| Joe Gideon is at the top of the heap, one of the most successful directors and choreographers in musical theater. But he can feel his world slowly collapsing around him - his obsession with work has almost destroyed his personal life, and only his bottles of pills keep him going. | |
| Release Date: | Dec 16, 1979 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Bob Fosse |
| Writer: | Bob Fosse, Robert Alan Aurthur |
| Genres: | Drama |
| Keywords | show business, movie business, tap dancing, film in film, divorce, broadway, rainstorm, surgery, editing, semi autobiographical, restroom, screening room, amphetamine, prescription drug abuse, angel of death |
| Production Companies | Columbia Pictures, 20th Century Fox |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $37,823,676
Budget: $12,000,000 |
| Updates |
Updated: Aug 09, 2025 Entered: Apr 13, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Roy Scheider | Joe Gideon |
| Jessica Lange | Angelique |
| Ann Reinking | Kate Jagger |
| Leland Palmer | Audrey Paris |
| Cliff Gorman | Davis Newman |
| Ben Vereen | O'Connor Flood |
| Erzsebet Foldi | Michelle |
| Michael Tolan | Dr. Ballinger |
| Max Wright | Joshua Penn |
| William LeMassena | Jonesy Hecht |
| Irene Kane | Leslie Perry |
| Deborah Geffner | Victoria |
| Kathryn Doby | Kathryn |
| Anthony Holland | Paul Dann |
| Robert Hitt | Ted Christopher |
| David Margulies | Larry Goldie |
| Susan Brooks | Stacy |
| Keith Gordon | Young Joe |
| Frankie Man | Comic |
| Alan Heim | Eddie |
| John Lithgow | Lucas Sergeant |
| Sandahl Bergman | Principal Dancer |
| Eileen Casey | Principal Dancer |
| Bruce Anthony Davis | Principal Dancer |
| Gary Flannery | Principal Dancer |
| Jennifer Nairn-Smith | Principal Dancer |
| Danny Ruvolo | Principal Dancer |
| Leland Schwantes | Principal Dancer |
| John Sowinski | Principal Dancer |
| Candace Tovar | Principal Dancer |
| Rima Vetter | Principal Dancer |
| Trudy Carson | Fan Dancer |
| Mary Sue Finnerty | Fan Dancer |
| Lesley Kingley | Fan Dancer |
| P.J. Mann | Fan Dancer / Menage Partner |
| Cathy Rice | Fan Dancer |
| Sonja Stuart | Fan Dancer |
| Terri Treas | Fan Dancer |
| Ralph E. Berntsen | Rock Band Drums |
| Jan Flato | Rock Band Keyboard |
| John Paul Fetta | Rock Band Bass |
| Andy Schwartz | Rock Band Guitar |
| Robert Levine | Dr. Hyman |
| Phil Friedman | Murray Nathan |
| Stephen Strimpell | Alvin Rackmil |
| Leonard Drum | Insurance Man |
| Eugene Troobnick | Insurance Doctor |
| Jules Fisher | Himself |
| Ben Masters | Dr. Garry |
| Cathie Shirriff | Nurse Briggs |
| Joanna Merlin | Nurse Pierce |
| Leah Ayres | Nurse Capobianco |
| Nancy Beth Bird | Nurse Bates |
| Harry Agress | Resident MD |
| CCH Pounder | Nurse Blake |
| Tito Goya | Attendant |
| Tiger Haynes | Porter |
| Lotte Palfi Andor | Old Woman |
| K.C. Townsend | Stripper |
| Marinka | Stripper |
| Rita Bennett | Stripper |
| Gary Bayer | Intern |
| Wayne Carson | Assistant Stage Manager |
| Kerry Casserly | Dancer Backstage |
| Judi Passeltiner | Dancer Backstage |
| Steve Elmore | Cast of NY/LA |
| Nicole Fosse | Dancer |
| Vicki Frederick | Menage Partner |
| Minnie Gaster | Script Supervisor |
| Michael Green | Clapper Boy |
| Bruce MacCallum | Clapper Boy |
| Joyce Ellen Hill | Nurse Collins |
| I.M. Hobson | Cast of NY/LA |
| Edith Kramer | Manager, Rehersal Studio |
| Barbara McKinley | Diane |
| Mary McCarty | Cast of NY/LA |
| Theresa Merritt | Cast of NY/LA |
| Gavin Moses | Apprentice Editor |
| Mary Mon Toy | Dietician |
| Wallace Shawn | Assistant Insurance Man |
| Jacqueline Solotar | Autograph Seeker |
| Sloane Shelton | Mother |
| Sammy Smith | Cast of NY/LA |
| Arnold Gross | Pianist |
| Terry Alexander | Hospital Orderly (uncredited) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Bob Fosse | Choreographer, Director, Writer |
| Jeremy Ritzer | Casting |
| Edward Stewart | Set Decoration |
| Robert Alan Aurthur | Writer |
| Romaine Greene | Hairstylist |
| Gary J. Brink | Set Decoration |
| Howard Feuer | Casting |
| Philip Rosenberg | Production Design |
| Fern Buchner | Makeup Artist |
| Alan Heim | Editor |
| Albert Wolsky | Costume Design |
| Giuseppe Rotunno | Director of Photography |
| Tony Walton | Production Design |
| Kenneth Utt | Production Manager |
| Ralph Burns | Original Music Composer |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Robert Alan Aurthur | Executive Producer |
| Daniel Melnick | Executive Producer |
| Kenneth Utt | Executive Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | Best Actress | Gina Gershon | Nominated |
| Academy Awards | Best Director | Bob Fosse | Nominated |
| Academy Awards | Best Actor | Roy Scheider | Nominated |
| Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actor | N/A | Nominated |
| Golden Globes | Best Picture | N/A | Nominated |
| Cannes Film Festival | Best Picture | N/A | Won |
| BAFTA Awards | Best Picture | N/A | Nominated |
| BAFTA Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Leland Palmer | Nominated |
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 17 | 25 | 13 |
| 2024 | 5 | 22 | 40 | 16 |
| 2024 | 6 | 18 | 32 | 11 |
| 2024 | 7 | 22 | 45 | 11 |
| 2024 | 8 | 16 | 29 | 11 |
| 2024 | 9 | 17 | 27 | 9 |
| 2024 | 10 | 14 | 23 | 8 |
| 2024 | 11 | 14 | 22 | 8 |
| 2024 | 12 | 15 | 24 | 9 |
| 2025 | 1 | 14 | 26 | 10 |
| 2025 | 2 | 9 | 17 | 3 |
| 2025 | 3 | 5 | 16 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Trending Position
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7 | 670 | 787 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6 | 861 | 880 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | 851 | 912 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 11 | 622 | 786 |
jjvanrensburg
8.0
From the opening sequence of Joe Gideon auditioning hopeful young dancers, to the last, ingenious depiction of his heart attack, presented as a showbiz spectacle, this film is at times darkly fascinating and then exuberant in its depiction of a self-destructive song and dance man at the pinnacle of ... his craft. At the time that I first saw the film, with multiple viewings to follow, I was unfamiliar with the work of Bob Fosse - now it seems that every modern dance stage sequence has Bob Fosse DNA and this great film provides a glimpse into the often tormented soul of the man. It's Show Time Folks!
Mar 19, 2024