Sweet Charity

Director: Bob Fosse

Overview

"Bob Fosse's Sweet Charity (1969) has arrived on DVD in a nicely produced if not overly ambitious edition from Universal. The film has been transferred very cleanly in its proper anamorphic aspect ratio (2.35:1), giving Robert Surtees' cinematography the

Product Details

Release Date:	03/04/2003
UPC:	0025192261626
Original Release:	1969
Rating:	G
Source:	MCA HOME
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	2:33:00
Sales rank:	5,821

Special Features

Closed Caption;Alternate ending; "Sweet Charity - From the Stage to the Screen" featurette; "Edith Head's Costume Design: The Art of Exaggeration" featurette; Theatrical trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Shirley MacLaine	Charity 'Hope' Valentine
John McMartin	Oscar Lindquist
Ricardo Montalban	Vittorio Vitale
Sammy Davis Jr.	Big Daddy
Chita Rivera	Nickie
Paula Kelly	Helene
Stubby Kaye	Herman
Barbara Bouchet	Ursula
Suzanne Charney	Lead Frog Dancer
Alan Hewitt	Nicholsby
Dante DiPaolo	Charlie
John Wheeler	Dancers in `Rythmn of Life' Number
Kay York	Dancers in `Rythmn of Life' Number
John Craig	Man in Fandango Ballroom
Dee Carroll	Woman on Tandem
Tom Hatten	Man on Tandem
Sharon Harvey	Young Woman on Bridge
Charles Brewer	Young Man on Bridge
Richard Angarola	Maitre d'
Henry Beckman	Policeman
Jeff Burton	Policeman
Ceil Cabot	Married Woman
Alfred Dennis	Waiter at Chile Hacienda
David Gold	Panhandler
Nolan Leary	Manfred
Diki Lerner	Man with Dog on Bridge
Buddy Lewis	Appliance Salesman
Joseph Mell	Man on Bridge
Geraldine O'Brien	Lady on Bridge
Alma Platt	Lady with Hat on Bridge
Maudie Prickett	Nurse on Bridge
Chet Stratton	Waiter,Patrons at Dancehall
Robert Terry	Doorman
Roger Til	Greeter at Pompeii Club
Buddy Hart	Baseball Player
Bill Harrison	Baseball Player
Bick Goss	Drummer Boy
Chelsea Brown	Frug Dancer
Ray Chabeau	Frug Dancer
Bryan Da Silva	Frug Dancer
Lynn Fields	Frug Dancer,Actor,Composer
Roy Fitzell	Frug Dancer
Ellen Halpin	Frug Dancer
Dick Korthaze	Frug Dancer
April Nevins	Frug Dancer
Maris O'Neill	Frug Dancer
Lee Roy Reams	Frug Dancer
Sandy Roveta	Frug Dancer
Charleen Ryan	Frug Dancer
Juleste Salve	Frug Dancer
Patrick Spohn	Frug Dancer
Jerry Trent	Frug Dancer
Ben Vereen	Frug Dancer
Bud Vest	Frug Dancer
Lorene Yarnell	Frug Dancer
John Frayer	Patrons at Dancehall
Dom Salinaro	Patrons at Dancehall
Paul Shipton	Patrons at Dancehall
Larry Billman	Waiter/Dancer
Herman Boden	Waiter/Dancer
Dick Colacino	Waiter/Dancer
Lynn McMurrey	Waiter/Dancer
Ted Monson	Waiter/Dancer
Ed Robinson	Waiter/Dancer
Leon Bing	Model
Sue Linden	Model
Jackie Mitchell	Model
Carroll Roebke	Model
Kathryn Doby	Dancers in `Big Spender' Number
Al Lanti	Dancers in `Big Spender' Number
Gloria Mills	Dancers in `Big Spender' Number
Louise Quick	Dancers in `Big Spender' Number
Victoria Scruton	Dancers in `Big Spender' Number
Tiffni Twitchell	Dancers in `Big Spender' Number
Renata Vaselle	Dancers in `Big Spender' Number
Adele Yoshioka	Dancers in `Big Spender' Number
Chuck Harrod	Singer
Charles Lunard	Singer
Jerry Mann	Singer
Frank Radcliff	Singer
Norman Stevans	Conversion
Suzanne Charny	Actor
Marie Bahruth	Actor
Toni Basil	Actor
Carol Birner	Actor
Donald Bradburn	Actor
Lonnie Burr	Actor
Cheryl Christiansen	Actor
Ben Gooding	Actor
Carlton Johnson	'Rhythm of Life' dancer
Kirk Kirksey	Actor
Lance Le Gault	Actor
Trish Mahoney	Actor
Walter Painter	Actor
Bob Thompson Jr.	Actor
Bonnie G. West	Actor
Leon Alton	Actor
Kathleen Cody	Blonde Flower Girl
Bud Cort	Flower Child
Marguerite DeLain	Dancer
Phillip Terry	Doorman
Sammy Davis	Actor
Cy Coleman	Composer
Joseph Gershenson	Composer

Technical Credits

Peter Stone

Federico Fellini

Ennio Flaiano

Dorothy Fields

Tullio Pinelli

Neil Simon

Peter Stone	Screenwriter
Robert Arthur	Producer
Federico Fellini	Screenwriter
Len Peterson	Sound Effects
Ronald Pierce	Sound Effects,Sound/Sound Designer
Waldon O. Watson	Sound Effects,Sound/Sound Designer
Ennio Flaiano	Screenwriter
Dorothy Fields	Screenwriter
Tullio Pinelli	Screenwriter
Neil Simon	Screenwriter
William Russell	Sound/Sound Designer

Scene Index

Side #1 --
1. Overture
2. Main Titles
3. My Personal Property
4. Hey, Big Spender
5. The Rich Man's Frug
6. If My Friends Could See Me Now
7. There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This
8. It's a Nice Face
9. Intermission
10. Act II
11. The Rhythm of Life
12. Sweet Charity
13. I'm a Brass Band
14. I Love to Cry at Weddings
15. Where Am I Going?
16. End Titles

Menu

Side #1 --
Play
Scenes
Bonus Materials
Alternate Ending
Sweet Charity: From the Stage to the Screen
Edith Head's Costume Design: The Art of Exaggeration
Theatrical Trailer
Recommendations
Languages
English Language
English Captions for the Hearing Impaired
Spanish/Español Subtitles
French/Français Subtitles
No Subtitles

Editorial Reviews

Most of the Cy Coleman-Dorothy Fields songs in Sweet Charity remain intact: the best of these include "Big Spender," "If They Could See Me Now," "There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This," and the rousing "I'm a Brass Band," cinematized on an epic scale courtesy of choreographer/director Bob Fosse (who staged the original Broadway production, which starred his then-wife Gwen Verdon). A few curious changes are made in the score, notably a completely new (and not altogether successful) arrangement of the title number. Also, Neil Simon's libretto has been laundered and sentimentalized for the family trade, robbing us of the play's deliciously cynical ending. Otherwise, the film is an underrated gem, wholly undeserving of its bad reputation (though admittedly, its unexpectedly poor box-office take did nearly ruin Universal Pictures). The supporting cast includes Chita Rivera and Paula Kelly as Charity's sarcastic co-workers, Stubby Kaye as dance-hall proprietor Herman (who displays an unexpected lovable streak in the song "I Love to Cry at Weddings," Sammy Davis Jr. as phony guru Big Daddy Brubeck (his show-stopping production number "Rhythm of Life" has no bearing whatsoever on the plot, but who cares?), and a whole slew of stars-to-be among the dancers and singers, including Ben Vereen, Chelsea Brown and Toni Basil.