Even 50 years later, ‘Cabaret’ still sizzles onscreen

Above: Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey star in Bob Fosse's 1972 adaptation of the musical "Cabaret." (Photo/Allied Artists Pictures)

I was living in San Diego in 1972, watching as many movies as I could, taking films courses at UC-San Diego and dreaming about one day getting a job writing about film.

It would take more than a decade, hundreds of more movies and several graduate film courses at the University of Oregon for me to achieve my goal.

But I got there. I began reviewing movies for The Spokesman-Review in 1984 and continued up until I retired from the print edition of the paper in 2009. And I’ve continued to review movies both on this blog and, since 2010, for Spokane Public Radio.

Back to 1972, though, that was the year that I saw a film that would have made – maybe even topped – a Top 10 list had I been keeping tracks of such things then. The film was titled “Cabaret.”

A loose, adaptation of the musical that had been based on the “Berlin Stories” of Christopher Isherwood, the movie was directed by Bob Fosse, starred Liza Minnelli, Michael York, Joel Grey, Helmut Griem and Marisa Berenson. Even though released in February, it would ultimately win eight Oscars, including Best Actress for Minnelli, Best Supporting Actor for Grey and Best Director for Fosse.

Though nominated for Best Picture, it lost out to Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather.” (Imagine having to choose between Fosse and Coppola for the directing Oscar. Those arguments continue to this day.)

Anyway, “Cabaret” still commands a 94 percent Fresh Rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Here are some of the accolades:

Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian: “This viscerally powerful, deliriously inspired musical stands the test of time, and then some.”

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: “This is no ordinary musical. Part of its success comes because it doesn't fall for the old cliché that musicals have to make you happy. Instead of cheapening the movie version by lightening its load of despair, director Bob Fosse has gone right to the bleak heart of the material and stayed there …”

Guy Lodge, former Variety critic: “It’s hard to believe it’s half a century since Cabaret first sashayed into cinemas: In look, sound and sensibility, it still feels fresh and daring, expanding the possibilities of what musicals can do and say at every turn.”

Now it’s your turn to react. A 50th-anniversary screening of “Cabaret” will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday and 7 p.m. Wednesday at two area Regal Cinemas theaters, at NorthTown Mall and Coeur d’Alene’s Riverstone Stadium.

Here’s my bet: However dark the story gets, you’ll exit the theater humming – my guess is – “Money money money, money money money …”