When the lead of the musical he's putting on quits, Ted Sturgis (Gower Champion) searches for a new headliner. Newcomers Joanna Moss (Helen Wood) and Suzy Doolitle (Debbie Reynolds) do well at open auditions, and Madelyn Corlane (Marge Champion), Ted's ex and a former starlet herself, is also in contention.
Discussion Date
May 2, 2024
Discussion Time
8:00 am
Location
Virtual Event
on the event date, use the button below to join the discussion
movie details
starring
Debbie Reynolds, Bob Fosse, Gower Champion
run time
1h 24m
Film Introductions
by Bill Rudman
Last time we laid on you Bob Fosse’s harrowing, semi-autobiographical 1979 film All That Jazz. This time we journey back to 1953, when Fosse was a virtually unknown 26-year-old performer trying to make his way up the ladder at MGM.
It didn’t happen. Fosse made only three films for the studio – then he broke his contract and headed back to New York. Within a year, he had made a name for himself choreographing The Pajama Game.
But Give a Girl a Break, the second film directed Stanley Donen (who usually played second fiddle to co-director Gene Kelly), is worth your 88 minutes. It’s a backstager that sparkles with MGM’s trademark brio, songs by Burton Lane and Ira Gershwin, and a surprisingly good piece of acting from Fosse. Incredible coincidence: By the 1960s, both Fosse and the top-billed Gower Champion ruled Broadway as director-choreographers.
If the musical isn’t great (and it isn’t), it is eminently likeable, and as a companion piece to All That Jazz it’s a must-see.
How the Program Works
Join the Mailing list
On the appropriate Thursday, email list subscribers will receive an email with a video introduction from Bill Rudman. This video introduction gives an inside look at what to expect before viewing the film.
Watch the Film at Home
TMTP will provide a list of sites from which that month's film can be rented or purchased.
Join the Live Discussion
The following Thursday, Bill Rudman will host a live discussion via Zoom to discuss the film in real time!