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Bob Fosse

Bob Fosse

Actor, director and writer, also producer · Died September 23, 1987, aged 60 · Chicago, Illinois, USA

Robert Louis “Bob” Fosse (June 23, 1927 – September 23, 1987) was an American actor, dancer, musical theater choreographer, director, screenwriter, film editor and film director. He won an unprecedented eight Tony Awards for choreography, as well as one for direction. He was nominated for an Academy Award four times, winning for his direction of Cabaret (beating Francis Ford Coppola for The Godfather). He was closely identified with his third wife, Broadway dancing star Gwen Verdon. She was both the dancer/collaborator/muse upon whom he choreographed much of his work and, together with dancer/choreographer Ann Reinking, a significant guardian of the Fosse legacy after his death. Description above from the Wikipedia article Bob Fosse, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
June 23, 1927
Died
September 23, 1987 (aged 60)
From
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Works as
Actor, director and writer, also producer
Titles
19 on MovieCove · 24 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 65 days to Oct 28Down 6% in 30 days

What are Bob Fosse's films like?

Across their 16 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 72nd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 94th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 82nd percentile
: browse their Biography movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 96th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
24%
Bonds
21%
Society
20%
Ideas
14%
Morality
12%
Survival
5%
Power
4%
Romantic love5 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFame3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage2 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 16 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 10 · Serious 3 · Dark 3

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 5 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 5

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 7 · Charged 3 · Intense 6

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 10 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 2

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 10 · Funny 2

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 10 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 12 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 2

Roles they play

3 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 2 of 3 analyzed roles.

Ally
2 of 3
Shadow
1 of 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
8
Melancholic
8
Tense
3
Warm
4
Hopeful
3
Other
18

How their films linger

Feel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy5
  • Bittersweet7
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Bob Fosse's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 19 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Bob Fosse's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

24 credits, 19 with a MovieCove page; 15 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Bob Fosse: It's Showtime!(2019)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Sweet Charity (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Music Coordinator

  • Chicago(2002)

    Book

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Fosse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Choreographer

  • Star 80(1983)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Pippin: His Life and Times(1982)

    Choreographer · Cinematographer · Stage Director

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • All That Jazz(1979)

    Director · Choreographer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Thieves(1977)

    as Mr. Day

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • That's Entertainment, Part II(1976)

    as (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Lenny(1974)

    Director · as The Interviewer (voice) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Little Prince(1974)

    Choreographer · as The Snake

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Liza with a Z(1972)

    Director · Choreographer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Cabaret(1972)

    Director · Choreographer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Sweet Charity(1969)

    Director · Choreographer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • From Stage to Screen---A Director's Dilemma (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Actor

  • How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying(1967)

    Choreographer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Startime (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • The Garry Moore Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Damn Yankees(1958)

    Choreographer · as Mambo Dancer (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Pajama Game(1957)

    Choreographer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • My Sister Eileen(1955)

    Choreographer · as Frank Lippincott

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Kiss Me Kate(1953)

    Choreographer · as "Hortensio"

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Give a Girl a Break(1953)

    as Bob Dowdy

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Affairs of Dobie Gillis(1953)

    as Charlie Trask

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 25 titles from 1953 to 2019.

Biggest box office

Chicago (2002)

$307M worldwide

Highest rated

Liza with a Z (1972)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

Cabaret (1972)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting13 of 25: 8 only acting, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score72ndDirecting7 of 25: 1 only directing, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score94thWriting3 of 25: 1 only writing, 2 with another roleProducing1 of 25: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleCinematography1 of 25: 0 only cinematography, 1 with another roleOther crew13 of 25: 4 only other crew, 9 with another role · typical Midcredits score80th

25 titles, 11 with more than one role — acting and other crew overlap on 4 of them.

By decade

1950s8 · 6 acting · 5 crew1960s3 · 1 acting · 2 crew1970s7 · 4 acting · 5 crew1980s3 · 1 acting · 2 crew2000s3 · crew2010s1 · acting

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Bob Fosse's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 77th percentile, the median of all 19; across their 16 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 77th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

77thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Approval · how many liked their films

79thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Reach · how many have seen their films

71stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Midcredits score across 19 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up11
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

13 of their 19 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser13
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · actor

Thieves (1977)

78th percentile spread · 44% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, producer

Liza with a Z (1972)

Midcredits 98th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the acting 75/100 in their films, across 14 reviewed titles; fans 81, detractors 48. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Bob Fosse's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 45 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity5 titles48–74 · median 71 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 59 · moderateMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 61 · intenseMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 40 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Bob Fosse work with?

People who share at least 2 of Bob Fosse's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Kurt Kasznar shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers