Pre-Production Begins
It was in 1968 that the idea for a film version of Cabaret began to take root. Cinerama had a verbal agreement to make the film but pulled out just a year later. Fortunately, Allied Artists and ABC Pictures stepped in in 1969 to start planning out the film, but they had to wait until 1971 to get Bob Fosse on board as director.
Bob Fosse, 1988. Photo by Fotos International / Shutterstock
Fosse heard about the film through Harold Prince, director of the original Broadway show. He knew right then and there that he wanted to direct the picture and actually begged Cy Feuer, the film’s producer, to hire him. However, the producer had other ideas in mind.