Sweet Charity

To start with, you've got some seriously talented women working at peak form here. Shirley MacLaine may not entirely fill Gwen Verdon's dancing shoes - who could? - but she makes a delightful Charity nonetheless. If you're looking for proof, simply watch the opening credits; not since Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast At Tiffany's" has an actress so thoroughly nailed a character in her first few minutes of screen time. There may be some overly cute moments here and there (for which the director and/or screenwriter must share resposibility), but there's no denying MacLaine gives a very real and touching performance. As for Chita Rivera, she's so hot in "There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This" she practically burns a hole in the screen. Paula Kelly has some pretty hot moves too, not to mention a great way with a one-liner ("Oh girl, do you know how many guys are running around this city carrying pocket books?"). And though Suzanne Charny may not be a household name, she dances her way into silver screen immortality with "Rich Man's Frug" - after you've seen her in this number, I doubt you'll ever forget her (and keep an eye out for a dynamic young Ben Vereen in the ensemble).

Which brings us to the musical numbers, most of which are dynamite - which isn't too surprising, considering Fosse was not only a great choreographer, but also a veteran of the hallowed MGM Movie Musical era. The aforementioned "Rich Man's Frug" and "There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This" are both showstoppers, as are "Big Spender," "If My Friends Could See Me Now," and "I'm A Brass Band" (imaginative use of NYC locations like the Brooklyn Bridge, Yankee Stadium, Lincoln Center, and Wall Street make the latter number truly spectacular). "The Rhythm Of Life" and "I Love To Cry At Weddings" are still a chore to sit through (despite Sammy Davis Jr.'s presence in the former), but with a click of your DVD remote you can easily skip those sequences.

Finally, one of the best reasons for buying the "Sweet Charity" DVD is that it contains the film's alternate ending which, as far as I'm concerned, is far superior to the one used in 1969. I know there are many who feel that concluding the movie with Charity being dumped yet again is truer to the spirit of the Fellini film on which its based ("Nights Of Cabiria"), but using flower children in the finale was a ghastly, self-conscious idea that looked out-of-date within hours of the film's release (at least the Broadway show displayed some wit when Charity encountered the Good Fairy, who turned out to be an advertising plug for a TV show). Fosse was right in wanting to avoid sentimentality and the happily-ever-after cliche, but I don't think he took into account the unexpectedly strong chemistry between Shirley MacLaine and John McMartin (their courtship scenes are genuinely charming), or how much the audiences wanted Charity to cop a break - even if it didn't last forever. The alternate ending, therefore, is a suprisingly shrewd one; not only does it add a nice touch of symmetry (with another plunge in the lake), but it manages to bring Charity and Oscar together without creating any illusions about their future. As the dialogue makes clear:

OSCAR: The odds against us are at least a hundred to one.

CHARITY: Those are the best odds I ever had.

And so they walk off together - maybe for a few months, maybe for a few years, maybe forever - who knows? But at least they have some hope, and I think they deserve it. I think the audience deserves it, too.

But alternate ending or not - that's your call - "Sweet Charity" is one of the better film musicals you'll find.

The only let up from her killing the part are Fosse's dance numbers. "Rich Man's Frug" lives up to its reputation, and "Rhythem of Life" are amazing. ( My friend and I were ready to burn the tape we were watching, and then "Rhythem" came on. We stayed for the rest of the movie.) Fosse as a director also seems to care only when his signature dances, or any dances, come on. That's when the camera usage that one gets to know so well in Cabaret and All That Jazz come in. During the naratives, he seems bored with the story and doesn't put nearly enough energy into it. One is left waiting for the stars, (preferably not Ms. MacLaine) to sing and dance for all they're worth for all the movie. It is also too long. I felt the ending was not harsh enough to Ms. MacLaine's Charity. An STD would have satisfied me.

However, here's the great thing about DVD: use the scene selector to skip right to the fabulous dance numbers! "Rich Man's Frug" and "Hey Big Spender" are two of Fosse's best on film, and big enough that you'll want to watch them several times to catch all the details and dancers. And as a special treat to Fosse fans, the extras on the DVD include some brief segments with THE MAN himself.

Fosse newbies, skip right over this and go straight to CABARET which is a brilliant musical AND a brilliant film.