I had no idea Ed was also a big fan of All That Jazz. My parents were always the last on the block to get stuff, like a microwave, a color TV, or HBO. So when we finally got the last of those in about 1978 -- I was already in college but living at home -- we were addicted to it. After I went to graduate school, I came back for Christmas and this movie was on constantly that break (1979-80), and like Ed, I was fascinated with Roy Scheider's portrayal of Bob Fosse (who I still keep trying to type as Ray Fosse, baseball addict that I am.) I don't know how many times I've said "It's show time, folks" before walking into a classroom. Too many, I'm sure.

I liked no other movie Scheider did as much as this (though his role in "The Russia House" was good, it's just not a good LeCarre movie). This was the start of the second half of his career as a supporting actor showing up in every political thriller you could imagine. Since I'm a sucker for those movies, I saw him often. I had no idea he was 75 now, and he was still working. He was an actor we took for granted, but someone who added something to the movies I liked.

Labels: Media