Jesus Christ Superstar *** (1973, Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson, Yvonne Elliman, Barry Dennen, Bob Bingham, Josh Mostel) – Classic Movie Review 5676

Director Norman Jewison’s greatly maligned 1973 movie of the Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical – or rock opera as there are no spoken lines and everything is sung – is valuable as an impressive attempt at bringing a crucial musical theatre experience to the movies. It presents a show within a show as American hippies in Israel act out the story of Jesus Christ’s last week, seen through the troubled eyes of Judas Iscariot.

Director Jewison takes his actors out on half a dozen Israel locations, which makes it look eye-catching seen through the lens of cinematographer Douglas Slocombe’s cameras.

The Lloyd Webber songs are all here, and slot in snugly, and novelist – TV presenter Melvyn Bragg takes plenty of care with the screenplay and dialogue, with Jewison credited as co-screen writer (as well as co-producer with Robert Stigwood).

On the performing front, an impressive Carl Anderson (as Judas Iscariot) and Barry Dennen (Pontius Pilate) outclass Ted Neeley’s rather uninspired portrayal of Jesus, while Joshua [Josh] Mostel overplays his hand as a camp Herod, though admittedly that is the role as written.

There is real power from Yvonne Elliman (as Mary Magdalene) in both her entire performance and her singing of ‘I Don’t Know How to Love Him’ and other hits include ‘Gethsemane’, ‘Herod’s Song’, ‘What’s the Buzz’, ‘Hosanna’, ‘Everything’s Alright’ and ‘Superstar’.

Also in the cast are Bob Bingham (as Caiaphas), Larry Marshall (as Simon Zealotes), Kurt Yaghjian (as Annas), Robert LuPone (as Apostle James), Richard Molinare (as Apostle Andrew) and Paul Thomas [Philip Toubus] as Peter.

André Previn, Herbert W Spencer and Andrew Lloyd Webber were Oscar nominated for Best Music, Scoring Original Song Score and/or Adaptation.

Nick Morris directed an entertaining new version for TV in 2000, with Glenn Carter, Jérôme Pradon, Renee Castle, Fred Johanson and Rik Mayall as Herod.

Jewison had just directed the film of Fiddler on the Roof (1971).

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5676

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