Sweet Charity film on DVD

I seem to be in a DVD rut at this point in my Year. But if they are all as good as Bob Fosse's film version of his stage production of Sweet Charity, then I'm fine by it. Shirley MacLaine has exactly the right balance of bravado and vulnerability, eternal optimist and perennial victim. And she is the perfect embodiment of Fosse's choreography. The music is at the same time bubbly and specific to time/place/character.

This was Bob Fosse's first job directing a film and there is an interesting DVD extra about his efforts to translate his stage production to film. He uses a lot of various cinematic techniques in telling the story and presenting the music and dance. Sometimes they feel a little dated and slow down the story-telling, but I give him points for looking outside the box.

The men get short-changed in terms of musical numbers in this film, which cuts several of the songs from the stage show. But there is a good ol' fashioned Stubby Kaye chorus number.

I found myself mesmerized by the portrayals by some notable musical theater performers in smaller roles in the film, which I think is a positive comment on their watch ability. Chita Rivera is front and center on the rail during the "Big Spender" number, and finally gets the dance on the roof she was denied when Rita Moreno was cast in the film of West Side Story. The afore-mentioned Stubby Kaye is the dance hall manager. Ben Vereen appears in the night club dance scene. And I think I can totally get behind any religion that has Sammy Davis Jr. as its apostle!

Sweet Charity
Music by Cy Coleman
Lyrics by Dorothy Fields
Screenplay by Peter Stone (of 1776?) based on the book of the stage musical by Neil Simon
Directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse
Cast: Shirley MacLaine, Chita Rivera, Ricardo Montalban, Stubby Kaye, Sammy Davis Jr., John McMartin

Li'l Abner film on DVD

This is a great show for the chorus. They are included in all the best musical numbers and there are lots of bit parts for chorus members to step into. But Li'l Abner drags a bit when it just focuses on the primary characters.

Perhaps it's the nearly fifty years since this show was created, but a lot of the characterizations come off as poking fun rather than lovingly bringing to life charming comic strip characters. Particularly guilty of overshooting the mark are Mammy and Pappy Yokum, but the book writer also bear some responsibility for peppering too many "dogpatch-isms" into characters' speech.

A couple of songs deserve mention and perhaps cabaret or big band life beyond the show, especially since the lyrics are by Johnny Mercer. "The Country's in the Very Best of Hands" is a funny (and still topical) song for Abner and Marryin' Sam. It would be great paired with Kurt Weill's "How Can you Tell an American" which is also a duet for two men. "I wish it could be Otherwise" (which I think was written for the film) is a wonder ballad for Daisy Mae and Abner, and could easily be imported into piano club setting.

The bright spot of the cast for me is Stubby Kaye as Marryin' Sam. There is no one who can deliver the big solo with chorus number like him. "Jubilation T. Cornpone" is the best known of this score, but there are other songs for Sam and Chorus. Julie Newmar (later of Batman fame) is Stupifyin' Jones, with nary a line, but plenty of curves.

Li'l Abner
Music by Gene de Paul
Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Written by Norman Panama and Melvin Frank
Based on the character created by Al Capp
Released by Paramount Pictures in 1959
Cast: Peter Palmer, Leslie Parrish, Stubby Kaye, Howard St. John, Julie Newmar, Stella Stevens, Billie Hayes, Joe E. Marks, Bern Hoffman