Proof Positive of Cocaine's Influence on Hollywood

I can understand a lot of your comments regarding this film. This film was a real mess mainly due to that old addage, "Too many cooks spoil the broth." Even though Frank Pierson is billed onscreen as director, final say on everything where this film is concerned went to Streisand and her then boyfriend, future movie mogul Jon Peters, who, at this time, knew nothing about making movies but was given a lot of power over what happened in the making of this film purely out of his relationship with Streisand. Babs and Peters fought with Pierson over everything and Peters did not get along with Kristofferson at all. You've probably heard the famous remark that Kristofferson made to Peters on set one day: "If I want any more "sh*t out of you, I'll squeeze your head." I don't think John Norman was initially interested in managing Esther's career until his career began to take a nosedive. His appearances were costing promoters so much money that no one wanted to book John Norman anymore and that's why he had so much free time around the time he met Esther. And yes, Streisand was adamantly against John Norman committing suicide and wanted him to die accidentally, but the way his death is filmed, you really can't tell the difference. I think John Norman dying accidentally changes the whole point of the original story. I also agree that Esther's rise to fame happened way too fast and made no sense and I also agree that you would never see a singer like Esther doing live outdoor concerts like she is puctured doing here. I don't know how much cocaine was around during the making of this film, but Kristofferson was definitely doing his share, that's for sure. A lot of what you see in the finished product of this film is what happens when three egos crash and burn in the middle of a movie set. Nobody wins...especially us.

Excellent posts...I haven't seen this movie in 33 years but that's exactly how I remember it - a huge, enjoyable, all over the shop mess. I especially get the beef about the crowd scenes. I remember thinking So Obviously Fake, decades before that saying had even been invented. And I remember asking myself "Does this band only know one song, twenty seconds long? Watch clooosely noooow....."

But I have happy memories of it. I was with my then new girlfriend, now wife, and we cried our eys out. Every so often on the bus on the way home I'd say to her "...and the way his little foot stuck out from under the blanket..." (on the ambulance stretcher) and she'd start wailing again. Boy, nowadays the only way I can make her cry is hide the whiskey bottle.


(Just joking dear)





My body makes no moan
But sings on:
All things remain in God.

"All That Jazz" was a self autobiographical story directed by Bob Fosse. Much of if plays like a fantasy and is done that way to represent his lifestyle during the period depicted in the film. It's very unfortunate that you compare that critically acclaimed film to A Star is born, 1 is a masterpiece, the latter is crap

"All That Jazz" is a near masterpiece, and proof positive that seslf-destructive lifestyles aren't totally incompatible with real art.

Now if you want to see a movie that REALLY shows what coke can do to the decision-making process of some people, check out "Xanadu" from 1980 (or so). It's a movie musical where most of the big musical numbers are set on an empty, dark, soundstage when is supposed to represent a cavernous night club, because apparently they spent most of the money intended for production design on coke.