[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Sweet Charity (1969)

Unlike most musicals this from Bob Fosse which clocks in at a bum numbing two and a half hours actually needed more song and dance numbers as there were long spells without especially during the second act.

In truth the second act wasn't as good as the first aside from brilliant routines from Sammy Davis Jr's drug induced religious fest and Shirley MacLaine's wonderful 'I'm a Brass Band' routine.

Maclaine as Charity is as the norm an utter delight, that kooky sexiness to the fore in all her numbers, but the best routine came quite early on in The Pompeii Club called 'Rich Man's Frug' and is an outstanding routine in three parts wonderfully choreographed by Fosse particularly his creative use of unusual poses, gestures, and arm movements and it gives the first act of the film a feel of the Italian 60's giallo in it's music and ambiance.