All That Jazz (1979)

Ben Vereen: O'Connor Flood

Photos 

Quotes 

• O'Connor Flood : Folks! What can I tell you about my next guest? This cat allowed himself to be adored, but not loved. And his success in show business was matched by failure in his personal relationship bag, now - that's where he really bombed. And he came to believe that show business, work, love, his whole life, even himself and all that jazz, was bullshit. He became numero uno game player - uh, to the point where he didn't know where the games ended, and the reality began. Like, to this cat, the only reality - is death, man. Ladies and gentlemen, let me lay on you a so-so entertainer, not much of a humanitarian, and this cat was never *nobody's* friend. In his final appearance on the great stage of life - uh, you can applaud if you wanna - Mr. Joe Gideon!

• Joe Gideon : A great entertainer.

  O'Connor Flood : A great entertainer...

  Joe Gideon : A great humanitarian.

  O'Connor Flood : A great humanitarian...

  Joe Gideon : And my dear friend for 25 years.

  O'Connor Flood : And my dearest, dearest friend for 20 years.

  Kate Jagger : [Joe turns off the television]  You missed by five years!

  Joe Gideon : [walking to the bathroom]  Oh boy, do I hate show business!

  Kate Jagger : Joe, you love show business.

  Joe Gideon : Oh that's right. I love show business. I'll go either way.

• O'Connor Flood : [singing]  Give it to me! Bye Bye Life, Bye Bye happiness, Hello loneliness, I think he's gonna die. Gonna die. Bye Bye Life, Bye Bye happiness, Hello emptiness, I think he's gonna die. Gonna die. La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la. Goodbye your life, Goodbye...

• O'Connor Flood : This is the man who would be my first choice as a modern-day saint. When I was in those marches, like Selma, this brother was shufflin' right alongside me, long before those other cats who thought that civil rights was a hip scene and jumped on the black wagon.

  [laughs] 

  O'Connor Flood : The black wagon!