Plot
Broadway's celebratory musical about rejection makes it to the screen in a fizzless adaptation by Richard Attenborough that misses the whole point of the Broadway show -- i.e. the dancing and the dancers. Instead, the dancers become a limp Greek chorus for the dead love affair between a choreographer, Zach (a pre-Gordon Gekko Michael Douglas) and his old flame, Cassie (Alyson Reed) the star dancer. Zach is holding try-outs for a new Broadway musical and, as armies of dancers are brought on stage to audition for Zach, he sits in the darkened recesses of the theater, puffing on a cigarette, as he winnows out hopeful dancers who want to become part of the chorus line for Zach's new show. Finally, Zach has reduced the dancers to 16 men and women, and he asks each of them to step to the footlights and tell him about their lives and their dreams. But backstage, while the dancers are confessing their pasts to Zach, Zach's past walks through the stage door. Cassie, Zach's ex-lover, whom Zach met, courted and broke up with in the theatrical environs, has returned. Once a big star, Cassie has returned to the theater -- not to see Zach but to audition for Zach's musical. She needs the work. ~ Paul Brenner, RoviCast
- Michael Douglas - Zach
- Terrence Mann - Larry
- Alyson Reed - Cassie
- Cameron English - Paul
- Vicki Frederick - Shiela
Credit
John Dapper - Art Director, Robert V. Girolami - Associate Producer, Joseph M. Caracciolo, Jr. - Associate Producer, Jeffery Hornaday - Choreography, Faye Poliakin - Costume Designer, Richard Attenborough - Director, John Bloom - Editor, Marvin Hamlisch - Composer (Music Score), Ralph Burns - Musical Direction/Supervision, Edward Kleban - Songwriter, Allen Weisinger - Makeup, Patrizia Von Brandenstein - Production Designer, Ronnie Taylor - Cinematographer, Cy Feuer - Producer, Ernest H. Martin - Producer, Chris Newman - Sound/Sound Designer, Donald O. Mitchell - Sound/Sound Designer, Jonathan Bates - Sound Editor, Arnold Schulman - Screenwriter, George DeTitta, Sr. - Set Decorator, Nicholas Dante - Book Author, James Kirkwood, Jr. - Play Author, Nicholas Dante - Play Author, Michael Bennett - Play Author| A Chorus Girl's Romance (1920 Film), A Choice of Weapons (1976 Film) | |
| A Chorus of Disapproval (1988 Film), A Christmas Adventure...From a Book Called Wisely's Tales (2000 Film) |
Copyright © 2012 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Movie Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.
