could never sell to me. The high wire was my life – especially as I was an active alcoholic at that time. Shame and fear were killing me and I was trying to turn them into art. So yeah, I was my own tiny 21 year old Joe Gideon, and I was amazed at Fosse’s ability to represent all of my ugly sides without making me hate Roy Scheider. I watch “Everything Old is New Again” at night to relax and get to sleep. Liz Foldi was/is an amazing talent.
All That Jazz is my favorite movie, it takes me to a better in my life. I found this link of Linda Posner and her daughter Pearl.
http://www.foryou.productions/pearl-marill-linda-marill
I’m very sad that Ann Reinking recently passed away. We’ve lost so many great talents this year.
Thank you for this page, I’ve enjoyed reading it!
Sam E. – thank you so much for commenting. I love how people keep finding this page. All That Jazz is amazing and yes, very very sad to lose Reinking. I wrote a tribute to her when she passed!
I know people trip over this post a lot – which makes me happy – Just in case anyone is not aware, in 2014, the Criterion Collection brought out a deluxe edition of All That Jazz, with a ton of special features, including an essay by old pal Matt. You have to buy the DVD because not everything is streaming. Long live physical media! But one of the special features is a video of Ann Reinking (RIP) and Erzebet Foldi – current day, 2014 – chatting about their memories of filming All That Jazz. It’s a beautiful conversation and I highly recommend seeking it out!
Many of you probably already know this, but just in case …
Here’s the link, with an option to buy:
https://www.criterion.com/films/28561-all-that-jazz
With all due respect to the seasoned pros, Erzebet stole the show. She was delightful, and such a natural that I simply assumed she was headed for a showbiz career herself. Apparently, she had other ambitions, and that’s fine. Maybe she looked at how “Dad” ended up in the movie and decided that future wasn’t for her–who knows? I hope life has treated her well and she has no regrets.
For reasons I’ll omit, I was suddenly thinking of that song “On Broadway” and one thing led another and I was watching the beginning of All That Jazz on YouTube. So here I go replying to a post from 2007.
I did see it once. I was a college freshman in 1983 and saw it in an intro to film class I took as a breadth requirement. I remember liking it then and being surprised since I never was into performing arts. Watching the beginning again, I feel like I missed how good it really is. That audition is so raw, physical, and literally sweaty. I love the gritty bare wall backdrop too. I have seen auditions in movies, but nothing like that. And yes, the reaction shots from Erzebet steal the scene.
Scheider’s acting, the asides by rejected dancers, the music, and cinematography (the series of cuts of spinning dancers) are almost too much to pack into a few minutes, and I could come up with more to say.
I absolutely have to watch this again.
Just one more comment on the opening scene. The Matt Zoller Seitz link is broken by the way (it somehow gets redirected to a page written in Thai) and I would definitely like to read it.
There is so much detail and I will observe just one: that iconic “Chock Full O’Nuts” coffee can next to the styrofoam cup where Gideon is crouching to watch the dancers. It’s not clear to me what it’s for, but it reminds me of my father repurposing coffee cans for all kinds of things, especially Chock Full O’Nuts. At a glance, it just looks like a piece of debris, but I feel like what I’m getting is an intimate look at Fosse’s actual process (whether or not that’s the case).
D’oh! He’s probably using it as an ash tray, right? (My father had quit smoking by time I was born and tended to use them to store small hardware parts.)
Thank you for starting this discussion.
I have watched All That Jazz any number of times but I find myself coming back to two scenes with notable regularity …
The Cattle Call opening … Ah!! the romance of show business!! The scene is set by a bleary eyed Joe Gideon waking up with some Amphetamines and cynically forcing a smile and announcing “It’s showtime, folks”. Then we see the casting call. Talk about sobering. It occurs to me that there were untold numbers of scantily clad chicks and there was not so much as a leer.
Pure business devoid of romance. Sobering.
Anyway, the second scene is with Liz Foldi and Ann Reinking (you know which scene). Brings a tear to my eye every time.
Magic.
so magic. thank you so much for finding this old post and leaving a comment – I wrote it in 2007!! but it’s a great gathering place for people who love this film.
There are elements of that movie that are timeless. His interactions with his daughter simply ring true. It is the sort of movie that will be “discovered” 100 years on.
Fosse was far far better than current takes on him, he is seen as a hip thrust, bowler wearing choreographer (not fair entirely but not far off).
Like I mentioned in the piece – the daughter was key to my “way in” since I was that age when I saw it. and a hopeful kid actor. it was a vision of a life I wanted for myself. that opening cattle call scene … I can’t even describe the excitement it gave me. I was never a dancer but still – the way that scene is filmed, the reality of it – the details of the dance garb, the bags, the camaraderie – and then the hard work. THRILLING.
3/4s of the film flew right over my head at age 12. but it wormed its way into me in a way films just don’t now. I was still being formed. and it instantly became literally a vision of what I wanted. and years later when I was actually in NY and going to auditions for summer stock or whatever – I actually did do it.
I agree it’s timeless.
I also agree that Bob Fosse’s work as a director continues to be grappled with – it’s major. and piecing that together with the song-and-dance man is fascinating. He was so honest!
I loved Baryshnikov in the cattle call scene … maybe 1/2 a second. But it was real. (
wait, what?
around 1:30 here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2e9acreKmQ
Larraine Newman at 1:36
I wish I could say “me at 1:40” but that would be a lie :)
oh wow of course – totally recognizable. that physique!! Had no idea!
such a great scene – I am now wanting to re-watch the whole thing right now.
and Larraine Newman! yes!
and at 1:22 I know that woman … from something …
BTW I would like to see a write up of Feud: Capote and the Swans. I loved the first one, this one … well … Capote would have been displeased. I hate it when you have a character like Capote who provides a rich tapestry and some idiot makes stuff up. Silly, and unnecessary. Sorry, off topic but I found your other writing and this occurred to me.
Also …
The Big Spender scene from Sweet Charity is a bookend to the cattle call scene.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaqDuZkNuPw
It is like fast forwarding and seeing the kids that didn’t make it in their next gig.
If that is the way Fosse saw it it is pretty damn sad.
BTW a bunch of these women look familiar too. My fave? The one who says “So strong” and then melts into as complete indifference as I have ever seen :) at 0:40
I saw ATJ when it came out. I was blown away by it. I went to see it as someone who thinks that Fosse is the GOAT in jazz dance in the 20th century. I was also a fan of Scheider and Vereen. There are quite a few folks in the film that became quite famous as years went on. Now I can say that I’ve seen ATJ more times than I can recall. Then again, I’m old now. Today is January 6, 2025, and I was thinking about ATJ for reasons unknown. So I dug up a million YouTube clips and selected one of the final scene. That scene makes me laugh, cringe and weep. The whole movie is very powerful and has lost none of its shine in 45 years. I can’t say the same about myself or quite a few things that old. As for the cast, I cannot find fault with anyone in it. I could not have done as well, much less better. But as someone on this page said, Roy Scheider and all three female leads were fantastic, but MS Földi did indeed steal the show. One other note about her, which now that I know how her life’s path progressed, is quite amusing; she auditioned for the female lead in Blue Lagoon, but lost out to Brooke Shields. Perhaps had she gotten that part her life in film would have continued. “One never know do one.”
Naturally, after the clip I Googled ATJ and read the Wiki. I ran through the various Wikis for most of those that have pages and found the MS Földi’s link doesn’t. But I did find a link to this thread. Reading it made my night and now it’s the wee hours of the next day. Before I go to sleep I just had to say thank you for creating this thread, Sheila. There is a lot of love and memories here (as well as one twit who doesn’t even know what an acronym is). So, thank you.
I’m off to bed and wish you, Sheila, and all those who left notes here, even the twit, a very happy and prosperous new year in 2025, though I personally think that ship has sailed before we even hit here. And to quite another film star. “Tha, tha, tha, that’s all folks.”
John T Inscutable
P.S. To Linda Posner’s daughter, I had a crush on your mother by way of the movies.
Sorry, on Fosse kick again. Is it ok to hijack a thread like this Sheila?
Watched the Rich Man’s Frug
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcrZIK3gqbU
God, how Fosse and the little touches are his signature. How do you post an image here?
I’m picking up on those little things that make something a Fosse production.