Fosse/Verdon

You're a little early.

Isn't time yet.

Can I see it?

That's nice. Then the hand.

- As I'm stepping back? - Yeah.

That wasn't it.

- Well, take it up with the choreographer.

It was his idea, not mine.

Did we fire him?

- Oh, give the man another shot.

He's still learning.

Break the leg.

Like this?

- Yeah, that's nice. Show me the reverse.

Eh.

Yours is better. Let's do it again.

Dancers to set.

Standby.

- Bring it over here for blocking.

- Why are you standing like that?

- I thought this was my position.

- Yeah, well, why is the character you're playing

putting all of her weight on the banister like that?

The choreography.

- How long have you been dancing in those heels tonight?

Five hours maybe?

- Six, at least. - Six.

- Hey mister, can I talk to you for a minute?

- Got a cigarette for me, mister? Huh?

- All you want to do is sit down.

I mean, it is all you can think about.

You close your eyes.

You see love seats, armchairs, church pews, subway benches.

- But you got a problem. The manager's watching.

You--you can't sit down in the middle of your shift.

- Got that little boy at home, doesn't she?

Yeah.

Depending on that paycheck.

Maybe if you can shift your weight off your heels

onto the banister,

just maybe you can make it through one more dance.

Uh, who's here?

Hey, Shirley. How are ya?

- Good, I feel lucky I can still walk

after yesterday's rehearsal.

She's a taskmaster, this one.

- Well, I learned from the best.

- Need her in one piece there, Gwen.

Hey, I need to talk to you for a second.

- Yeah? - Wanna get a cup of coffee...

Girls.

When you're walking backwards and you roll the shoulder,

it's not a seduction, it's a con job.

Now he doesn't know that, so...

- Can you freeze right there, ladies?

It's got to be tighter. I need it tighter.

I wanna see the sweat.

I wanna see the spot where they missed their foundation.

- They're too crowded together.

If you come in tight, you're going to ruin the composition.

Cut one of the dancers.

- Huh? - More room.

Yeah. Which one?

New girl on the end.

Okay.

Sweetheart!

We're re-blocking.

- Psss! - Okay, stop.

Hold it right there.

- I need you to get through to him, Gwen.

The studio is adamant.

Charity under no circumstances can use the expression,

"Up Yours."

It--it--it--it--it's obscene.

Quiet, please.

- Can I tell you what I do when I'm nervous?

I take three deep breaths, in and out.

In and out. In...

And out.

Better, isn't it?

- We're gonna have to lose another dancer.

We have to lose another dancer.

Yeah.

We have to re-block.

We're re-blocking. - In and out.

Everybody, we're re-blocking.

- Carrie, sorry, we're gonna have to--

we're gonna have to lose you, okay? I'm so sorry.

We're going to find another spot for you, all right?

Mark.

- Quiet, please. - Picture's up, everybody.

Stand by.

- Scene 7, take 1. Roll camera.

Mark.

- Rolling! - Rolling!

Playback.

How about it, palsy?

Yeah.

- Cut. - Cutting.

Okay, let's move on.

- Check the gain. - That's good, girls.

Nice. - It's clear. Moving on.

- Oh, listen, I wanted to tell you.

Nicole and I stopped by the Ziegfeld on our way home.

- Hmm. - There were people lined up

all the way down to 7th Avenue to buy tickets.

- Maybe they were there to see "The Love Bug."

Stop.

The Ziegfeld only has one screen and you know it.

Well, but do they know that?

Well, I didn't ask that.

Is that new?

- Yeah, I made it. Do you like it?

Can you zip me?

Going in the wrong direction.

Am I?

- Our guests will be here in five minutes.

It's always good to...

keep your audience waiting.

- Hey. Okay, now, it's your bedtime.

Trade? Thank you.

- Neil understands what I'm saying.

- Listen to me, you're gonna be absolutely insufferable

now that you're a hotshot Hollywood director, right?

- Next thing you know, he's gonna show up

at the Carnegie Deli wearing a beret.

- I made one film. One film.

- Oh, it's worse than I thought.

He's already calling his movie a film.

My God, somebody put him out of his misery already.

Listen to him. - This is from Paddy Chayefsky,

the most pretentious son of a bitch on the planet Earth.

I never said I wasn't.

- I got my hands over my head.

I say, "Officer, this is all a big misunderstanding.

I'm--I'm Bob Fosse." He says, "Who?"

- Do you know how many times he's told this story?

It happened 15 years ago.

- The guy is convinced he's caught some pervert

trying to break into Gwen Verdon's rehearsal room

for God knows what kind of sordid purpose.

- Which, to be fair, is not entirely untrue.

Touché.

I finally come out and then I say,

"Officer, give me a break! I'm Gwen Verdon's husband!

I'm her husband!" - And the poor kid,

he turns bright red and says,

"Well, gee, why in the world didn't you say so

in the first place, Mr. Verdon?"

- I'm busy directing Steve's new musical.

- Am I the only one who liked the last one

that he did with Dick?

- Yeah, I think so. - Oh.

What's this one about?

- A single guy who can't hold down a relationship.

His married friends all want him to get married,

even though they're all miserable.

- Oh, I'm on the edge of my seat.

- You know, I bet Cy is still looking for somebody

to do "Cabaret," if you're interested.

- No. - My book is already

starting to fill up. - Oh, Bobby's too big-time now

to do a little art musical.

- I didn't say that. I didn't say that.

- What are you working on these days, Gwen? Tell me.

- Uh, oh, well, uh, Bobby and I have been so busy--

- Picture of the year, Bobby.

- Oh, thanks, sweetheart. - It's a masterpiece.

- Thank you. Thanks, sweetheart.

- So when are you gonna cast me in a movie, Bobby?

Uh, next one. Next one.

- I'm gonna remember you said that.

- All right, all right. Nice to see ya.

Some--a change of pace.

Anyone want another drink?

- Now I'm only going to say this once

and then I will never ever say it again.

- Please, just don't. - It should have been you.

- Okay, well, I'm glad that you've gotten it

out of your system.

- Now I might be a little bit buzzed.

- I think so, maybe. - But Shirley MacLaine?

Stop.

- Bobby should never have replaced you.

"Charity" was your show.

- Shirley was cast before Bobby was even hired.

You know, the only reason he got the job

was because Shirley told the studio

she wouldn't do it without him.

- Be that as it may, you were the best thing about that show,

and my husband wrote it.

- Stop. - Ladies and germs.

Ladies and degenerates.

May I present Mr. Bob Fosse.

Oh! She's the cutest.

Hey!

Once more from the top!

Try that.

Once more from the top!

Dead ringer.