Speaking of the roadshowi saw charity in boston during its engagement at the saxon theater now the majesticthis was the films first roadshow run. I would like for it to have starred gwen verdon, but i like shirley maclaine a lot and i knew that she was multitalented, so i bought this dvd. Bob fosses sweet charity 1969 has arrived on dvd in a nicely produced if not overly ambitious edition from universal. The adventures of a girl who wanted to be loved, is a 1969 american musical film directed and choreographed by bob fosse, written by neil simon, and with music by cy coleman and dorothy fields it stars shirley maclaine and features john mcmartin, sammy davis, jr.
Thats all that sweet charity had to do, and to an extent, thats all it does. I have known about the film sweet charity for many years. Determined to find love, charity falls for suave actor vittorio vidal ricardo montalban, but their romance is all too brief. Her luck with men may change when she meets insurance actuary oscar lindquist, who mistakenly believes charity is a respectable girl who works in a bank.
In melbourne they screened the sad ending in 70mm and it was not a huge success. He sees charity on their bridge in central park and thinks she is going to jump. I saw the film in 1969, and the flower children ending already looked dated. What sweet charity has up its sleeve is directorchoreographer bob fosse, making his first feature in a career that only ended up spanning five movies in 14 years and the superlative tv special liza with a z. I think i am alone in feeling that sweet charity would have been a better film with the. With shirley maclaine, john mcmartin, ricardo montalban, sammy davis jr taxi dancer charity continues to have faith despite endless disappointments at its hands, and hope that she will finally meet the man to romance her away from her sleazy life. This duplicates the heartbreaking ending of the fellini film. Charity hope valentine shirley maclaine always tries to look on the bright side of life, despite working in a rundown dance hall and contending with a seemingly endless run of bad dates. Bob fosse thought this ending was too corny, and decided to use the depressing, yet more inspirational, ending for the film s major. Sweet charity was the only fosse film i had not seen until today i still need to get his television production of liza with a z, and i recommend it to see this genius just beginning his short. New york film locations from the movie sweet charity starring shirley maclaine. The dancing never gets old, but the book could use a nip and tuck laura bell bundy and barrett foa in the reprise 2. Starring gwen verdon, the story of a dance hall hostess search for love was a smash. Some european dvd editions included a cut film with only a few musical numbers and both opening and end credits in their original its original 2.
Taxi dancer charity continues to have faith despite endless disappointments at its hands, and hope that she will finally meet the man to romance her away from her sleazy life. Why gwen verdon deserves top billing the new republic. However, whereas federico fellinis blackandwhite film concerns the romantic upsanddowns of an ever. Sweet charity is a 1966 musical with book by neil simon based on the federico fellini film nights of cabiria, score by cy coleman and dorothy fields, originally directed by bob fosse and starring gwen verdon. But after eight years in the business, charity comes to the realization that she cannot meet decent men in her job, which she tries to change despite her lack of skills for respectable jobs. Bob fosse, making his film directorial debut, couldnt convey the verve he injected into the play to the movie version.
Nov 21, 2016 inspired by the federico fellini movie nights of cabiria 1957, sweet charity was born of the alchemy between the director bob fosse and his muse and wife, the dancing actress gwen. Determined to find love, charity falls for suave actor vittorio vidal ricardo montalban, but their romance is. In this musical, charity hope valentine is an incurable optimist, despite her job at a seedy dance joint. He then realizes that despite charitys faults, he really cant live without her. Sweet charity 1969 taxi dancer charity shirley maclaine continues to have faith in the human race despite apparently endless disappointments at its hands, and hope that she will finally meet the nice young man to romance her away from her sleazy life. However in sydney we had the happy ending and it was a smash hit. Broadway theater directorchoreographer bob fosse brought the musical sweet charity, based on federico fellinis film nights of cabiria, to the stage in 1966. Sweet charity was turned into a notsosuccessful film in 1969, starring shirley maclaine. However, the film sweet charity, just like its theatre version, successfully illustrates the plays original themes and messages through characterization, musicals, and settings. Anyway, this series made a point of labeling the film sweet charity as a huge titanic bomb, and i do remember through the years hearing that same line off and on. Though the job may be decidedly undesirable, charitys hopeful romanticism and unfailing optimism lift her out of her.
I guess what i knew about the film was from the show and that defined my expectations of the film whilst watching it. Sweet charity follows the romantic trials and tribulations of charity hope valentine, a girl who wanted to be loved. It tells the story of charity hope valentine, a romantic dance hall hostess looking for love in all the wrong places, and how she eventually finds itand loses it. The adventures of a girl who wanted to be loved is a 1969 american musical comedydrama film directed and choreographed by bob fosse in his feature directorial debut, written by peter stone, and featuring music by cy coleman and dorothy fields.
It was directed and choreographed for broadway by bob fosse starring his wife and muse gwen verdon alongside john mcmartin. After oscar leaves charity, he starts to go crazy in his apartment. Sweet charity synopsis broadway musical young woman named charity is working as a dance partner in the fandango ballroom. Inspired by the federico fellini movie nights of cabiria 1957, sweet charity was born of the alchemy between the director bob fosse and his muse and wife, the dancing actress gwen. Here was a man with no dream and no plan, and one lovely night i found sweet charity. An alternate ending, included on the laserdisc and dvd versions, picks up after oscar leaves charity.
I came to watch this film after watching the fx miniseries fosseverdon. Apr 08, 2019 top billing for too long, gwen verdon missed out on her share of the spotlight. Warm words ive never said lately pop off the top of my head, its incredible. As in the original scene in fellinis nights of cabiria, shirley maclaine title character has been robbed and pushed from a central park bridge by her boyfriend, later spinning the event for colleagues paula kelly and chita rivera, in bob fosses sweet charity, 1969. You made life fun for me, oh, what its done for me, having you around, sweet charity. Apr, 2017 so with that company to compete with, all that the film adaptation of sweet charity really had to do was to show up, and that would be enough to make it the years best musical.
Directing his first movie with the 1969 screen version, fosse hadnt yet. Maybe, just maybe, handsome oscar will be the one to do it. Sweet charity motion picture soundtrack cy coleman. Sweet charity by bob fosse bob fosse, shirley maclaine. The film has been transferred very cleanly in its proper anamorphic aspect ratio 2. The 50yearold musical sweet charity has always been a shiny bauble, elevated by some terrific songs by cy coleman and dorothy fields, and exhilarating dance numbers, but weakened by the emphasis. My lasting memory of this film, watching it on tv as a child, was charity being jilted at the registry office. It is based on the screenplay for the italian film nights of cabiria. The score was heavily revised for the move to celluloid.
The two then walk off together, soaking wet, through the park. Sweet charity is, in short, a terrific musical film. A film version was greenlighted but fosse had never directed on camera before. Mar 07, 2015 in the original italian film, charity is a streetwalker. Charity hope valentine always tries to look on the bright side of life, despite working in a rundown dance hall and contending with a seemingly. In the original italian film, charity is a streetwalker. Top billing for too long, gwen verdon missed out on her share of the spotlight. Ringwalds charity is more plucky heroine and adorable klutz than the wistful, occasionally desperate figure of the original musical or of the federico fellini film that inspired it. Study 48 sweet charity scene flashcards from delaney s. Though the job may be decidedly undesirable, charitys hopeful romanticism and unfailing optimism lift her out of her circumstances and help her reach for a life beyond.
The 50yearold musical sweet charity has always been a shiny bauble. Sweet charity general discussions tcm message boards. Sweet charity is a musical play by cy coleman, with the lyrics by dorothy fields, and book by neil simon furria and lasser 288. Shirley maclaine, john mcmartin, ricardo montalban. Bob fosse thought this ending was too corny, and decided to use the depressing, yet more inspirational, ending for the films major. A thoroughly modern sweet charity who abandons hope. He finds charity on the bridge in central park and, thinking shes going to jump, falls into the river. Sweet charity is a very good musical that should have been a great musical. Mar 14, 2011 so whenever i watch sweet charity on dvd, the only ending that feels really authentic to me is the happy ending. Charity hope valentine always tries to look on the bright side of life, despite working in a rundown dance hall and contending with a seemingly endless run of bad dates. Sweet charity is one of my all time favourite musicals.
Passingby spaniard helped the victim to get to the shore. An alternate ending found on the laserdisc and dvd versions picks up after oscar leaves charity. International sweet charity comes to blu ray france august. Oscar starts to go crazy in his apartment and, feeling suffocated, goes for a walk in the park.
Desperate to escape the dance hall, charity heads to an employment agency. Charity never stops looking for true love and never seems to look for it in the right places. Bob fosse thought this ending was too corny, and decided to use the depressing, yet more inspirational, ending for the film s major release. When charity started to admire his appearance, the man grabbed a womans purse, pushed her into the lake, and fled. I couldnt agree more the best ending for sweet charity was the original broadway version with the good fairy as played by ruth buzzi before she hit it big on laughin. Thorough analysis of the film sweet charity essay example. Bob fosses first film, a musical based on felinis nights of cabiria, shows a lot of promise, which he will fulfill with the 1972 cabaret. Even the film s ending is uncommon it was changed after the original ending was deemed too goofy i saw the original ending it was too goofy. Sydney,australia had the worlds longest running and most successful season of the film. When sweet charity came out in 1969, it was billed as the first musical of the 70s. Suddenly im the guy i never dared to be, watch me touch the sky quite. Sweet charity, full title of which is sweet charity.
So with that company to compete with, all that the film adaptation of sweet charity really had to do was to show up, and that would be enough. Sweet charity is a musical with music by cy coleman, lyrics by dorothy fields and book by neil simon. What i love about this film a victim of really bad timing, sweet charity was pretty much raked over the coals by the critics and ignored by the public when it was released. In this atmosphere of gritty naturalism, sweet charity looked. Racing to rescue her, he trips and falls in the water. There were allegedly two different endings for the film. Sweet charity, the film adaptation of the broadway musical, has been so enlarged and so inflated that it has become another maximal movie.
I know many people who say they hate musical comedies on the basis that they are musical comedies. Which ending to sweet charity do you think works best. It tells the story of charity hope valentine, a romantic dance hall hostess looking for love in all the wrong places, and how she. Charity hope valentine works as a taxi dancer along with her friends, nickie and helene. Originally appearing on broadway in 1966 starring gwen verdon, the musical is based on the classic fellini film nights of cabiria. So with that company to compete with, all that the film adaptation of sweet charity really had to do was to show up, and that would be enough to make it the years best musical.
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