Musicals tend to be either vacuous and light as air (e.g., An American in Paris) or vacuous and heavy as lead (e.g., Doctor Dolittle). Cabaret fits into neither category. Set at the dawn of the Nazi era, Bob Fosse’s best film is a socio-political-psychological musical. If it’s not the first of its kind, it surely is the best – written by Jay Presson Allen, adapted from Joe Masteroff’s musical (taken from John Van Druten’s play I Am a Camera, which in turn was based on Christopher Isherwood’s semi-autobiographical book). Fosse’s choreography is electrifying, the production values are superb, and Cabaret also offers good performers in top form: Liza Minnelli as the free-spirited girl; Michael York as the shy, intellectual (and sexually ambivalent) boy; and Joel Grey as Nazifying Germany itself.
Best Film
Butterflies Are Free – Dir.: Milton Katselas; Scr.: Leonard Gersche
Cabaret – Dir.: Bob Fosse; Scr.: Jay Presson Allen
The Candidate – Dir.: Michael Ritchie; Scr.: Jeremy Larner
César and Rosalie / César et Rosalie – Dir.: Claude Sautet; Scr.: Jean-Loup Dabadie & Claude Sautet
Cries and Whispers / Viskningar och rop – dir. & Scr.: Ingmar Bergman;
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie / Le Charme discret de la bourgeoisie – Dir.: Luis Buñuel; Scr.: Luis Buñuel & Jean-Claude Carrière
The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds – Dir.: Paul Newman; Scr.: Alvin Sargent
The Godfather – Dir.: Francis Ford Coppola; Scr.: Francis Ford Coppola & Mario Puzo
Ludwig – Dir.: Luchino Visconti;
The Most Wonderful Evening of My Life / La più bella serata della mia vita – Dir.: Ettore Scola; Scr.: Sergio Amidei & Ettore Scola
Sleuth – Dir.: Joseph L. Mankiewicz; Scr.: Anthony Shaffer
Travels with My Aunt – Dir.: George Cukor;
Best Actress
Goldie Hawn, Butterflies Are Free
Silvana Mangano, The Scientific Cardplayer / Lo scopone scientifico
Liza Minnelli, Cabaret
Romy Schneider, César and Rosalie
Maggie Smith, Travels with My Aunt
Elizabeth Taylor, Zee and Co. / X, Y and Zee
Ingrid Thulin, Cries and Whispers
Tuesday Weld, Play It As It Lays
Joanne Woodward, The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds
Best Actor
Marlon Brando, The Godfather & Last Tango in Paris / Ultimo tango a Parigi
Alec McCowen, Travels with My Aunt
Laurence Olivier, Sleuth
Al Pacino, The Godfather
Robert Redford, The Candidate
Jofre Soares, João and the Knife / João en het mes
Alberto Sordi, The Most Wonderful Evening of My Life & The Scientific Cardplayer
Michael York, Cabaret
Best Supporting Actor
Peter Boyle, The Candidate
Pierre Brasseur, The Most Wonderful Evening of My Life
Burt Reynolds, Deliverance
Best Supporting Actress
Harriet Andersson, Cries and Whispers
Stéphane Audran & Delphine Seyrig, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
Diane Cilento, Z.P.G. / Zero Population Growth
Eileen Heckart, Butterflies Are Free
Geraldine Page, Pete ‘n’ Tillie
Susan Tyrrell, Fat City
Cicely Tyson, Sounder
Susannah York, X, Y and Zee
Best Cinematography
John A. Alonzo, Sounder
Victor J. Kemper & John Korty, The Candidate
Charles B. Lang, Butterflies Are Free
Oswald Morris, Sleuth
Armando Nannuzzi, Ludwig
Sven Nykvist, Cries and Whispers
Douglas Slocombe, Travels with My Aunt
Harold Stine, The Poseidon Adventure
Geoffrey Unsworth, Cabaret
Gordon Willis, The Godfather
Best Original Score
Gato Barbieri, Last Tango in Paris
Vladimir Cosma, The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe / Le Grand blond avec une chaussure noire
Taj Mahal, Sounder
Piero Piccioni, The Scientific Cardplayer
Armando Trovajoli, The Most Wonderful Evening of My Life